Yli & Ktirio - Residence in Korydallos on the list of the 20 most important projects.
Greek Magazine Yli & Ktirio celebrated 20 years of printed circulation in May. For its birthday it released a special 20-year celebration edition listing the 20 most important office buildings, hotels and residences of recent years.
It was a pleasant surprise when we were asked to participate in the ‘residence’ category with our project in the Korydallos area. The architectural design by Elisavet Plaini and John Karahalios of Plaini & Karahalios architects, which was awarded at German Design Awards 2019 and Big See 2018, made a great impression and is now part of the list of the 20 most important projects.
This proves how a partnership can win local and European awards when visions and ideas merge and where architecture meets construction.
The article as published in the magazine:
The threshold as an everyday experience
The structure of a 1980’s apartment is recomposed to accommodate a family of four. Shared spaces and three bedrooms were arranged within the 80m² of interior space.
The interior plan was fully restructured. The shared spaces were organized as continuous spatial transitions.
Each subspace becomes a threshold for the next. The material and color alterations define and differentiate each zone.
Transitions within the shared spaces are rendered between the pink entrance hall, the white living room, the wooden dining room and the blue kitchen. In the private area, the three bedrooms extend around the central corridor enclosing the black box, a construction containing the bathroom and wardrobes.
At the heart of the apartment lies the wooden dining room. The same material unites walls, floor and ceiling, while the lowering of the height transforms the space into a real threshold, at its most characteristic function. This in-between area is a fragment of intensity and pause. From this space of gathering and coexistence, the state of consecutive transition becomes a daily experience for the family.
Size: 80m²
Studio: Plaini & Karahalios Architects
Architects: John Karahalios, Elisavet Plaini
Construction: EPIKYKLOS construction team
Location: Korydallos, Athens
Year: 2017
