New Office Building on Spetson street in Keratsini (Piraeus), within Industrial Complex of ‘Miloi Ag. Georgiou’ 1994-1995
This office building was designed to meet specific programmatic requirements for the offices of a major Greek company, that owned a large industrial complex in the particular industrial area next to the port of Keratsini. The building was to be located in the specific location next to the entrance of the large industrial complex that contained several industrial buildings of considerable proportions.
As the building was to be also located close to the ‘old millers house’ a historical residence of importance for the very old prestigious company, at the time the largest mill supplying flower and similar products to Greece, with a large share of exports, the architect’s goal was also to best provide access to this historic building. The axis of the historic building was respected and continued through the design of the new building.
The initial scheme involved a two storey building with basement utilization (i.e. parking level & basement, ground floor, 1st floor) with open covered space in the ground floor leading directly from the entrance of the complex to the back garden, and through there, the same axis lead to the entrance to the ‘old millers house’. After the complicated process for the acquisition of the building permit had been completed, the programmatic requirements changed and the owners requested that an additional floor (2nd floor) be also constructed, with parallel closing of the ground-floor open central corridor towards the millers house. Thus the present design was completed, and a new permit was subsequently issued.
Abstracted detailing, modern finishes inside-out, classical well-balanced proportions combined with simplicity of expression through the economy of materials, and the well-established with external parameters symmetry and order of the elevations characterise the complex. Entrance to the closed parking space from the lower side, centrally in the elevation. Solid brick, and curtain wall, with mass evident offer a feeling of calm serene stability, while appropriate for a building within an industrial complex.