Office No 16

Two years ago, I received a message from an old schoolmate, whom I had lost trace of since high-school, to discuss about a project. At that time only few of my projects had been published so I was surprised by his decision to contact me. Thinking about this incident afterwards, I assume he based his decision on our mutual respect and the fact that we shared a common culture, ethos and values. I will eventually ask him to discover if my hypothesis is true!

The project regards the renovation, interior design and styling of a small ground floor office, with a mezzanine, on Andrea Syngrou Avenue within walking distance from the new Acropolis museum and the historic city center. This space serves as a reception and ticketing department for Dolphin Hellas, an agency established in 1970, offering expert travel guidance and personalised services.

We drew inspiration from the rich historical and cultural vibes of the surroundings. We designed a wooden, wall-mounted cantilevered bench seat as a signature piece of furniture. Also a set of free standing units, lined with perforated metal sheets, to serve as exhibition display and partition panels. As a start, we chose to show vintage posters designed for the Greek National Tourism Organisation.

The two work stations required were aligned right under the mezzanine balcony, facing the lounge area and the entrance. A small area for occasional luggage storage was placed in the background of the space. On the mezzanine level we placed cabinetry to accommodate all printed archive files.