Odeon Starcity - [Athens]

Odeon, one of the largest cinema groups in Greece, has inaugurated a new multiplex Cinema in Syggrou Avenue, Athens. The building hosts 10 different screens that can accommodate 1850 viewers in total.

The complex has a surface of 20.000 sq.m., including the mall and restaurant/cafe spots

sources:
www.starcity.gr
http://en.structurae.de/structures/data/index.cfm?ID=s0032138

Computer Technology Institute - [Patras]

Computer Technology Institute is hosted in a privately owned building complex, covering a total area of 4,430 m2, within a building site of 10,000 m2, granted to CTI by the University of Patras.

The building has 5 levels. It uses a fully automated control system of its operations. It has conference, educational and presentation rooms including an amphitheater of 132 persons.

The building is located inside the campus of the University of Patras.

sources:
http://www.cti.gr

R.C. Tech Office - [Athens]

The architecture office R.C. Tech has moved to its new private office building in Neo Psychiko. The building follows the principles of bio-climatic design.

Diathlasis provided the architectural lighting of the building

The land plot covers an area of 348 sq.m. and the building rises to 5 floors in total, while it has another two underground basements.

The building was designed by the R.C. Tech founders: Nasos Hamilothodoris, Dania Dourida and the civil engineer Vasilis Douridas. (Νάσου Ε. Χαμηλοθώρη, Δάνιας Δουρίδα και τον πολιτικό μηχανικό Βασίλη Δουρίδα)

sources:
http://www.rctech.gr
http://www.diathlasis.gr/Projects.cfm?ID=87
http://www.alumil.gr
http://www.athensvoice.gr

Embassy of Japan - [Athens]

The Japanese embassy in Greece is hosted in a new building from the end of 2004. The embassy was designed by Dr. Kisho Kurokawa (this is his first work in Greece). The Embassy building is based on the key theme of Eco-System, and provides various eco-friendly functions.

Greek company, EKTER, was the subcontractor of the Japanese "KONOIKE CONSTRUCTION LTD". The construction cost has reached 6.300.000€. The total surface of the building is 672 sq.m. in a land plot of 2.577 sq.m.

source:
http://www.kisho.co.jp/
http://www.gr.emb-japan.go.jp/portal/gr/info/building.htm
http://www.ekter.gr

U.S. Embassy - [Athens]

The American Embassy "Chancery" (office) building in Athens was designed by famed Bauhaus School architect Walter Gropius (the Architects' Collaborative and consulting architect was Pericles Sakellarios - 1905/1985). It was constructed between 1959 and 1961 and is a protected architectural landmark. Gropius' famous design was in the characteristic simple Bauhaus form, and, as the architect said, it had been inspired by the architecture of the Parthenon.

The Embassy is now constructing a Chancery Annex, the first new diplomatic construction in Greece by the United States in 45 years. The new Annex, designed by Kallman, McKinnell and Wood, will feature a classic, understated style.Indigenous materials will be used in the construction and the Annex will feature facades of the same Greek marble used in the Chancery.

Construction is expected to be completed by spring of 2007, and the new offices to begin operating soon thereafter (the construction has nowadays been completed). Excluding the cost of land acquisition, the project will cost approximately $40 million.

The green spaces and gardens will occupy most of the land currently under construction. Trellises filled with plants and flowers will cover the open areas and walkways around the buildings. The parking facility will be covered with a roof trellis as well. While the building permit and zoning law allow for approximately 9,000 sq.m. of structures, the Embassy will be constructing only 5,000 sq.m. of buildings, leaving plenty of open areas and green space around it. In addition, along Gelonos Street, on the northwest side of the Embassy compound and on land owned by the City of Athens, there is a wide stretch that will be turned into a park after the completion of the construction.

The new extension features a 20m. garden scultpure by US artist Michael Singer in marble, pre-cast concrete and metal that emerges from the landscaping, providing seating and elements of slowly coursing water. The sculpture's materials and textures are designed to allude to archaeological discoveries related to Greek culture while the whole is visible from various points of the Embassy compound. Within the new annex is a gallery that houses an art collection of work by 15 Greek or Greek-American artists.

sources:
http://athens.usembassy.gov/ABOUT_US/annex.htm
http://www.kmwarch.com/
http://www.hellinikimeletitiki.gr/projects/special/us_embassy.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embassy_of_the_United_States_in_Athens
http://www.michaelsinger.com/

Ministry of Mercantile Marine - [Piraeus]

The Greek Ministry of Mercantile Marine has recently moved in a new modern building. The building is a reconstruction of the existing four (4) story warehouse located at the Piraeus Port - Vasiliadi coast.

The building complex includes a control tower (VTS-VTMIS), where the national center of maritime traffic control is installed. The total surface of the tower is approximately 3.000 sq.m, it has a volume of 9.000 cu.m. and a height of 45m.

The total volume of the building is 164.500 cu.m. with a height of 27 m. The total surface of the building is 42.000 sq.m. and the construction cost has reached 30.000.000€. This amount was totally financed by the Public Fund of Trust and Loans (Ταμείο Παρακαταθηκών και Δανείων) , with a 30 year loan. However, it is important to note that the expenses of the loan amount to the current expenses for renting the several buildings the ministry is occupying.

