Chiara Armando, Ottone Architetti and Polyergo transform historic Rethymnon corner building into compact, characterful spaces

Architect Chiara Armando, with Ottone Architetti and engineering firm Polyergo, has reimagined a narrow, three-storey building in the historic centre of Rethymno, Crete, into two studio apartments and a street-level commercial space. Set on a 19.2-square-metre footprint with a trapezoidal plan, the structure presented significant spatial challenges. Its location, where the old city walls once stood, called for a sensitive yet inventive approach. A central staircase informed the interior layout, allowing each floor to serve distinct functions with minimal compromise. In the studios, heavy curtains separate living and sleeping areas, while lacquered glass encloses the shower to reduce visual weight. Rounded corners throughout walls and furnishings create a fluid spatial experience, enhanced by a bold, contrasting colour palette. Externally, the stone façade was stripped of later additions to reveal its original texture. A 1970s metal railing was preserved and echoed on the upper floor, becoming a graphic element that casts shifting shadows across the building. This motif also informed the project’s logo, linking the rigid geometry of the exterior with the softer lines within.