Charlotte Apartment is a renovation project of a 5th floor apartment, located in the centre of Athens. The project takes advantage of the endless possibilities provided by the Athenian polykatoikia’s domino structure: transforming previously segregated rooms into an open plan layout.
“The main driving force was to retain, restore and enhance any original elements of the apartment. The terrazzo floors were sanded for their original colour to come to the surface. The wooden floors were varnished, gaps caused by the removal of walls were creatively filled and the existing marble sink was fixed and re-installed in the new kitchen area.
A search for an honesty of materials and textures led to simple non-expensive solutions. Plywood is used throughout in its natural colour with routed joinery details, whereas the bathroom is covered with simple white tiles. The kitchen’s countertop and backsplash are made out of Dionysus marble, locally sourced 20 km from the site. We enjoy the conversation that happens between the 50 year old sink and the newly cut countertop; the marbles are from the same quarry, yet years apart. Additionally, the old weathered countertop has been repurposed as a desk surface in the guest bedroom. The only colour used throughout the house is shades of blue to reflect the flat’s views of the sea and sky and can be found in the dividing floor tiles and bathroom’s grout.
The original layout had the entrance to the kitchen from the corridor. By opening it up to the living room, the ritual of cooking becomes intertwined with the ritual of gathering. A tailor-made steel sliding door acts as a simple means to physically isolate the kitchen whilst keeping it visually connected to the dining and living space.
A bespoke table was designed to reflect the search for a figurative and symbolic architecture. Its monumentality is a celebration of outdoor living which, in Athens, takes place most time of the year.
The project aims to be a humble re-interpretation of the athenian polykatoikia whilst also being an exercise in materiality. The co-existence of plywood with oak, steel, concrete and porcelain tiles felt inevitable in this bringing together of old and new.”
Threshold is an Athens-based project by Yiorgos Katsanos and Stefania Tsigkouni that started in 2020.
