Explore a refreshed Athens apartment full of quirk and midcentury character

This Athens apartment redesign posed a unique challenge to its architects, Aspassia Mitropapa and Christina Iliopoulou. The expansive home, set in the corner-set penthouse of a block with far-reaching views from the Acropolis to the Panathenaic Stadium, was brimming with craft and rich materiality – a hallmark of many homes in the Greek capital built in the 1960s. Yet the residence, which has belonged to the same family for decades, was also in need of a refresh to fit the needs of 21st-century living.

Tour this Athens apartment, bridging old and new

The architects worked hard to bridge those two characters – the home's existing material-rich, midcentury appeal, and the contemporary sensibilities of the owners' lifestyle. The team writes on its approach: 'The craftsmanship of 1960s Athens formed the foundation of our architectural intention: to respect it, preserve it and reinterpret it.'

'The residence is therefore not just a renovated apartment, but a comprehensive treatment of the materiality of the era – a bridge between two periods, where craftsmanship and memory of the past are transformed into tools for the practice of architecture.'

The existing surface palette and décor in the penthouse includes some fine Athenian craftsmanship - from refined marblework and intricate wood details to hand-painted ceilings, all enveloped in the residential building’s original façade, which is distinctly clad in travertine marble featuring a range of decorative motifs.

The design team centred its reimagining of the apartment on a key gesture: they reworked the kitchen as the heart of the home, wrapping it in glass blocks which offer separation but also plenty of natural light where needed, and carving out strategic openings that frame views across the home, opening up the overall layout arrangement.

More design interventions include adding Didyma marble to the interior, which gently nods to the travertine exterior skin of the building. Existing Tinos marble, aged with beautiful, natural patina, was complemented with green Cipollino in bathrooms. Elsewhere, colourful tiles add another dimension in select areas.

A lot of the existing fabric was kept and carefully maintained to extend its natural life. This includes the hand-painted ceilings, the wooden inlays in the living room, and the herringbone parquet in the bedrooms (there are four of them). The result is a family home that thrives in its 20th-century identity but also feels distinctly contemporary, perfectly fitted to its owner's daily life.