29 minute read
Sandy Glories
GEORGE BOLBASSIS
influence
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ZOI PYTHAROULI THE COMMUNICATION KEY HOLDER
The new Marketing & Communication Director of notos Department Stores Division explains how the historical brand follows an innovation highway focusing to omni-channel strategy.
Interview by DESPOINA SAMPSON
influence
"QR CODES IN THE PHYSICAL SHOP WINDOWS OF ATHENS AND THESSALONIKI GIVE THE CHANCE TO A CUSTOMER PASSING BY TO SCAN AND EXPLORE OUR COLLECTION." A s the new Marketing & Communication Director at notos department stores, she knows that in order to open the door to the future, you should treasure the past and evolve it into your new route. You recently became Marketing & Communication Director at notos department stores, one of the largest and longest-running department store chains in Greece in fashion and beauty. What challenge do you face with a traditional shopping destination like notos? I take particular pride in joining a team and a company that runs one of the most historical retail multi store businesses in Greece. Becoming a member of notos Department Stores’ Division at Notos Com Holdings S.A, I have realized that along with a fully capable team around me, the key milestones we need to build on are our history while taking advantage of our credentials in order to move on to a new era: a. Build on a distinctive shopping destination based on an already existed and well-established portfolio and clientele but at the same time setting new trends in both fashion and beauty, represented by new, upcoming brands with high awareness and affinity penetration to new Gens. b. Elevate customer experience and paths online/offline in order to further enhance brand proximity. c. Making Omni channel Strategy, in terms of flawless cross channel service, developments, assortment and synergies, the core of our business effort. The historic flagship department store is located in the heart of Athens on the corner of Sta- "On the top of diou and Aiolou. In the shop window, passersby can scan QR codes upgrading the shopping experience from a physical to a digital experience. What type of consumer are you aiming at mind, Piraeus with this type of dual strategy? Building on Omni channel recruitment, retention and conversion are two of our primary busican create ness focuses. Beyond a specialized product strategy, key contributors in the acceleration of omni strategy will be UX developments aiming at enhancing traffic across our business channels – no- such good tos existing or potential new customer, no matter demographics, will be communicated across all potential brand touchpoints either at physical stores or notos.gr. QR codes in the physical shop memories! windows of Athens and Thessaloniki trigger exactly this business point of view – we give the chance I miss to a customer passing by our store in Athens or Thessaloniki to scan and explore our collection exposed on the windows. Therefore, in any time of his/her convenience, he/she would be able Mikrolimano to look around online, shop or return back to the store in order to try on or see more collections. What does the shopping experience have in store for visitors shopping at notos and how would and Kastella’s you like it to take shape over the next few years? Experience is a mix of products, convenience and service. These are the pillars we target to keep view – always relevant, updated and accelerated in the period to come. In terms of assortment, our focus will be on a portfolio consisted of established brands in fashion, beauty and home but with therefore a day additions from upcoming brands representing new trends in the main businesses we commercialize at. Service and well-trained teams, that are willing to help our customers, can advise based well spent for on their personal style making the customers’ visit smooth and pleasant. That had always been me would be and will continue to be our priority. Customer instore shopping paths will be further refreshed in order to contribute to a flawless, easy to go around customer journey. exactly there!"
GEORGE BOLBASSIS
Zoi Pitharouli has recently joined the notos Department Stores Division at Notos Com Holdings S.A., a company that runs one of the most historical retail multi store businesses in Greece. As infrastructure projects along the entire coastal front of Athens have begun to take shape aimed at boosting the capital’s tourism product and extending the tourist season to 12 months, do you believe that the landscape of distinctive shopping destinations in the capital will be affected? On the contrary… Any infrastructure taking place in Athens, center or coastal, will further enhance our capital’s image as a destination to-be all year long! They will create visiting triggers on an annual basis that both shopping destinations in the city center or in the coastal part will benefit from. New hotel openings, new experiential projects and occasions, along with a really well-organized effort on behalf of all involved stakeholders that already takes place in order to communicate Athens and all our distinctive districts, will accelerate tourism growth which is our country’s USP resulting to a commercial growth which we count and waiting for. As a southern suburbs’ lover, what would you suggest to a work colleague visiting Greece that he should see and visit on the Athenian Riviera? I will not be referred by name but definitely our coast starting from Faliro till Sounio offers a great pool of choices in terms of really well-organized all-day beach projects and hotel experiential venues where you can spend well the whole day! Traditional tavernas with our distinctive cuisine, bar restaurants with Mediterranean or international choices and world class cocktails are one-of-akind in our Athenian Riviera. My favorite area is Vouliagmeni, therefore every choice close to Lemos area is highly recommended! Where would you recommend a visitor to notos go after shopping at either of the department stores in the center of Athens or Piraeus to gain the most from their experience in these two important parts of the capital? A day well spent would be a day that she/he can feel the vibes of our high street life in Athens. Walk in the historic center, definitely Plaka, going towards Aeropagitou and Makriyianni streets where a lot of cultural, food and drinks’ “gems” are to be found and then head to Voulis & Mitropoleos area but also towards Voukourestiou for even more shopping (and many more…). Piraeus in my mind is so much connected emotional-wise to escapes; on the top of mind, it can create such good memories! I can be a tourist in Piraeus wandering and losing myself in unexpected nice places that maybe I cannot recall next time I would be around. I miss Mikrolimano and Kastella’s view – therefore a day well spent for me would be exactly there!
