Thission Lofts → Design & Conversion of a listed 1920's factory into lofts, Athens

Thission Lofts Site and area

The hidden beauty of this listed printing factory made a strong impression on us when we first visited the site. This listed factory is located along the ancient and busy Pireos Avenue which connects Athens with the port of Pireos. Its urban surrounding is a curious juxtaposition between the Acropolis and the building remains of the migrated industries. Currently, the influx of cultural institutions and new residents are driving the rapid transformation of the area into one of Athens cultural hubs. We believe that in any big city, one of the main successes of a regeneration project depends upon how the building cultivates and nurtures a form of social interaction between neighboring citizens – the building can encourage collective activities through its spatial organization. We questioned ourselves which spatial elements would have the ability to accommodate a stage for these interactive moments to unfold? In this project we decided to “implant” several small design interventions that could be discovered and be facilitated by the residents for these fleeting moments of social exchange. We hope that these seeds that we have sown will carry on their growth and become part of “the buildings new career” Thission Lofts.

Building design inspired by the buildings rough beauty and high ceilings we noticed the opportunity to introduce a contemporary style of urban living to Athens. In order to retain the character of the industrial spaces, a single “suitcase” structure is presented to each Loft. It gathers all necessary utility spaces into a single pod and leaves the remaining spaces untouched. The “suitcase” installation is a focused insertion that can be adapted to suit each individual loft whilst retaining its compact and transitional character. The building’s predominate element is its four storey central internal courtyard – functioning as the main gathering and access space to all 19 lofts and gallery spaces. The lofts surround and overlook the communal courtyard with its vertical garden and seating areas that are accessed over the open balconies in order to create a permeable transition between the private living spaces and the communal areas.