Design Portfolio 2024 by Stavros Sgouros

spa ce un real

a collection of works

stavros sgouros interior & spatial designer

STAVROS SGOUROS

Via Alessandro Stradella, 2 20129, Milano

E: stavros.g.sgouros@gmail.com

C: +30 698 051 7787

stavrossgouros

(Design)

design experience education

.MSc in Interior & Spatial Design (28.81/30)

2020-2022

Politecnico di Milano, Milan, IT

.BA in Interior Architecture (1st class Honours)

2016-2019

AKTO Art & Design College, Athens, GR

Middlesex University London, London, UK

.BA in Economic Science

2009-2013

University of Piraeus, Athens, GR

worskhop

.The Atlas of the Unseen 2024

University of Hong Kong, MIT, Boston, USA

.Nature & Artifice

2021

The PERISCOPE_Research HUB, Milan, IT

.Symmetry Sentience

2017

A.A. The Architectural Association, Athens, GR

.Modern Islamic/Greek Design Applications

2017

University of Sharjah, Athens, GR

competitions

.The Last Nuclear Bomb Memorial -Waiting2024

Buildner

.Pulsating Spatial Analogues (collaborator) -First Prize2023

Municipality of Ermionida

.One Rendering Challenge

-Finalist2022

Architizer

.Make Your Own Canvas

-First Prize2017

Vertisol International

.Interior & Spatial Designer 2022-Present

Freelancer, Athens, GR

Design of apartments, commercial spaces and participation in various architectural competitions. Collaboration with designers from different fields. Work with artificial intelligence and publication in magazines and books.

.Design Intern 2022

Fabio Novembre Studio, Milan, IT

Master’s program short-period mandatory internship. CAD drawing and graphic presentation of running projects. Collaborating with a team of 16 people from various design fields.

.Junior Interior Architect

2018-2020

ARCHI4M, Athens, GR

Designing interior spaces (computational and real-life design & construction). Communicating ideas and participating in team work. Meeting and assisting clients and their needs. Being in constant contact with suppliers and constructors.

.Office Partition Brochure Designer

2018-2019

Asset, Athens, GR - Ge.Co.Par, Bergamo, IT

Designing office spaces for a local furniture retailer and an Italian partition manufacturer, aiming to create a commercial brochure for partition system s and their various applications in the workplace.

other experience

.Book publication of photography created with artificial intelligence

2024

Spells Vol.1 Pioneers, Berlin, GER

.Fashion Advisor 2014-2015

COS, London,UK

.Fashion Editorial Stylist 2012-2014

Freelance, Athens, GR

skills languages

Greek mother tongue

English proficient (IELTS 8.0/9.0)

Italian intermediate

Autocad

Rhino 3D + VRay

Sketchup + VRay

Adobe Illustrator

Adobe InDesign

Midjourney A.I.

the greatest opera house inauguration in 1778

art gallery established in 1618 works of leonardo da vinci, caravaggio and raffaello

1

cathedral of saint mary one of the largest Catholic cathedrals construction 1386-1965

museum of twentieth-century artworks major collection of italian futurism

medieval square commercial and governmental centre

.NEO-EMOTIONS.

galleria vittorio emanuele ii

LOCATION

CONSTRUCTION

Thesis (MSc Final Main Project)

Individual Work

duomo di milano

teatro alla scala

piazza mercanti

pinacoteca ambrosiana

museo del novecento

The aim of the thesis is to present a design proposal for the city of Milan, a post-industrial megalopolis, based on the thesis’ topic, which is “emotions as a consumerist product.” The thesis was divided in two parts, a theoretical research and a project.

The most suitable place to apply such a project/ commentary would be the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan, Italy.

The Piazza del Duomo is the most central and important square of the city and Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is udoubtedly the most visited and “instagrammable” location.

It is incremental to mention that this design intervention could be applied to any big city center, to any place with such a strong consumerist identity, to any mecca of the modern world that seems so close to the edge of getting lost in hyperconsumerism for ever.

The five “basic” emotions, as categorized by Paul Ekman, are becoming the fuel of this project. We are living in a not-so-distant future, where consumerism has taken over and the most important human trait has become a product itself. Emotions are rare. Emotions are collected. Emotions are sold.

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II becomes a “Factory of Emotions.” A factory that fuels on human emotions. Dystopian architecture that is dressed like a daydream. An artificial digital forest inside this neoclassical giant is occupying the center of Milan and the show begins.

.isometric exploding of intervention elements

.intervention site plan

Three main activities are conducted in Galleria and all demand the users’ participation.

Users are selling their emotional memories

These emotional memories are becoming public digital artwork with the use of Artificial Intelligence.

Users are able to buy emotions like any other consumerist product.

The program of the building follows the cruciform organization of the current site and uses the allegory of a forest.

