GEK Office Building

What I can see

This building houses the headquarters of a construction company and has a total area of 11,000 square metres. The main construction materials are steel, concrete, wood and marble on the patio floor, which contrasts with the exposed concrete and wooden blinds. The sun’s rays penetrate the building only when it is low (sunrise- sunset), because the windows have been minimized and the stainless steel surfaces offer additional shading. Blinds have been installed on the ground floor and the top floor.

What I can't see

The building was designed by the British Hopkins Architects, while proposals were submitted by the Swiss architect Luigi Snozzi and the Portuguese Eduardo Soute de Moura. Its construction was a great challenge, because the plot is irregular, the west and east sides have a height difference and the floors should be limited to 6, as imposed by the Urban Planning Service of the Municipality of Athens. It consists of two wings, 4 basements (parking and conference areas) and a central courtyard, which is an island of tranquility for the employees, but also functions as a Panopticon, because the employees on the floors are visible. A corridor connects the two wings. The thin structural elements designed by the architects, such as those of the corridor, could not be implemented because of the anti-seismic protocols followed in Greece. Architects and civil engineers found the best possible solutions, after long negotiations. The total cost of the building reached 4,000,000 British pounds.

Info

• Address: 85 Messogeion Av.

Bibliography