Converting a two-underground-floor space of an unfinished building into a living space was a difficult, small scale project, because of the space’s endogenous characteristics. Narrow floor plan, a three-level space dispersion, lack of natural light and residential infrastructure were only some of the existing difficulties. This “urban burrow” was situated in the basement of a typical Athens apartment building, were our client -a well-known female singer- lived.
The client’s request was to create a dressing-room to cover her need for storing a big range of singer’s costumes along with a small office for reading. The dressing room is placed on the second basement with access from the building’s communal space. The office is placed on the first basement as a use that predisposes for a sense of solitude and focus. The main entrance on the ground floor, functions almost exclusively as a welcome gesture.
The architectural tools used in this transformation of a dark and cold basement into a space of artistic creation and occasional living were the right use of artificial lighting, warm materials and colours along with the promotion of the client’s personal objects.
