A rationalist building with Bauhaus influences reborn in Athens

Oikia Apostolidi 97 is a modernist building designed in 1931 by the architect Angelos Siagas (1899-1987), one of the most important exponents of Greek modernism trained in Weimar Germany under Paul Bonatz together with his companions Ernst Neufert and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. It's located in Exarcheia, a district known for being home to intellectuals and anarchists, a symbol of modern Athens.

Since 2021, the building – which had been in a state of neglect and progressive decay for several decades - has been the subject of a meticulous restoration project supervised by Lara Vartzioti, a young Athenian architect and researcher. The “revitalisation” project began with an in-depth examination of the existing building – nestled in a narrow Gothic lot in the chaotic centre of Athens – one of the most significant examples of modernist housing in Greece, published as early as 1931 in the German magazine Baumeister. 

This renovation "posed challenges in both cultural and social terms”, the designer has commented, “in identifying the fine balance between a functional and an archaeological approach with respect to both the initial intentions of the architect and the current socio-political conditions in the centre of the metropolis of Athens. Thus, it was imperative to create a meaningful design out of subtleties and avoiding potential flamboyant tendencies seen in recent restorations”.

The building, which originally housed two flats, now enjoys greater flexibility thanks to the renovation: an office space on the ground floor and individual flats of different sizes on each of the upper levels. The restoration of the building was completed at the end of 2023 and involved the relocation of Lara Vartzioti’s studio, which is now based on the ground floor. 

Many of the qualifying elements of the original design have been retained, while converting the interiors into flexible and customisable spaces for different uses, in accordance with contemporary living requirements and in direct contrast to the rigid floor plans of the original project. To this end, the wooden staircase – originally intended for a private flat – has been renovated to serve as a staircase for the communal space.

Lara Vartzioti 

The internal driveway leading to the stairs and the courtyard behind, in a way expanding the city inside the building, has been preserved, but the original wall has been replaced by glass-cement tiles, forming an office in synergy with the city. The old concrete structure was also retained and reinforced here and there where necessary; during the renovation, in fact, all decisions regarding upgrades were made with the aim of protecting and respecting the building’s heritage.