Myconian Collection Hotels & Resorts’ Panoptis Escape translates the landscape into a fascinating hospitality project with the signature of its interior designer, Antonis Kalogridis.
ARCHITECTURE
REAL ESTATE PEOPLE PROJECTS INTERIOR DESIGN
architecture
Interior Designer Extraordinaire
Acclaimed professional Antonis Kalogridis sets trends and drives the way forward, sharing his insight into what design hospitality luxury truly means.
GIANNIS DIMOTSIS
HIGH-END TEAM
Antonis Kalogridis and Vangelis Takos redefine the aesthetics of Mykonos through the complete remodelling of the Myconian Collection Hotels at their favourite Elia Beach and recently at Ornos Beach on Mykonos.. Despite his work in hospitality, he still sees himself as primarily a theatre director. He stages experiences and explores the roles people take on in their lives. Working on the new, amazing hotels of the Myconian Collection Hotels & Resorts on Mykonos is his way of bringing about the spaces he has always wanted to have available to him; spaces as the ones he designed for Panoptis Escape at Elia beach and O by Myconian Collection that can take their surroundings and their guests further. What are the key ingredients of true luxury in travelling? The greatest privilege has to do with the destinations – not about choosing the place but about choosing what that place means. Any place you find yourself can be a finish line or a starting line – compensation or inspiration. The defining moment of luxury in travel is bringing the two together, about turning your travels into a revolving door, an experience so strong that it moves you to any direction you choose. You might be travelling to celebrate an achievement, or because you are gathering up the strength to go after one. Ideally, the two should not feel different, because you will always be getting ready to reach a higher peak, and you will always deserve to be rewarded for it. How does interior design affect a traveller’s experience? It has to do with that revolving moment. Interior design must make it easier for people to see clearly in all directions, to choose their path among many. At the same time, it must help them to be inspired by what is unique in the specific time and place they find themselves. It is a fine line, like the horizon. Interior design must make you feel good about where you are, but also remind you not to stay still. It has to be the perfect match between the real and the possible, and it must allow guests to break on through to whichever side works best for them. You’ve done a lot of high-end hospitality work. What do you consider most important in such projects? I think of space as a body. You know, nobility has always been symbolized by the body – think “blue blood”. That is luxury, and how I see hospitality. It is the blue blood running through the veins of a living organism. It can accommodate a noble mind and a restless soul. So I make up hospitable spaces that allow luxury to run wild in their veins. I make up bodies. When guests live in them, I want them to feel like they are being reborn into the royalty of leisure, that they can bring together their own kingdom. Sure, it is also about objects, placement, colour, patterns, textures – all the things that make up an aesthetic. But to aestheticise literally means “to feel”. So it is ultimately a kingdom of the senses. That is what my spaces, my bodies, are for: To be felt, to be used as the senses that explore and arouse the possibilities of space and the people in it. How did you combine the architecture of a Cycladic island with your contemporary style to bring them together into reality? The Cyclades are unique in that nature here dominates through subtlety. Elytis, the Greek Nobel laureate in Literature, has said that if you were to deconstruct Greece, you would be left with an olive tree, a vine and a boat – “which
architecture
means it takes as much to put it back together”. Beauty in the Cyclades is always raw and therefore always present. If you approach it with respect, it is always amenable. My style is equally raw. If it is about luxury, it is a raw luxury. Nothing is superfluous. There is no luxury in something you can’t or don’t need to use. So I break down reality and find the best ways to express it. For me, that is the definition of being contemporary. What were the main challenges in your recent projects, Panoptis Escape and O by Myconian Collection, in terms of optimizing spaces or views from the rooms? At O by Myconian Collection located at Ornos bay on Mykonos, the challenge was to triumph in creating a luxury beachfront resort where there was an evident dialogue between design and nature, where guests are free to feel what they want, to be serene and quiet or joyous and celebratory, so the challenge here was to create an ambience that allowed for that through the architectural language and design. For Panoptis Escape above Elia beach, on Mykonos as well, we wanted the property to offer 360 views over the Aegean and to work through all of the constraints that arose. Generally though, the main challenge was how to translate the landscape into a hospitality project. For me, interior design is all about helping people be inspired by what is unique in a specific time and place, it has to make you feel good about where you are, but also remind you not to stay still. It has to be the perfect match between the real and the possible. How are they similar and different from the other properties in the Myconian Collection’s portfolio? I would say that O by Myconian Collection and Panoptis Escape are similar in how they are expertly run and their level of service but differ in terms of their holistic concept and nature-based philosophy. O by Myconian Collection really is the type of property where you can comfortably wonder around barefoot from your suite to the beach and back