The central vertical axis hosts the “Fast Museum of Memories.”

The horizontal axis hosts the “Emotional Selling Points.”

The under-the-dome center of the building hosts

temporary pavilions selling “The Special Emotion of the Month.”

The floor plan of Galleria’s public space showcases the parts of the intervention. For this project 1 out of the 5 emotions was selected for more elaborate design.

Enjoyment

The program of the wings stays constant through the year, while the central pavilion is changing, promoting one out of the five “basic” emotions each time with its design inspired by the specific emotion. This technique resembles the “monthly special” approach of mega consumerist companies, aiming to attract customers.

.full intervention with “enjoyment” pavilion section

.“enjoyment” pavilion floor plans level 0 & level 1 .“enjoyment” pavilion section

“Enjoyment” Pavilion

The pavilion dedicated to the emotion of “Enjoyment” is designed based on moments of childhood happiness. A massive teddy bear occupying the center of Galleria. A pink fury giant welcoming guests in its heart.

In the interior of the bear there is a second structure divided in two levels. The level on the ground hosts a series of vending machines, as a reference to the fast-shopping process, selling the “special emotion of the month.”

The second level hosts the “Consumption Salon”, a watchtower type of space where the users can ascend through a ramp, pack their “new” emotions, and use the special machines on top to consume them. Simultaneously, the space offers a unique view of the building of Galleria from a higher level.

consumption salon lookout point

vending machines

.the ramp

.emotions vending machines .consumption salon and lookout point

“Emotional

Selling Points”

The East and West wings are welcoming the users to a floral space covered in artificial massive flower balloons. They touch them and feel them bounce around them.

Through these over-scaled balloons one can find screens in the place of the old shop windows with A.I. assistants welcoming the users and asking them to sell their old memories. A.I. is collecting these memories and they are transferred to the “System.”

The reward of the users is to enjoy their emotional memories become A.I. generated artwork, available for enjoyment by the public in the next “stage”.

But as the market goes fast, so does this new art. If you sell fast, the building will collect and produce fast. But all this until the next customer. .a.i. screens

.the emotional selling points

“Fast

The central axis, South and North wings, are transformed into an openair museum. Giant flower seeds are hung in the air, and they are ready to blossom.

These clear pillar-flowers are a form of museum display, overexaggerated and new-age. In the previous stage the memories were collected, and, in this stage, they become artificial-intelligence generated art, enjoyed by the publics.

The difference of this digital art with the classic one is it temporarity. There will be no immortality through the years. It is another product that is created and quickly consumed.

The A.I. produced images are questioning human’s input in the future of art. A.I. is reading an input and creates a visualization through innumerable data. .display modules

Museum of Memories”

.the fast museum of memories

forest

evergreen pine forest secluded coves, rock pools, wild olive groves

site location

porto heli

summer resort town mooring place for fishing boats and yachts

ververonda lagoon naturally formed lagoon refuge of the berber pirates

archaeological site of halieis ancient fishing area of the precious shell “porphyra” first inhabited in the neolithic period underwater sunken colonnade of the temple of apollo

.PULSATING SPATIAL ANALOGUES.

coastal region regeneration

LOCATION TYPE

CONSTRUCTION

Competition (1st place)

Collaborative Work

korakia

The competition brief asked for the complete redevelopment and enhancement of the Porto Heli - Ververonda Bay Road. This massive coastal project is becoming reality through the concept of the ‘Wave’, which through fluid design engravings organizes and unifies the fragmented character of the area.

Recreational areas, stopping points and outdoor activities are gradually organized and alternated, provoking the user’s interest to discover each pulsating space created.

In addition to the organisation of public space, the ‘Wave’ manages to redefine people’s relationship with the historical and cultural character of the area by including in its ‘Ripples’ sites that have always been important in its evolution.

The interventions are in a continuous dialogue with the existing and proposed vegetation, which recalls

the Korakia Forest and its imaginary connection with the Porto Heli settlement. The concept of ‘Wave’, comes as a ‘thread’ to permeate the three individual focus points, creating an organized and homogeneous ‘necklace’ system.

Wandering there offers continuous and gradual spatial alternations. The boundaries pulsate, the visual field of the traveler is sometimes blunted and sometimes sharpened, the public space is often revealed all at once and sometimes after marginal narrowing of those boundaries. Constant revelation, exchange of glances, variety of activities in an attempt to restore and recall the element of the sea during the course of exploring

My main involvement was in the design of the Korakia Forest area, with its caffe, gardens, dry stream, and urban equipment, (consistency of materiality and design style) that would subtly complement the bold spatial planning, composing a single and distinct identity that interweaves with the natural characteristics of the site.

