Vanity

An architectural journey between Milan and Paris

The design of the new Athens headquarters of a well-recognized Greek ship-owner company drains inspiration from the founder’s two great passions:

The elegant Parisian catwalks and the finesse Milanese Entrance Halls of 1950's.

The design is conceived as a continuous play of walk-and-see between architectural volumes of elevated materiality. Carefully selected luxurious materials are highlighted via a serene light design creating an atmospheric yet functional office space.

The headquarters occupy approximately half of Athens' Tower 13th floor and is characterized by the spectacular views of Athens city enjoyed by all office spaces.

The main entrance hall contains the fundamental architecture elements of a wall, a floor, a roof and a focal point element.

The entrance wall is cladded with Macauba marble. The book-matching application technique of the marble ensures a visual continuity, transforming the entrance wall into a unifying luxurious background.

The floor is entirely covered in beige travertine, except the waiting area-living room zone which is defined by red travertine flooring, like a delicate stone carpet incorporated into the flooring.

The roof is painted in dark semi-glossy paint, reflecting the shadows of the visitors, thus transforming the commuting between the office spaces to a unique spectacle. The central zone of the roof is designed as a light apparatus, emphasizing the longitudinal axis along which the headquarters' space and movement is organized.

The focal point element of the entrance is the secretary box: an inhabitable volume made of Tinos marble, like a precious jewel carefully placed into the center of the space so as to be admired and enjoyed by everyone. 

The design becomes complete with bespoke furnishings and decorative objects, taking into account every last detail, from linear hidden cabinets under the glass facade windows to adequate planting pots, all at the same time incorporating hidden light fixtures.

The meeting space is defined by two freestanding sculptural elements: a curved wooden wall and a linear marble wall. The veneer wall encircles and frames the glass entrance of the meeting space, while the green marble wall conceals a secondary entrance which is in direct linearity to the owner’s private office entrance door. The two walls are freestanding into the space, not touching the roof, thus permitting the continuity of the roof light apparatus into the meeting space, unifying the public areas of the headquarters. The interior of the meeting space adopts an industrial aesthetic, featuring cabinets and shelves made of chromium-painted metal sheets and red reflective electrostatic paint.

The executive office reflects the owner's personal taste: the combination of a robust wooden flooring and background with playful touches of colored marbles. The Chevron flooring pattern accentuates the central axis of the office where the bespoke executive table is placed. The background of the office is a sculptural approach to the necessity of multiple storage spaces, resulting in an interesting visual spectacle of light and shadow patterns created by the direct light. The space has colorful open shelves created by massive marble slabs as an homage to the Milanese craftsmanship. The executive office is made by Nero Marquina marble with contrasting white veins and incorporates hidden indirect lighting which emphasizes the horizontal top surface of the table. As with the rest of the office space, the roof is painted in dark semi-glossy paint, reflecting the shadows and colors of the materiality used.

The executive office is equipped with a private zen & tea room for relaxation between meetings. The room is characterized by earthy materiality and ambient lighting setup suitable for meditation.