MMP-GRAM | Architects

MEGARON KARATZA

NBG Office Headquarters

1st Prize, Invited Architectural Competition

Mies Van Der Rohe Award for European Architecture (Nomination)

The building completes the corner of an important building block of the historic center of Athens. It comprises of a basic volume, parts of which are subtracted in such a way as to maintain the readability of the primary volume. Its main elevation on Aeolou Street is in close dialogue with the neighboring neoclassical Main Building. The void in the interior lets natural light to enter. Space expands from the moat of the ancient wall, 9 m. below, visible through the glass floor of the 1st floor, to a height of 17 m. to the skylight on top. What becomes subtracted from the volume, what from mass changes to void, is flooded by light that becomes a strong compositional element.

Year:2001
Location:Sofokleous, Athens
Phase:Built
Typology:Offices
Credits:Rena Sakellaridou, Morpho Papanikolaou (SPARCH)