The industrial past of the building, Japanese aesthetics, beautiful designs by Patricia Urquiola and the original choices in wood and tiles make a difference in the recent work of the architectural firm Esé Studio, which is their workplace and home in Athens, Greece. Faliro Loft is an authentic warehouse loft which is primarily a workspace and then home, the office has a separate entrance from the elevator and stairs, and is encased in a sandblasted glass and steel box. The kitchen with a large dining table in the daytime serves as a meeting room. In the southwestern part of the building, the bedroom is secluded with a series of concrete pillars that serve as a separator. The key point in aesthetics is cement.

The architects preferred the original plaster ceiling because you can give any shape, physical appearance and the patina of time. Apart from cement, all the rest was created from scratch. They also designed a magnificent shallow pool in Japanese style and sliding shoji panels. The stairwell was covered by large, wooden planks and the flooring treatments have a combination of three types of tiles, except the living room, where smoked oak was used. The ceramic tiles are used as dividers and sunshades, with thousands of different colors and textures and low maintenance costs. Highlights include the green ceramic forming the trellis over the small pool, black kitchen mosaic and 3D blue and red spacer.

An important role in the loft is the play on nature. The architects have attempted to create a series of portable gardens, and gardens that grow at the height of the wall, in wool sheaths that have been brought in from California! Their hope was that in the near future everyone would grow their own vegetables and herbs on their balconies. If you lack the necessary space, this method can easily grow vertically.

Photos: Ioanna Roufopoulouf