On the rooftop of the Onassis Cultural Centre of Athens we were commissioned to design a bar, as part of the underlying restaurant housed on the sixth floor of the building. Our main goal was to harmonize the bar’s design with the building’s overall design through a pleasant space where one would enjoy the abundant view, both to the sea to the south and the Acropolis in the centre of Athens.
The extensive use of different marble slabs on the building’s facade, inspired us to create a marble volume, consisting of two different marbles: Dionysus marble for the building’s staircase volume and beige onyx for the bar’s facade. Especially the choice of the latter was made for its impressive appearance during the day as well as its light-transmitting nature, providing the corresponding lighting effect, at night in the bar.
Sheltering this space, a grid of H-shaped both for the beams and columns metal structure was designed. Especially the columns were lined with a metal sheet to obtain a round finish which is softer in both texture and appearance as well. Inside this grid, automatic shading systems were installed to provide shading during the day and also protect from rain.
At last, the application of wood on the floor as well as the planting in selected parts of the space, give the appropriate warm atmosphere, while creating the corresponding microclimate.
