Apartment by the Park

The 160-square-meter apartment is located in a post-war (1950s) urban Athenian apartment building on Mavromateon Street.

The aim of the project was to restore the residential character of the apartment, which was previously used as an office, while preserving its original architectural style and taking into account the modern needs of its future residents. Three principal architectural choices guided the creation of the new apartment layout. The apartment’s proximity to Pedion tou Areos was deemed a key asset, so the first choice was to relocate the living room to the front of the house, which faces the park. The apartment opens to a view of the green space as soon as one enters, so the intervening walls were removed to allow the view to gradually reveal itself as one walks towards the living room. The second compositional decision was the combination of the living and dining rooms, and the third was the integration of the existing utility rooms with the kitchen to form a larger space.

In place of the wall that separated the new resident’s kitchen and studio, a lightweight partition that functionally unifies the two spaces was installed. The use of translucent glazing allows indirect sunlight to enter the kitchen, establishing visual contact between the two spaces while maintaining their autonomy.

Similarly, the former corridor wall between the bedroom and the living room was replaced with a perforated library, affording views of the park from the bedroom.

The oak flooring, mosaics, and solid wood-paneled doors are enhanced with translucent glazed surfaces, while new contoured elements are incorporated into the space.

As a result, the apartment’s contemporary identity emerges from the architectural dialogue between new and existing elements that is facilitated by the materials and design.