ALASKA

ARCHITECTURAL PROPOSAL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE HISTORIC BUILDING "ALASKA"

BIMx - Patision_6

Check the BIMx model at: https://bimx.graphisoft.com/model/a5247ec6-644c-49f3-a7f1-2515023ba90a

The building "Alaska" is located at 6 Patission Ave (formally 6, 28th October Ave) which is one of the main avenues of Athens, 80 m from Omonia Square with its central metro station, 200 m from the large PolisPark parking garage, 400 m from the main building of the National Technical University of Athens (one of the two main university institutions of Athens, where the School of Architecture operates today), 600 m from the National Archaeological Museum (the main museum of Athens and one of the most important in the world), 1 km from the Athens University of Economics and Business, 1 km from the Monastiraki district which is considered the center of old Athens and is a tourist attraction next to the Acropolis Rock, and 1.3 km in a straight line from the Acropolis itself. Like many metropolitan centres, the area of the property has become degraded in recent decades, but is now on the path of urban renewal, the most important being the former well-known Minion department store located diagonally from the property, which will be converted into mixed use (shops, offices and apartments). The eventual pedestrianisation of Panepistimiou and Patision avenues will create a green axis linking Syntagma Square and the National Archaeological Museum.

The property’s four-storey building was built in 1929 with designs by the well-known architect Rennos Koutsouris. The ground floor was initially used as a luxury restaurant under the name "Alaska", and the rest of the building as the "Lefkas" hotel. Later the building housed the Athens mortgage registry, a movie theatre, and a department store.

The plot of land with an area of 525 sqm has 13,25 m facade on the commercial street and 39,60 m depth. The existing building with full land coverage consists of a ground floor, with a mezzanine and 3 high-ceilinged levels totalling a height of 18.5 m. The existing building layout is: ground floor shop with a mezzanine of 710 sqm and three floors of 1,255 sqm, for a total of 1,965 sqm. In addition there is a basement space of 217 sqm. The current legislation provides for a building coefficient of 5.4 (total permitted building area of 2,830 sqm), and a height of up to 32 m.

We propose to commercially exploit the property through the renovation of the existing building and the addition of 4 new floors. From the 1st to the 7th floor there will be a total of 52 independent apartments (one, two or three bedroom apartments of 25 - 82 sqm gross floor area, most of which with balconies or small gardens), for a total floor area (including the lofts) of 2,770 sqm. On the first three floors, natural lighting is enhanced through the use of large skylights (existing and new). There is also a wide use of greenery indoors and outdoors, enhancing the environment. The 4 new floors are implemented in two towers that surround a large semi-covered atrium area so that all the apartments are dual-fronted and bright (and on the top floors with a view of the Acropolis). The 4th floor hosts mostly communal functions, including a 2.50m x 15m swimming pool, a relaxation area and a semi-outdoor café-bar area. The apartments will be impeccable in terms of design and construction offering all modern amenities (central air conditioning/ventilation system, soundproofing, high-speed internet, security, etc.). A special feature of the design is the spacious communal meeting areas. A permanent cleaning/maintenance staff is provided for the complex and potentially a number of parking spaces in the surrounding area. The ground floor with a loft (650 sqm) and basement (216 sqm) will be used as a shop that will operate independently of the apartment complex.

The apartments will be available in summer and partly in winter to tourists who wish to stay in a comfortable and practical accommodation in the centre of Athens using the Airbnb or short-stay apartment system. In the winter months of less tourist activity, part of the apartments will be made available to students, taking advantage of its proximity to the various universities located in the area. For instance, the Athens University of Economics and Business has about 3,000 students and the Faculty of Architecture of the National Technical University of Athens has about 1,000 students.