Greek studio Georges Batzios Architects has revived a brutalist office in the suburbs of Athens, Greece by restoring its damaged concrete shell and reconfiguring its interiors.
The building, described by the studio as a rare example of brutalist architecture in the country, was built in a pine tree forest in the 1970s by notable Greek architect Alexandros Tombazis.
Georges Batzios Architects was invited to give the office a new lease of life by its new owners, who saved it from demolition after it was painted over in yellow and abandoned by former occupants.
Above: Georges Batzios Architects has revived a concrete office. Top image: it is a rare example of brutalist architecture in Greece
"The current owner expressed her deep respect for the building as a historical figure of the city and its contrast with the surrounding pine tree forest," explained the studio's founder, Georges Batzios. "She also expressed her sadness about the deteriorating image of the old building that was getting worse every passing day, due to the fact that the whole building was painted in a beige-yellow colour that distorted its original brutalist identity," he told Dezeen.
The studio restored its concrete shell that had been painted yellow
According to Batzios, the overhaul was "a moral challenge," as his studio wanted to put its own stamp on the building but did not want to alter its image or undermine Tombazis' original design.
It compromised with a sensitive restor...