ergon house by urban soul project combines deli, restaurant and hotel in athens

greek architecture studio urban soul project has completed ergon house, a multipurpose project that combines restaurant, deli store and hotel for the modern gastronomy-oriented traveler. located on mitropoleos street, in the heart of athens, the four-story building welcomes visitors in the restaurant and deli, located on the ground floor, which expand in the atrium that is formed between a listed two-story façade and a newly built, four-level structure.

all images ioanna roufopoulou

the latest venture of greek grastronomy project ergon, which first opened in 2011 in thessaloniki, and now has 13 stores around the world, including london, brussels, and various greek islands, ergon house is the first to incorporate hotel facilities within the company’s usual restaurant and deli outlets. urban soul project has created an interior courtyard paved with concrete blocks in the atrium of the building, which houses the fresh groceries department, the café, the open oven, and an olive tree in the middle. further in, a double height space is defined by a central bar counter, along with the grocery, fishmonger, and butchery units that surround it. multiple seating areas can be found throughout this space, while marble, walnut timber, black terazzo, and fabric finishes express the traditional aesthetics of a greek village piazza.

the entrance of the ergon house hotel is located past the courtyard, while its rooms have views either towards the 25-m-high atrium or towards the acropolis. urban soul project has reinterpreted traditional greek architecture in a contemporary way through the use of various spatial elements, including: beds that echo the old bunk bed style; basins made out of old marble steps; and woven loom textiles used in the tapestries above the sink and wardrobes. rooms are painted in off-white hues that reference the typical whitewashed buildings of greek islands, and completed with timber elements made of walnut – a tree found all around the country – and natural brass details that add a sense of old-fashioned luxury.