again, while Panoptis Escape almost lifts you up into the sky due to its high location, it’s so quiet even though it’s only a few minutes away from Mykonos Town. Where do the materials that are used come from? We source a lot of our materials locally so they are in touch with the local vernacular – such as unprocessed woods, stone, rocks, raffia textures and plants. The design for O by Myconian Collection relied very much on marble, while a greater emphasis was placed on using wood for Panoptis Escape - both materials were used in large quantities. All of the design details and furniture were crafted by Greek craftsmen exclusively for the hotels, making them totally unique in that sense. What has been your most memorable travel experience that you classify as true luxury? Despite my work in hospitality, I still see myself as primarily a theatre director. I stage experiences and I explore the roles people take on in their lives. Working on these amazing hotels is my way of bringing about the spaces I have always wanted to have available to me; spaces that can take their surroundings and their guests further. These resorts, this Villa Collection, my quest to bring out the Royal, the Imperial element of luxury and to challenge the Avaton of privilege, they are products of my own identity as a Panoptis, as someone who strives to see more and more of what is out there, and to bring it all in my work. It is challenging, but such is the task I choose.
CHRISTOS DRAZOS
architecture
A NEW WAY OF LIVING
Blending Athenian energy with elegant coastal living, the Riviera Tower reimagines sustainability.
To Great Heights
Effortlessly blending green design and exclusivity, Riviera Tower introduces a new era of contemporary sustainable living to the Athens Riviera.
Located surfside in the Agios Kosmas marina area near Athens, Riviera Tower is the much anticipated residential development that will transform the capital’s waterfront. Set to be completed in 2025, the tower will rise to 200 metres above sea level—almost double the height of Greece’s current tallest building, the 103-metre-tall Athens Tower 1 in the city centre—becoming the country’s first true skyscraper and claiming the title of first green high-rise building in Greece and tallest green beachfront high-rise on the entire Mediterranean coast. Destined to become an instant architectural landmark, Riviera Tower is part of The Ellinikon, a unique in scope and scale development project led by Lamda Development. With a masterplan developed with world-renowned architects Foster + Partners, The Ellinikon will see the transformation of the 6,200,000 sqm site of Athens’ former international airport into a unique ecosystem comprising worldclass sustainable residential developments, exceptional hospitality and retail hubs, business areas and sports facilities as well as the 2,000,000 sqm The Ellinikon Park, which will be the largest coastal park in Europe and a true landmark of 21st-century Greece. The Ellinikon’s signature structure, the 45-storey Riviera Tower introduces a new kind of reimagined, sustainable living and marks the beginning of a new era for the Athens Riviera. Its more than 200 private residences are impeccably crafted with premium natural materials and finished with elegant detailing, while generous balconies offer panoramic views of the coast, the sea, the park and the mountains, with select residences even enjoying views to the Acropolis. Incorporating green design principles from the inside out, Riviera Tower is an ode to contemporary sustainability and offers a once-in-a-generation opportunity to embrace an exclusive coastal lifestyle at what will undoubtedly be one of the Mediterranean’s most coveted addresses. ARJ spoke to Antoinette Nassopoulos-Erickson, Senior Partner at Foster + Partners, to find out more about the project. Riviera Tower harmoniously combines Athenian and Mediterranean characteristics with a pioneering green style. What are the pieces of the architectural puzzle that you wanted to put together? Riviera Tower will be one of the greenest high-rise buildings in the world. A model of sustainable design, the tower will incorporate best environmental practices and cutting-edge international safety protocols. All apartments will have pioneering services and amenities, construction materials that are locally sourced and the specifications of a smart building. Tell us a bit about the interplay between the location, environment and design. The design draws inspiration from the ecological and cultural elements of the Mediterranean landscape and from Athens’ vernacular architecture to create an innovative design approach. The tower’s massing has been designed from the inside out to celebrate its unique location, immersed in nature. Most apartments have dual aspect and enjoy unobstructed panoramic views of the coastline and incorporate naturally ventilated interiors. How does the tower’s green design philosophy translate into sustainable living? Biophilic design will be incorporated throughout the building, enhancing connectivity with the natural environment. A green spine of lush terraces runs through the heart of the tower, encouraging outdoor living and creating a pleasant microclimate. The organic design of the staggered balconies provides solar shading to reduce the need for mechanical cooling during the summer months. The tower will utilise passive solar design and use minimal energy by working with the environment, while also making sure that the materials and components are sustainable and have low embodied carbon. What signature amenities can future residents expect? Creating a sense of arrival, the elevated drop off offers spectacular sea views framed by a double volume lobby, while accommodating car parking below. Reflective pools enhance the connection to the sea and cool the drop off and arrival spaces.
