Leasure

Patio

ATHENS, GREECE, 2019

JIC ARCHITECTS
DESIGN TEAM:

IOANNA FAKIRI, JULIE SPYROPOULOU

Patio

Experience the transformation of a five-level structure, evolving from a retail space to a vibrant hotel oasis. At its core, an inviting atrium facilitates seamless circulation while maintaining guest privacy and enhancing natural light. Adorned with timber blinds, the facade harmoniously blends elegance with practicality, filtering urban noise and sunlight. Discover a symphony of materials—reinforced concrete, metal, and wood—culminating in a visually stunning aesthetic enriched by textured coatings. Dive deeper into the narrative as motifs inspired by Alekos Fassianos infuse cultural resonance, weaving a compelling tale of form, function, and heritage. Explore the intersection of architecture and art, where every detail sparks intrigue and curiosity.

Design Team: Ioanna Fakiri, Julie Spyropoulou,  Iason Vovos

Photographer: Christos Drazos, Maria Irene Moschona

Location: Athens, Greece

Year: 2019 

The development of this structure spans five levels above ground, presenting a major challenge in redesigning its original retail configuration into a hotel. An inner courtyard emerges as a primary feature, constructed to orchestrate an optimal environmental response. Its strategic placement and geometric precision not only enhance spatial organization but also seamlessly integrate with the surrounding environment, fostering a symbiotic relationship between indoor and outdoor space while ensuring visual and thermal comfort.

Acting as an architectural core, the atrium plays a key role in facilitating circulation, ensuring accessibility to each room, while protecting privacy and encouraging plenty of natural light and ventilation. The aesthetic identity of the building unfolds with finesse, clad in wooden blinds that enliven the facade. Beyond their utilitarian function of solar protection, these blinds serve as a filter, shielding from the urban noise of the city, while enriching the exterior with a sense of rhythmic movement. 

In terms of material, a judicious choice of reinforced concrete and elements of metal and wood converge harmoniously giving visual richness to both the exterior facades and the interior spaces. These surfaces are enriched with carefully crafted coatings, infused with colored aggregates, that evoke a sense of sculptural depth and texture. The incorporation of selected motifs from the work of Alekos Fasianos imbues the architectural narrative with a layer of cultural resonance. Whether manifested autonomously or as integral elements demarcating spatial boundaries, these artistic references enrich the aesthetic lexicon of the building, forging a seamless dialogue between form and environment.