This renovation takes an Athenian flat from 70’s spirit to modern minimalism

Architects Natalia Bazaiou and Anastasia Noukaki renovated a two-bedroom apartment in a typical 70’s Athenian polykatoikia (multi-storey housing building) in the southern suburbs of the city. It is transformed from a dark, introverted, and divided space to an extrovert apartment with wide openings for natural light and undivided main living spaces with unobstructed sea views.

Moving through the house one experiences a sequence of view frames as a continuous interaction of the interior with the environment. Within the apartment space, a wooden structure creates a protective borderline between private and public areas. In addition, it creates a storage area that allows the living room space to be utilized for residents’ favorite activities.

“Reading is a favorite activity for residents and has become a priority for space configuration. The balcony door next to the library becomes a reading nook as well as the window in the master bedroom”.

Baking and cooking are also favorite activities for the family. The kitchen and dining area where friends and family gather are therefore a central spatial element. The kitchen serves as an extension of the dining table, yet it has a light structural element separating it from the dining room.

The black marble floor, typical of the era the building was constructed, is kept intact, retaining the atmosphere of the previous condition, while at the same time interacting harmoniously with the newly added materials (painted metal structures, plywood, oak finish elements, lacquered wood).

Facts & Credits:

Project title: Apartment for a reading family, Typology: Interiors – Apartment renovation, Location: Alimos – Athens – Greece, Architects: Natalia Bazaiou & Anastasia Noukaki, Civil Engineering: Thanasis Potouridis, Text description: Natalia Bazaiou & Anastasia Noukaki, Photography: Cathy Cunliffe