Arranged around the main lobby and opening directly onto the gardens, the business centre, gym and spa are easily accessible. In response to lessons learned from the ongoing pandemic, all circulation areas have been designed to be naturally ventilated while the core has been split to reduce occupancy. How would you measure Riviera Tower’s success? Might it be perhaps about introducing a new reimagined way of living? The project aims to create an exemplarily sustainable building. The sustainability strategy is aligned to LEED certification as well as international best practice strategies from wider sustainable design, including the WELL Standard. Riviera Tower aims to achieve LEED BD+C: New Construction Gold and set a new standard for contemporary sustainable living. Athens is a melting pot of architectural styles, from ancient temples and elegant neoclassical mansions to concrete brutalist apartment blocks. Which stand out to you and which have influenced the design of Riviera Tower? Athens has vibrant urban complexity. The ancient Acropolis rises above the city, which contains a diverse range of neoclassical and art deco landmarks and significant modernist buildings such as Emmanuel Vourekas’ Hilton Athens hotel. Ziggurat-like penthouses characterize the Athenian roofscape and have influenced the design of Riviera Tower. Their deep wrap-around balconies are often large enough to accommodate a full-sized dinner table and walls of plants. In the coastal suburbs of Athens, apartments also have deep, wrap-around balconies that seamlessly connect the interior and exterior spaces. Modern references that have informed the design of Riviera Tower include Alexandros Tombazis’ Difros apartment block, with its stacked, concrete volumes, and Constantinos Doxiadis’ One Athens. Early examples of polykatoikia apartment blocks by Takis Zenetos and Nicos Valsamakis were also important references—particularly the open plan layouts and connections between inside and outside spaces. Valsamakis’ Lanaras weekend house, in the suburb of Anavyssos, is the ultimate expression of connectivity, including the relationship to place.
w w w . r e v i t h i s . c o m
S A L E S - R E N T A L S - V A L U A T I O N S
+30 210 81 35 181 info@revithis.com www.revithis-realestate.com www.greektopvillas.com +30 22890 26 066 info@mykonos-realestate.com www.mykonos-realestate.com
architecture
Crafted Architectural Experience
In between projects that span across continents, K-Studio’s Dimitris and Konstantinos Karampatakis talked about contemporary design trends.
One of the fundamental principles of architecture is Louis Sullivan’s “form follows function”. According to this maxim, spaces are designed so as to fulfil the functions they intend to serve. For K-Studio, the client’s personal expression is added to this equation. “We are intrigued to see the client in the mood to create something that expresses them through a process they will enjoy”, says Dimitris Karampatakis who, alongside his brother Konstantinos and their team, is currently designing and bringing to life restaurants, hotels and private residences. The most challenging part of communicating with clients is establishing trust, according to Dimitris – “getting someone who has a specific need or wish to trust someone else to carry it out”. In order to achieve that goal, K-Studio have >
PRIVATE JOURNAL NO3
EFFORTLESS FLOW ΑΤ SCORPIOS, MYKONOS
In collaboration with Scorpios project’s creative director Michael Schickinger and interior designer Annabell Kutucu, K-Studio looked for an holistic approach that would bring every element together harmoniously in a re-invention of the ancient socio-cultural concept of ‘Agora’ or ‘gathering place’.
