APARTMENT IN ATHENS

ATHENS, GREECE

Damaged by an earthquake, this ground level double-height apartment in a six-storey block of flats, required internal reconstruction almost from scratch.

To cater for the increased needs of the client, a mezzanine level, of light metal and timber structure, was built covering three quarters of the total area of the apartment. The only part that did not have a mezzanine level was the “library” area that houses part of the client’s extensive collection of books, some rare, and also archives and memorabilia of poet Nikos Kavvadias. One of its walls, totally covered by books for the whole of its “double” height, has become the reference point of the house evoking the client’s special relationship with books and art.

The existence of a garden at the back of the apartment has given opportunities for “inside-outside” integrated design. With the exception of a small terraced area dedicated to outdoor dining, the remainder of the garden has been left to a large extent in its original “unkempt” state.

Large glazed areas, towards the garden, bring natural light from the garden deep into the apartment, whose stand-out material is natural wood.