neiheiser argyros revives run-down office building in athens with multicolored compositions

‘Art 1 Office’ by neiheiser argyros 

 

In Athens, Greece, an existing 40-year-old work complex is stripped back to its essence and completely reimagined for the present as ‘Art 1 Office’ by Neiheiser Argyros. What used to be a confusing and run-down muddle of geometric clashes is now untangled and rearticulated into twelve separate blocks, each with its cladding logic and interior atmosphere.

 

At the front, the renovated building adopts a more subdued material expression, with discrete variations of white, grey, black, and gold. A new curtain wall covering the tallest front volume is coupled with generous cast-in-place terrazzo steps, marking the front entrance.

 

At the rear, the color palette becomes more playful. The elevator sports pale turquoise tiles; the main staircase reveals stripes of black and white, complemented with yellow windows; the service area is rendered in pink, while the open office spaces are clad in blue metal panels. ‘Splashes of colors are distributed throughout the building, both indoors and outdoors,’ adds the practice.

 

 

 

injecting new color, material, and spatial expressions 

 

Moreover, the Neiheiser Argyros team reoriented ‘Art 1 Office’ to take advantage of its location, adjacent to a natural park, with new large openings cut into the existing solid walls, each opening up views and bringing ample daylight to compensate for the low ceilings. A green roof and circular pergola crown the building, hosting smaller outdoor shaded working spaces, a bar, and a large event space where new forms of exchange and dialogue can unfold. 

upward street view | image © Giorgos Sfakianakis

 

 

‘The building incorporates a range of sustainability strategies – high-performance insulation and windows, the use of local natural materials, low energy MEP systems, charging stations and bike parking, and integrated photovoltaic panels – and achieves the local A+ highest energy efficiency grade,‘ note the architects. 

 

As for the interior, the existing black marble flooring has been restored, while ceilings have been stripped back to expose the original, irregular concrete formwork. This combination of refined and rough materials creates a balance and a common thread across all floors, letting the custom furniture on each level exude its unique identity. This ranges from three large marble seating objects on one floor to a bright red perforated metal library on another and to two large crisscrossing hotdesking tables on a third. Finally, on the ground floor, a spacious red terrazzo stair that also functions as an amphitheater for events and projections connects to a light-filled mezzanine level.

a multi-colored composition | image © Giorgos Sfakianakis

aerial view of building and roof garden | image © Giorgos Sfakianakis