The small residential district of Mets sits on the eastern edge of the centre of Athens. Often called an “urban village”, it is a quiet area filled with low neoclassical houses and leafy pedestrianised streets. The proximity of important monuments and the high concentration of listed buildings makes this an highly sensitive area architecturally. Although densely built, Mets retains its quasi-suburban character thanks to the pronounced presence of two forested hills.
Local Local is refurbishing a private residence in Mets dating from the early 20th century. A typical example of early Athenian modernism, the building comprises two floors, a rooftop terrace, and a garden at the back. The client decided to transform the ground floor into a family apartment and the first floor into two semi-independent studios. For this reason, the rooftop and the garden enjoy independent access from either floor.
Preserving the building’s original character is a priority in this project. The original ironwork of the modernist façade has been carefully restored and some of the original terrazzo flooring and cement tiles have been repaired. The rest of the interiors are completely redone, merging old Athenian simplicity with a European flair. The carpentry in the kitchen and bedroom wardrobes is plain and restrained, reminiscent of a typical Athenian apartment of the 1950s. White marble has been used extensively in the bathrooms and the bedrooms were decorated with handmade ceramic tiles. Another signature Athenian element is the sliding glass doors that separate important spaces yet allow natural light to permeate the interior.
The project involved the demolition of several separating walls and the creation of new openings. On the ground floor, the unified kitchen and living area has been illuminated by creating two new bay windows. These are common in Athenian residential architecture of the time, known locally as erker. In a more radical move that nevertheless remains faithful to early Greek modernism, the first floor was given a large circular window on the back, looking onto the garden. As for the rooftop, it has been completely redone as a comfortable outdoor lounge with a small guest house, where residents can enjoy the mellow Athenian climate and the impressive view.
Design team: Sofia Xanthakou, Nikolaos Sampaziotis, Artemis Rovoli
Τext: Kiriakos Spirou