567 | thanasis 2020

567

In a city with an ever-growing number of small architectural practices, 567 was created to encourage collaboration and provide support for emerging studios in Athens.

The project revitalizes a previously underused Athenian storefront beside Pedion tou Areos Park. Measuring six meters wide, seven meters deep, and five meters high — dimensions that give the space its name — the compact volume fosters dialogue and demands hyper-efficient design. Serving as a case study, it demonstrates how the many abandoned storefronts scattered across the city might be reimagined.

Although typical in typology — a rectangular double-bay storefront — the proportions of 567 open up multiple creative possibilities for a flexible, adaptive studio. Designed as an obstacle-free shell, the space is conceived less as a statement and more as a vessel: a venue for ideas to take shape rather than the idea itself.

The design carefully balances new interventions with existing features. The original blue-painted windows nod to the working-class character of the neighborhood, while steel frames and stair details preserve the proportions of the 1960s. Building on the idea of a living, adaptive workspace, new elements were introduced: a long cabinet and mezzanine guardrail crafted from pine plywood. Perforated by CNC and finely detailed, these panels bridge thoughtful design and ordinary materiality. Their perforations also function as an armature, allowing hooks to display tools, materials, and objects.

On the ground floor, curtains provide flexibility: opening to reveal the kitchen as the centerpiece, or closing to separate it from the collaborative worktable. While this level is reserved for visiting designers and events, the mezzanine above houses permanent workstations for the founding members.

Today, 567 is home to several independent studios whose proximity encourages dialogue and shared practice. The custom-built cabinetry underscores the value of craftsmanship in Athens, reminding us that in a city already built, architecture must often be about transformation. By elevating the quality of what exists, even the smallest of spaces can become exceptional.