Astral Weeks Flat and Exhibition Space concerns the transformation of a former industrial space into an apartment, that can potentially host temporary art exhibitions. The renovation took place in a postwar office building, a dominant typology in the centre of Athens, that posed several challenges. Characteristic of this typology is the insufficiency of domestic infrastructure, like plumbing/sewage installations (toilets located externally per floor), and adaptation limitations for heating/cooling systems. These restraints, in combination with the mixed-use program, informed the design methodology to a large extent.
© Riccardo De Vecchi
The main feature of the composition is the creation of a strict limit that divides the plan in two distinct parts. The first part refers to the perimetrical zone while the second one refers to the blank space that is generated by it. The perimetrical space is where the limit acquires depth and height and transforms into a 3d multifunctional domestic zone. The main characteristic of this zone is the elevated floor, which operates like an infrastructural platform (plumbing, sewage, heating, etc.) and at the same time its form indicates the separation of a more intimate environment (bedrooms, bathrooms), from the rest of the apartment. Moreover, through sliding panels this zone is subdivided into smaller spaces with dynamic limits, allowing for further degrees of privacy. As a result, an enfilade of rooms is formed, which can be used independently or in junction, and can enable the continuous promenade of all the spaces.
© Riccardo De Vecchi
The second part refers to the enclosed space, a ‘void’, whose existence is due to the framing power of the perimeter. It is a continuous and unobstructed space, that can be used according to the user’s will, and takes advantage of the continuous glass façade and the absence of columns. Moreover, the flexibility of this space, in combination with the neutral walls that surround it, meets the needs of hosting temporary art exhibitions.
© Riccardo De Vecchi
Finally, although an effort is made to separate the different functions of the apartment, at the same time, this particular layout produces spatial interactions, which break the static relation between perimeter (frame) and void space (framed). Specifically, the concentric relationship between the void space and the perimetrical rooms, generates a constant point of reference, an internal “courtyard”, or a stage, around which rituals of everyday life unfold. Thus, a new condition is created where “blind” rooms have access into a new internal façade, and others gain double frontage, producing visual and spatial connections from unexpected points of the plan, underlining the importance of an architecture of limits.
Project Info
Architects: Oblique
Country: Greece
Area: 139 m²
Year: 2023
Photographs: Riccardo De Vecchi
Manufacturers Alumil, ByCocoon, Michael Anastassiades: Alumil
Design Team: Dimitris Chatziioakeimidis, Styliani Livieratou
Project Management And General Constructing: Oblique
