Office Building "Zenon SA, Robotics-Informatics" in Attica (Greece)

Architects C. Diacomidis - N. Haritos with T. Bessel

Location

The building of the company “Zenon SA- Robotics-Informatics” is located in Glyka Nera, in the northeastern suburbs of Athens, next to an existing building belonging to the same company (designed by Diacomidis/Haritos 1994).

The northeastern suburbs of Athens are characterized by one-family houses and small apartment buildings. The building activity of these areas has increased dramaticly in the last years caused of the neighborhood of the new airport and the following improvements of the urban infrastructure.

Program

The program for the extension was fixed by the company’s urgent need of office space. The demands were therefore the maximum exploitation of the plot and, since the new plot was located directly next to the original building, the creation of a connection.

Basic layout

The basic plan, typical on 3 floors, shows the simple and functional layout of the building:
A central service-circulation zone divides the floor plan in two nearly identical neutral spaces.

To connect the two buildings in a common entrance level and to offer a reception-area with generous proportions, a part of the new building was lowered half the height of a floor. The result is a split-level relation of the two sides of the building from the basement until the first floor(the second floor remains typical).

A space with 1½ floor height remains as a gap on groundfloor level, where the new building is linked to the old one, acting as the new reception-area for the whole company-complex.

Spatial concept

The shifting of a part of the building converts the typical plan layout in an interesting spatial organism, which produces specific characteristics for typical neutral spaces.

The external appearance of the building is that of a simple cube which has been “unfolded” or opened in a way that the initial volume is still recognizable.

Parts of the cube become walls which define the plot from the neighbouring plots and street. Or they just modulate the “gardens” so that the exterior spaces of the building become part of the interior spaces, creating a continuous inside/outside spaceorganism.

 

Adress 5 Kanari st. Glyka Nera, Attica (Greece)
Client Zenon SA, Robotics-Informatics
Statical engineer N. Avgerinos
Mechanical engineer D. Papaioannou
Constructor Kloukinas-Lappas SA
Dates Design 2000-2001, Construction 2001-2003