architecture
YIORGOS KORDAKIS
OPEN PLAN
Awarded private residence Plane House was built on the island of Skiathos. K-Studio’s design aimed to take advantage of the typical Greek summer by merging internal and external spaces.
developed an analysis methodology that responds to the client’s requirements “without imposing the design identity of the office”. One of the first questions is about whether this methodology can result in the client’s requirements clashing with K-studio’s requirements. “If their requirement has a pronounced personal element as part of a project with authentic character, we follow it very closely, even if it doesn’t fall in line with the aesthetic of our work. After all, this process is fascinating to us”, stresses Dimitris. What kind of briefs they receive from clients when they take on the design of private residencies in Greece and abroad? “For winter homes, one main consideration is the location of the ‘hearth’ – in other words, the source of comfort and heat, and the place to cook. In summer homes, connecting interior with exterior spaces is our clients’ most common request – ensuring the interior is experienced as a continuation or extension of the exterior. For example, placing a bedroom, a kitchen or a bathroom outside. Connecting these spaces is a characteristic, in essence, of residential architecture design.” But what do customers look for in a luxury home? What do they enjoy the most? “Our clients are looking for personal expression”, Dimitris comments. “This is the real luxury when you are building your house: to make it bespoke, customized to your needs. A strong design viewpoint and high standard of aesthetics, when applied repeatedly, cannot be considered exclusive or premium. Personalization, designing something exclusively for someone specific, constitutes real luxury.” Dimitris stresses that these customers’ choices aren’t driven by costs but by how much a proposal expresses their vision. This discussion of luxury naturally leads us to privacy – a once underrated concept which social media and the speed at which everything moves now has brought to the fore as an imperative need. “The idea of isolation as an expression of luxury is something we have been working on a lot lately. Sometimes, in order to have the luxury of privacy, you need to be in the middle of nowhere. It is impossible to have privacy where you can be easily found. Therefore, luxury to some might mean a place in the middle of the desert”. As for dining, an area where the evolution of design through time is easy
BOHEMIAN LUXURY
AHEAD awarded as Best Resort in Europe, Domes Zeen Chania, a Luxury Collection Resort, Crete, was described by the judges as a ‘standout project with a true sense of place’.
to take note of, privacy is expressed as choice – having the luxury to choose when you will be among others and when you will be alone. “In the dining projects we currently have underway, we aim to offer both isolation and connection with others”. In dining, in general, the most noticeable difference to the previous decade has to do with the product itself. “A bar or a restaurant doesn’t just offer food or drink anymore. To patrons, the complete experience of the venue is important. The experience of being there and listening, smelling, seeing, feeling”, says Dimitris Karampatakis. “It is a holistic process. Instead of designing a menu in order to add it to the space, you design the space alongside the menu, the sound, the details…” Beyond materials, colors, textures and forms, what is the biggest trend in design at the moment? “We are all beautiful”, Dimitris replies. “Access to social media and the sheer speed at which culture and aesthetic can travel from one place on Earth to another bring out a polyphony”, he remarks, adding that what stands out is personal style. “Everyone has value, and everything is valuable”. k-studio.gr
architecture
Green Interventions
Acclaimed landscape architect Karolos Chanikian of Greenways writes about all the new techniques that provide solutions for the urban fabric, improving our quality of life.
ILIANA PSILOGALANI , ILLUSTRATION: VLADIMIR RADIBRATOVIC PRIVATE JOURNAL NO3 Karolos Chanikian is a National Technical University of Athens architect, landscape architect MLA and founder of Greenways.
