Arid Drapes a “Veil” on a Mid-Century Corner Building in Athens’ Patissia District

Summary

• Arid’s “Veil” transforms a 1951 Athens corner building, expanding it to 850 square meters with added floors
• A perforated aluminum façade with movable panels creates a kinetic, light‑filtering veil, enhancing ventilation and privacy

Arid’s “Veil” project breathes new life into a 1951 corner building in Athens’ Patissia district, transforming it into a contemporary residential and co-working hub. The intervention involved a sensitive renovation of the original structure alongside the addition of three new floors, expanding the total size to 850 square meters.

Rather than maximizing the buildable area, the design prioritizes setbacks and outdoor spaces, drawing inspiration from the local morphology of Karamanlaki Street to maintain a sense of openness and visual harmony within the urban fabric.

The project’s namesake feature is its perforated aluminum skin, which acts as a “veil” to soften the rigid forms of the addition while blurring the lines between concealment and openness. This double-skin façade serves both functional and aesthetic purposes, optimizing natural ventilation and privacy while allowing light to reflect dynamically off the surface. Equipped with movable louvers and rotating panels, the exterior creates a “kinetic sculpture” effect, where shifting transparencies interact with the sun to provide a weightless, ethereal appearance.

Internally, the project fosters a timeless dialogue between historical and contemporary identities by retaining original materials such as marble, timber window frames, and wooden flooring. The traditional social model of the Athenian polykatoikia is reimagined for modern life, integrating diverse residential units with a co-living apartment and dedicated co-working areas. This functional mix is topped with a shared roof garden, balancing private living with community-focused spaces that cater to the neighborhood’s dynamic and evolving character.