perforated white facade envelops elefsina’s proposed state building in greece

georges batzios architects' elevated structure forms around a planted atrium fusing with the urban fabric.

GBARCHITECTS edited by christina vergopoulou March 23, 2023 4 min

Georges Batzios Architects’ proposal for the prefecture of attica

Athens-based practice Georges Batzios Architects proposes a dynamic white volume for the state building of Elefsina, Greece, in recent competition held by the Prefecture of Attica. Aiming for the creation of a contemporary platform that deals with the relationship between citizens and the state, human nature, and social behavior, the studio draws from the theoretical basis and concept of Democracy to compose a striking building that seeks to revise its structure and the impact of a public institute on the city.

perforated white facade envelops elefsina's proposed state building in greece - 1 — all images courtesy of Georges Batzios Architects

the elevated structure forms around a planted open atrium

The project conceptualized by Georges Batzios Architects serves as an illustration of the state following the austerity and the simplicity of an efficient grid. The structure of the grid underlines the functional organization of the building, maintaining the importance of an institutional infrastructure on the scale of the urban tissue.

On the ground level, the building opens up towards the city providing a continuity of the urban fabric. A perforated, transparent facade wraps the structure allowing all the interior elements to be exposed to the public. Thus, the building remains transparent treating both employees and citizens equally. The internal part of the volume composes an open space forming a central enclosed atrium serving as a public square that encourages expression, interaction, and dialogue.

The internal square of the building merges with the surrounding public spaces creating a unified urban environment. The facades apply large glass openings exposing the columns across the volume supporting the green roof. The direct dialogue between the built structure, the greenery, and the urban tissue stands as one of the main design principles carried out throughout the architectural concept, leading to the form of the planted atrium. Structured in the orthogonal shape of a Π, the volume follows the geometry of the block and its peripheral properties integrating well within the existing environment and shaping a landmark for the city of Elefsina.

perforated white facade envelops elefsina's proposed state building in greece - 2 — the project proposes a dynamic white volume for the state building of Elefsina

perforated white facade envelops elefsina's proposed state building in greece - 3 — the building merges with the surrounding public spaces creating a unified urban environment

perforated white facade envelops elefsina's proposed state building in greece - 4 — a perforated facade wraps the structure allowing all the interior elements to be exposed to the public

perforated white facade envelops elefsina's proposed state building in greece - 5 — structured in the shape of a Π, the volume follows the geometry of the block and its peripheral properties

perforated white facade envelops elefsina's proposed state building in greece - 6 — perforated facade

Georges Batzios Architects

perforated white facade envelops elefsina's proposed state building in greece - 7 — architectural concept – diagram

project info:

name: PEDA – Building of the Prefecture of Attica

designer: Georges Batzios Architects | @georgesbatziosarchitects

project team: Georges Batzios, Spyros Kleissas, Olga Keleki, Stavros Frantzios, Spyridoula Kouloumbi, Kostantina Koukouzi, Polyxeni Travlou, Antonis Zambelis, Tziovanna Firfilioni, Manto Monogiou, Dimitris Spathis

location: Elefsina, Greece

status: competition

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