Greek cities are in considerable need of green zones. In densely built Athens, in Thessaloniki and almost every city in the country, green architecture has been called upon to provide solutions that are eco-friendly and improve daily life. When we founded Greenways in 1997, the value of landscape architecture was not widely known in Greece yet. It was a huge challenge for us to demonstrate in practice why this sector is necessary, and to change perceptions. Combining the knowledge and know-how of architects, engineers, landscape architects, designers, agronomists and specialized technicians, the landscape is significantly improved today. There are now several examples of the improvements that green interventions bring to the urban fabric. At the heart of this approach is the element of nature. Neither a building nor a small or large cluster of buildings, such as a city, exist in a vacuum. The way a building adapts to its environment does not only change its aesthetic and financial value but can bring about significant benefits for local residents. Traditional or innovative in its form and infrastructure, the garden constitutes an extension of the building and ought to constitute a sustainable extension of its interior. From the creation of eco-parks to green atriums and green walls, multiple opportunities exist to add more greenery to our everyday urban life. Today, we see new methods for plant cultivation on balconies, green paving and rooftop farms. For example, vertical gardens are one of the most popular trends in architecture, and they continue to be adopted in our country too. We completed such a project on behalf of a downtown Athens business. We planted approximately 1,000 herbs and plants of 80 different species and lawn vertically on the approximately 40m2 façade. This project made use of my personal patent, based on a real-life natural landscape reminiscent of plants growing through rocks in places such as the mountains of Crete. Unlike with other vertical gardens, these plants do not need to be in water constantly. Even in the heatwaves of the Greek summer, the garden in question requires only three minutes of watering in the morning and three at night. Thanks to this system, in addition to a green oasis in the very limited space of the capital’s center, the application is friendlier to the environment. It is important to note that green architecture and landscape architecture are not a luxury and do not have mere beautification as their primary goal. On the contrary, even on a small scale, such projects bring immediate benefits to the environment and the health of local residents. The urban heat island phenomenon is observed when urban areas – usually at the center of a city – consistently record higher temperatures than rural areas of the same city due to building materials, energy usage, emissions and anthropogenic activities. The city does not “breathe,” the air does not flow, and heatwaves are more intense. If we add greenery to these neighborhoods by creating roof gardens or planting trees in the sidewalks, we increase evapotranspiration levels, helping the temperature to remain lower. Even small green lungs help lower carbon emissions, contributing to the fight against global warming. Green architecture and landscape architecture also provide opportunities for people to work together with their neighbors via creating groups who tend to green spaces, and via community gardens of ornamental or edible plants. It is telling that the World Health Organization calls urban green spaces “a fundamental component of any urban ecosystem” and highlights that access to green spaces can reduce health and mental health inequalities, contribute to citizens’ well-being, and aid in the treatment of mental illness. Greenways Hellas Iridanou 4A, Athens Tel: +30 2107295237 greenwayshellas.gr
architecture
Designing Life or the two brilliant designers who collectively go by the name Cosset, everything in life is an inspiration. Passionate and articulate, they explain how they bring out their customers’ personality and individual style to a space, through inspired choices. Spending their time between their two stores at the southern suburbs of Athens, close to the Athenian Riviera, and their favorite island, Mykonos, they create F spaces of unique identity. With innovative ideas, elegantly The story that the Cosset minimal philosophy and inspired creativity, they upgraded not only the Athenian but the Mykonian aesthetics, as well. Design entrepreneurial duo With signature pieces, unique art and excellently constructed objects and furniture, the Cosset pair stamps the epitome of island design.tells revolves around style, How would you describe the world of Cosset Design? What materials comprise it? creation and art, and is High quality, luxurious simplicity and warmth are at the heart of Cosset. These are the essence of the way we create spaces, inspired by the light of their enabling each to tell the story of its owners. Where do you draw inspiration for your next steps? Travelling to all corners of the planet, socialising with people country in which they love from all corners of the earth, unusual materials and the different points of view each person has when viewing a work of to live and work. art are for us an endless source of inspiration. All these come together and create a multifaceted mood board which points the way to the future. Interview by DESPOINA SAMPSON Are there certain clichés in interior design that you would like to see abolished? In the past two decades, we have seen radical changes in the way people express themselves through the decoration of their personal space. We avoid overburdening a space for reasons of ostentation – a stereotype we are happy to see disappearing. When we design a cottage, for example, we avoid focusing solely on the building itself and ignoring its surroundings, which would result in a non-harmonious combination. How do you approach a new project, say a holiday residence? Every space and every project is unique. It is the owner’s aesthetic that we respond to in order to design it. But there are some values that permeate all our work. Our design philosophy does not allow for excess and meaningless displays of opulence. On the contrary, we aim to harmonise each building with its surroundings in order to enhance the beauty of the general area. What is the greatest challenge to the new generation of design entrepreneurs, of which you are part? Maintaining the passion for creation with no loss of momentum. Not sacrificing innovation and ideas no matter of the signs of the times. Cosset Athens - Vouliagmenis Avenue 44-46, Voula Tel: +30 210 8950207 - Laodikis str. 30, Glyfada Tel: +30 210 8945836 Cosset Mykonos -Argyrena – Dexamenes Tel: +30 22890 78146 cossetdesign.com
GEORGE BOLBASSIS Objects of desire curated from all over the world create a unique and contemporary atmosphere.
