The Foundry Hotel Athens by Miltiadis Portokalis, Efi Malandraki; Greece

At an impasse alley of Sarri Street, the old two-storey foundry that was built in 1930, undergoes a full reconstruction, transforming it into a boutique hotel of 12 fully-equipped apartments.

From the building’s entrance to its verdant rooftop, the architects jointly chose to portray elements of Athenian history, of Psyri’s district local craft industry, of the Greek urban landscape through the selected construction materials (marble, mosaic, stone), all fused with a contemporary architectural approach.

The building’s total surface area amounts to 860 m², divided across 5 levels. The assisting, auxiliary areas are located in the basement while the reception lounge is located on the ground floor. The 12 apartments of the hotel have been developed across 3 levels while the verdant rooftop has been planted entirely with vegetation from the Greek landscape, and constitute a most relaxing space with views over the city’s historic center.

The respect for the basic shell of the 1930s building, its peculiar shape and the restoration of elements that were vital to the continuation of its architectural identity, were the directives for the architects at the planning stage.

What makes this project one-of-a-kind?

The Foundry Suites Athens is one of the first 1930’s industrial buildings to be transformed into a boutique luxury hotel in Greece. The 12 apartments are completely differentiated in terms of the design approach; the unique design depends on the internal heights, the arrangement of their functionality or the floor they are in, thus rejecting the vocabulary of a typical hotel floor plan.

The abundant natural lighting of the apartments and the decor elements infused with mid-century modern aesthetics, are combined with a carefully chosen material palette inspired by the Athenian historical cultural landscape. At the same time, the existing materials of the building, such as visible masonry and ceilings featuring Byzantine bricks, were preserved and showcased.

The contemporary need for double glazing and the decision to maintain the industrial steel framework in the existing high-rise openings greatly increased the weight of the window frames, leading the architects to create a one-of-a-kind customised manual, cog mechanism.

Thus, by the simple act of opening the windows, the guest experientially approaches the historicity of the property, reassessing the relation of modern luxury with the industrial past of the building, as well as gradually determining the degree of correlation with the city’s external environment.

About the authors

Miltiadis Portokalis is a NTUA Architect Engineer and has been working on the design, construction and supervision of housing projects, interior renovations and landscaping since 2007. Having significant experience on site supervision, his emphasis lies on the optimal function of space and on energy efficiency by applying the basic principles of sustainability and pursuing new and innovative ways of building.

Efi Malandraki is a NTUA Architect Engineer and has been working for the past 10 years on several architectural projects, collaborating with accomplished architects on office buildings, residential and commercial projects, interior renovations and custom-made furniture. She has managed to obtain a wide range of abilities in designing both on a larger and on a smaller scale – from the aerial integration of a new building complex to the creation of construction details for the furnishings within.

Nowadays, they have combined their passion by creating their own architectural studio, focusing on the exploration of functionality, sustainability and innovation in architecture and interior design, applied through the detailed study of materials, human needs and environmental aspects.

Text provided by the authors of the project.