Architecture | Apartment building in Alimos

In our office, we seek with our projects the reinterpretation of known building typologies in order to meet new functional and aesthetic needs. This proposition concerns a triple residence in the area of Alimos, within an urban landscape characterized by the repetition of typical suburban apartment buildings. The design moves towards both the completion of the urban fabric and the differentiation through the handling of specific details.

The main synthetic principle of this study is the manipulation of volume to eliminate the usual vertical repetition of floors: horizontal slabs transform into hovering clusters that resist the natural forces of gravity. The shaping of white concrete surfaces begins from the compact volume at the base of the building, continues into a volume-slab composition in the middle, and concludes with the horizontal slab of the penthouse, resulting in a gradual deconstruction and elevation of the whole. Large glass surfaces are left between the geometric shapes, concealed behind wooden semi-transparencies for protection from the sun, intensifying the dramatic contrast between voids and solids.

Access to the building is marked by the wall that guides visitors to the entrance door and the common staircase. Each residence is developed on two levels, with living spaces arranged on the lower level and bedrooms on the upper level. In the center of the double-height living area, a sculptural complex of staircase and fireplace is placed, serving as both a connecting element between the levels and a core around which the residences are developed.

Through the large openings, the residences extend into the external open space, functioning as an extension of the interior. Prominent balconies act as a culmination element of the unobstructed visual continuity from the interior of the residences towards the outdoor space and from there to the city view. The balconies, along with other elements such as protrusions, ascent stairs, water features, and planters, provide variety to the whole and enhance the organic connection between the interior and the external outdoor space.