A new life (in blue) for an Athens apartment

In the historic Pangrati district of Athens, architect Elli Athanasiadou, of Space is around us, has given new life to an obsolete apartment in a six-storey building from the 1960s. The intervention subverted the rigid and fragmentary scheme of the original layout, based on closed rooms and corridors, bringing it up to date with the needs of contemporary life, which demand more flexibility and efficiency in the use of space, especially when small.

The project decompresses the spatial constriction effect of the previous configuration by eliminating unnecessary partitions and reconnecting the common rooms in a fluid sequence, punctuated by the original reinforced concrete structure, preserved and kept in view. The repositioning of the entrance in place of the previous kitchen defines a small filter zone between outside and inside that gradually introduces to discover the apartment. Once through the vestibule, a light and airy space unfolds, housing the living room, dining area and kitchen, visually interconnected. The only room preserved within its perimeter is the bedroom, an intimate and reserved space in a dwelling with a dynamic and convivial personality.

And the owner's lively spirit can be seen in the monochromatic brushstrokes that light up the flat with colour.  A bright blue (kyanos, in Greek, the term that gives the project its name) paints the refurbished spaces – the equipped wall enclosing the installations, the fixed furnishings of the kitchen, the marble table, the wall that lets light filter through the glass into the bathroom, the ceramics of the shower – and creates a lively contrast with the neutral background in lacquered wood, plaster and white marble, inspired by the materiality of the nearby Panathinaiko stadium. Outside, the terrace with reclaimed mosaics, almost half the surface of the flat, revives as a natural extension of the living space and as a pleasant urban garden overlooking the surrounding mountains.