"from maximalism to minimalism"

Athens, Greece

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"from maximalism to minimalism"

Athens, Greece

Firm

Gem Architects

Type

Residential › Apartment

STATUS

Built

YEAR

2016

SIZE

1000 sqft - 3000 sqft

BUDGET

$100K - 500K

Photos

COSTASVERGAS@ (19)

The owners wished to transform a heavily decorated apartment of 190 m2 to a simple space that corresponds their way of living.
The concept of minimalist architecture was ideal to express tis demand. Our aim was to strip everything down to its essential quality and achieve simplicity. The minimalist statement is created by geometric abstraction and aims in a dialectic relationship between elements that cannot be erased without depriving essence to the statement. As a result space is an ascetic field bestowed with transgression and spirituality.
The open spaces created, embrace the owners wish with a sense of serenity. Materials and textures are of austere vocabulary.
All interior walls in the living room are demolished in order to break down boundaries and unite functions. Rough surfaces are flattened in order to create straight lines and rectangular spaces. A special stucco technique is implemented on the walls in order to achieve a warm light grey color with fluctuations of natural paper. In contrast to the space’s lightness, some elements like the kitchen, tables, library, fireplace, heating devices, lighting fixtures and louvers, are all in anthracite black color. This strong contrast is meant to create an ascetic dialectic.
Even in the bathrooms, a cement mortar in natural grey color was implemented on walls and floors, in order to achieve a unified minimalistic effect with the rest of the house. The basins and shower separate walls were custom made by cement board, for this reason. Most lighting fixtures where incorporated in the ceilings, apart from the living room, library and kitchen, where spot fixtures on rails were used, in order to emphasize the main functions.