Originally built in the 1950s as a ground-floor stone house, the building was reformed into a four-storey typical “polykatoikia” during the 1970s.
As Cadu architects describe, the original layout of the apartment, characterized by several small divided spaces was quite dysfunctional in its initial form. It has been radically rearranged, adding functionality and storage spaces, while providing vistas to the surrounding garden. The sitting room, the dining room, the entrance hall, and a narrow corridor have been unified into an everyday space. The traces of the demolished walls can be seen as marble lines on the floor. The kitchen has been relocated next to it, looking like a built-in timber structure in the background.
Beyond all practical reasons leading to a renovation, the apartment needed a new character. The timber constructions made of natural plywood, together with the white and blue lacquered surfaces create a new contemporary morphology, offering a sense of continuity throughout the house. Several interesting existing elements, such as the terrazzo and timber floors, the three-part timber windows, and the central iron door have been restored and equally integrated into the final result. Each bedroom has an extra feature. Due to the higher-than-normal room height, a metal mezzanine has been constructed in the children’s bedroom to gain more space. It now accommodates the beds but can be used as a one-bed and sitting area as well. In the parents’ bedroom (former kitchen) the original masonry wall was revealed following the removal of the marble kitchen backsplash. It was therefore restored and partially exposed as a “whitewashed” wall.