The study was conducted by ANAPLASI architects - Kalaitzis, Sitarenios, Stratigeas - (Ξ. ΚΑΛΑΙΤΖΗΣ, Β. ΣΙΤΑΡΕΝΙΟΣ, Ν. ΣΤΡΑΤΗΓΕΑΣ & ΣΥΝΕΡΓΑΤΕΣ). The construction company was AEGEK (ΑΕΓΕΚ) and the manufacturer of aluminum, Eurodomika.

The construction period started in 2001 and ended in 2006.

sources:
http://www.yen.gr/
Greek Wikipedia Entry
http://www.aegek.gr/gre/projects37.html
http://anaparastasis.com/
ΕΤΕΜ
http://www.eurodomica.gr

Office Building - Yannis Aesopos - [Athens]

This office building is an assemblage of public and private elements from the polykatoikia.

The more private programme of the office spaces is realized as an introverted, monolithic white marble volume with relatively small openings; the more public programme of circulation and meeting spaces is realized as a large, extroverted steel and glass structure.

The building is H-shaped in plan so as to achieve maximum elevation surface and thus optimal light penetration.

The four narrow end facades reveal glass elevations in between them, as well as two sunken planted courtyards through which daylight enters the two large basement meeting rooms, located below the pilotis level.

Sources & Links
http://www.aesopos.net/office/index.htm
http://www.athens9.net/ARCHITECTS/Aesopos/Profile-Aesopos-ENG.html
http://www.mimoa.eu/projects/Greece/Athens/Office%20Building

Royal Theater - [Thessaloniki]

The Royal Theater of Thessaloníki hosts the NTNG (National Theater of Northern Greece), one of the most important theatrical institutions in Greece. The theater was original build under the plans of the famous architect and urban-planner Constantions Doxiadis in 1940.

The building was reconstructed in its current form during 1996 for the needs of the first "Cultural Capital of Europe", the city of Thessaloniki.

The building complex consists of a hall of 800 seats, a very large, multiple-capacity stage with a 10-metre sub-stage, and technical infrastructure for theatrical dance performances as well as concerts and film viewing. There is also a 2,000 sq. foyer that can be used for presenting large exhibitions. The cost of the reconstruction reached 55.000.000€.

Sources:
http://www.ntng.gr
http://11dim-evosm.thess.sch.gr/visitinfo.htm

Politia Allatini - [Thessaloniki]

“Politia Allatini” will be erected in the area of the old ALLATINI mill in Thessaloniki.

The original property of ALLATINI, where the flour mill stood together with all of its secondary buildings, exceeded 35,000 square meters. In 1971, the land was characterized as an open ground of common use. In 1991, the mill as well as some other buildings of the property along with their surrounding areas were characterized as historical scheduled monuments.

Nowadays, the area of the ALLATINI property that can be exploited, after a series of commitments and acts of regularization, amounts to 26,000 square meters. The existing scheduled buildings together with the planned new constructions will cover only 36.5% of the land and therefore more than 4 acres will not be built.

The scheduled buildings to be restored cover approximately 12,500 square meters. Among them we can still find the central mill of the complex, the administration building (the oldest building of the complex that dates back to 1890), the residence of the factory’s manager, the old machine shop, the bakeries that provided the Greek army with bread up until some decades ago and others.

The old warehouses of Allatini, which belong to the state, are located outside the perimeters of “Politia Allatini” and face the sea. This area of 5.5 square meters, together with the 2,500 square meters of the warehouses has been handed over to the Ministry of Culture and will be exploited by the 16th Regulatory Office of Antiquities. Besides the value of the land, the anticipated investment will amount to 40 million Euros for the next four years.

sources:
http://www.themeliodomi.gr/act_develop_Allatini.html
http://www.allatini.gr/en/politeia.asp

Thission Lofts - [Athens]

"Thission Lofts", is a listed industrial building on 123 Pireos Av., in the heart of a booming area, which is rapidly evolving into a cultural and leisure center of Athens.

This listed factory is located along the ancient and busy Peiraios Avenue which connects Athens with the port of Peiraius. Its urban surrounding is a curious juxtaposition between the Acropolis and the building remains of the migrated industries. Currently, the influx of cultural institutions and new residents are driving the rapid transformation of the area into one of Athens’ cultural hubs.

The building’s predominate element is its four storey central internal courtyard - functioning as the main gathering and access space to all 19 lofts and gallery spaces.

The building has a total 3.500 sq.m. area hosting 19 individual residential lofts. There are 3 floors in total and a ground floor serving as a garage.

In order to retain the character of the industrial spaces, a single ‘suitcase’ structure is presented to each Loft. It gathers all necessary utility spaces into a single pod and leaves the remaining spaces untouched. The ‘suitcase’ installation is a focused insertion that can be adapted to suit each individual loft whilst retaining its compact and transitional character.

The Project will be constructed and developed by GNOMON Constructions and it was designed by IF- architects. The Project is scheduled to be completed by the end of Oct 2007 and it will cost 8.000.000€.

sources:
http://www.if-untitled.com
http://www.thissionlofts.gr
http://www.gnomonconstructions.gr
http://www.widebridges.com