| OFFICE RENOVATION CONSTANTINIDOU ARCHITECTURE |
Constantinidou Architecture studio is housed in a three-storey building of 1954, of historical and architectural interest, in the heart of Nicosia. Its ground floor offers direct visual contact with the public passage.
The area is characterized by intense mobility throughout the day due to its central location between key points, such as Eleftheria Square, the Archaeological Museum, the House of Representatives and important theaters, ministries and embassies of countries.
So the architect becomes the client. Thus the architectural vocabulary did not stand in the usual terms: restoration or adaptation. On the contrary, modern vocabulary attempts a confrontation without coming into conflict with the existing shell, which should remain intact. The study of the restoration aimed on the one hand the preservation of the shell, on the other hand the creation of an office space with modern specifications and modern technology. The study of the restoration aimed on the one hand the preservation of the shell, on the other hand the creation of an office space with modern specifications and modern technology. The main issues of the study were the creation of an elegant and sophisticated space, so that the team coexists in a warm and familiar environment.
The challenge was to transform two empty shops and a flower shop into an office space. three autonomous spaces, staff offices, management office and a meeting room, are transformed and integrated creating an architectural office. The spaces were organized in a parallel arrangement to operate based on teamwork and the continuous flow of movements and information. The main spaces inside, are developed in an open layout towards the glazing and only the auxiliary spaces at the back can be isolated. This provision concerns a separation that is significantly related to the pre-existing structure and function.
The building, although it has not been listed as protected, nevertheless the respect it should have; led to the careful handling of the facades. The logic of framing the view along Costi Palama street was adopted, thus avoiding the alteration of the existing shell. Similarly sophisticated, elements of the interior are framed to passers-by. During the design of the facades, the special mosaic of small stone shapes of the flower shop was taken into account, preserving the memory of the space.
The ergonomic design of the furniture up to their aesthetics, the management of natural lighting, with west orientation, but also the artificial lighting for the necessary brightness and the highlighting of the elements that compose the office, emphasize the emphasis on detail.
The tones chosen are a combination of warm colors that offer intimacy, and cold colors, which intensify the size of the space. The space with the alternation of white and dark gray surfaces, as well as the light green and bronze details, at the same time unifies but also gives a special identity. The project was intentionally used a limited palette of materials, such as maintenance of pre-existing floors and tiles, wood and stone together with objects designed by metal and wood, which collectively reflect the urban nature of the building - the shell. The scale becomes "familiar" for the specific use by identifying a modern working environment.
