Block of Flats

63 Archimidous and Dompoli Sts, Metz, Athens, 1980-83

Architects
Giorgos Theodossopoulos (1938-1988),
Katerina Thanou (1952-)



The block of flats in Metz is a significant proposal by the architects Giorgos Theodosopoulos and Katerina Thanou of a way to overcome the disadvantages of the type of urban apartments. The building contains 14 flats, each with a different layout and size ranging between 70 and 300 m2. The architectural composition seeks to eliminate standardisation and the central vertical circulation core of Athens apartment buildings and at the same time exploits creatively the linking of the open space with the road.
In this block, single-storey flats and two-storey maisonettes are combined, many of which have independent entrances, with a differentiation of levels internally. The result is variety and the relative independence of the residents.
The internal complexity of the block is expressed on its exterior as well. The building mass is split and conforms to the steep slope of the ground. Thus its size is reduced visually and harmonised with the scale of the environment. The rubbed plaster on the elevations, in colours inspired by the neoclassical houses of Athens, as well as the traditional morphological features, constitute an effort to express a regional character.

TRANSPORTATION