The Orbit

What I can see

Orbit is a 42,000 sq.m, 9-storey building and covers an entire building block. The original design’s concept was the existence of two parallel wings, which were later bridged thanks to the central circulation sector of the new design. The new design aimed for all floors to have open spaces and for offices not to be confined to closed spaces. The planting on the large roof and balconies acts as a “counterweight” to the noisy Kifisias Avenue and creates vertical gardens and a micro-ecosystem that covers 80% of the plot. The construction of 22m bridges over three floors, which connect the two wings on the west side of the building, is particularly daring from a construction point of view. The horizontal fins are lined with aluminum panels. The aluminum prevents the building from overheating during summer months. Night lighting highlights the architectural lines.

What I can't see

It was originally designed to house a company, but in the end, that didn’t happen. Thus it was designed from scratch, by Vikelas Architects, for mixed-use. It fully meets the requirements of bioclimatic design. It is the first building in Greece to obtain LEED Platinum v.4.0 certification. Finally, fins of this type are more often found in buildings that are closer to the sea.

Info

• Address: 115 Kifissias Avenue

Bibliography