City Hall of Korydallos
Situation
The architectural manipulation stems from the idea of a pair of parallel prisms that support a third, long, transverse building volume, creating a hug that welcomes the citizen. The goal of the design was to explore an alternative narrative, in terms of the experiential relationship between public building and citizen, beyond the "politically correct" perceptions inherent in many spatial and social forms and assumptions of the established Greek way of thinking.Solution
The building is structured in separate zones / functions - the most formal and public ones were located on the double ground floor, while offices are on the upper levels. At the same time, the internal and external activity was foreseen to be flexible in order to support multiple activity types such as: cultural, entertainment, leisure, etc. In an "H" layout, the building looks like it "floats" on the urban landscape, while it coincides at its edges with the boundaries of the building block. On the other hand, it allows a large space for a square to be formed on the side of the entrance where the external activity takes place. In contrast, the metallic shades of the south facade break the rigidity of its canvas, sparking the imagination. The relationship between discipline and freedom is attributed here as a poetic request. Three materials - brick, metal, glass - are used on the buildings’ facades, revealing the transition from the natural to the built-in element, from the solid and heavy to the transparent and light. In contrast to the neighboring Korydallos prison, the ultimate goal of the City Hall was to stand out and highlight its extrovert role.
Architect: Potiropoulos D+L Architects
*The source for the description above was Potiropoulos D+L Architects
