Residence in Athens

by ISV Architects

Details

The suburban residence, built in the 70’s had all the features of the typical architecture of Northern Greece- the low, tiled roofs, the open stonework and the dense arrangement of the inner spaces. So, when the architectural firm I.S.V. (Ioannou, Sotiropoulos, Van Gilder with the cooperation of Daniela Strancovic on this specific project), undertook its thought renovation, they wanted to respect and retain some of the existing valuable elements, while at the same time creating a new, purely urban residence. The blueprints involved two glass extensions in the rear of the building, a swimming pool and the preservation of the stonework in the surrounding walls, using the gray stone as their main inspiration: a gray palette…On the outside, the gray tarpaper-which replaced the roof tiles-and the gray walls create the impression of a truly ”gray house” while in the spacious and bright rooms inside, a lighter shade of gray-a cohesive color, expressing both motion and stillness-dominates the ceilings and the inner walls and complements the oak paneling.

In this calm and serene gray zone, the formality and geometry of the spaces set the stage of the choice of furniture, with all the individual elements in simple, horizontal volumes in white, beige and black. The revolving doors and the lighting are automatically controlled. Even the collection of pop art, such as the two-dimensional figures of Giannis Gaitis or the four emblematic Marilyns by Andy Warhol, enjoys the greatest privilege of the color gray: its ability to create the ideal backdrop for any work of art.