In particular, metallic, white-coloured, vertical elements - reminiscent of masts - act as lighting poles or carry information signs about the area. Interactive toys, sculptural objects, seating areas and playgrounds maintain a common design and morphological vocabulary, giving the user the sense of continuation

Airy metallic poles lined with belts of white cloth are the standard model of the structures, each placed at three points in the proposal. The interaction of the fabric with the air and natural light, as well as the vertical translucency, create refined spatial qualities.

.caffe

a farmhouse use for the growing of animals and the collection of food site location

borgo legnaia heavily decorated horse stables a rural palace and gardens northwest of Milan baroque style 17th and 18th centuries

villa arconati

.NO.28. tile company

meridiana a building containing a device for telling time from the shadow cast by the sun

LOCATION TYPE

CONSTRUCTION

SIZE YEAR Castellazzo Milano, Italy. Workplace

Adaptive Reuse

595 m2 2021

Contest Design Studio (MSc Semester Project)

Collaborative Work

No. 28 is a design proposal for a tile design company, located in the barns of Villa Arconati, close to Milan, Italy. After our first insertion, a barn dedicated to circulation, we expand on the north-west side of the site to design the workspace. The new proposal takes over, in total, 8 barns

The program consists of workspaces to host approximately 15 people, workshops, a cafeteria, storage/archive and exhibition area, as well as a wellness space, free to be used as a recharging room, equipped with garden beds that the employees can use to cultivate as a way of meditation and mental escape.

The intention of the design team is to create an anthropocentric space focusing on the improvement of the workspace’s quality for the individual. The key elements we use to achieve that are: a democratic layout with no clear hierarchies, a fusion of public and private spaces, a reduction of visual barriers,

provision of sufficient natural light through large openings, creation of multiple accidental meeting opportunities, and finally a wellness space in the core of the building.

The design expands on both the ground and upper level of the barns, and to the intermediate semiopen space in the front, which is enclosed with glass to maintain its dialogue with the outside space but also its structural rhythm. The main entrance continues to be through the first insertion, leading the visitors to the exhibition and reception area, while a secondary less formal entrance is created in the cafeteria.

.section a-a’

.section b-b’

.section c-c’

.horizontal section d-d’

The vertical communication between the two levels was from the beginning, an important focus on our design. The floor slab of the upper level also expands to the intermediate space and finally unites with the façade through an inclined glass wall that ensures visual continuity between the two floors. The upper floor does not extend above the cafeteria, creating an interior balcony that also allows the unhindered continuation through the levels.

A semi-transparent steel curtain is designed to secure its edge that does not block the view. Finally, two more circular openings are created; one in the office that allows a sculptural bookcase to expand through the two levels, and one in the exhibition area. Respectively, we create skylights on the ceiling above each cut, to provide the spaces plenty of natural light that reaches the ground level. The workspaces alternate between offices, private spaces and lounge areas, on an open floor plan that ensure the social interaction of the employees. One

can choose to work in a private office, intended for all, or next to his colleagues allowing the people to change location according to their needs.

No. 28 is intended to be an innovative workspace, flexible and adjustable to everyone’s needs, a pleasant environment that people enjoy to work in, socialize and create.

.isometric exploding of intervention partitions and roofing

.sun path

monastiraki square

the ruins of hadrian’s library the ancient agora the rebuilt stoa of attalos

syntagma square | parliament site

lycabettus hill the highest point of athens the open-air amphitheatre the 19th century chapel of st. george the central square of athens the greek parliament the national gardens the parthenon the propylaea the temple of athena nike the odeon of herodes atticus

acropolis of athens

.AĒSOP.

pop-up store

LOCATION TYPE

CONSTRUCTION

SIZE

Professional Project

Collaborative Work

The assignment was the selection of a well-known retail brand and the installing of a pop-up store in a specific site in the center of Athens. The site was an old building in the city center, abandoned and recently burnt in a fire.

The building itself has very distinct architectural elements. It is a typical neoclassical structure, with arched big windows and a big pediment over the entrance. A cornice and an entablature are decorating the top of the exterior walls and an ornate canopy is shading the windows. Plinths are also visible at the bottom.

The retail brand that was selected is Aēsop, a skincare brand, famous for its unique products, package design and the great collaborations with architects to design the interior of its stores. The brand has branched all over the world with shops in most big capitals.

It was selected as a suitable candidate for a pop-up store, as it could be introduced to the Greek public, who has recently taken a big interest in skincare products. The location would be ideal as it is highly accessible and the site shows architectural interest, that would suit the brand’s identity and ethos

.form & materiality concept

deconstruction of the ancient columns’ flutes pink plaster resembling the local sky

exaggeration of the orthodox domes form materiality beige wax-coated cement resembling the local land geometrization of the greek statues’ form white marble resembling the local architecture

.exterior window

.testing area & counter

.interior intervention floor plan

.interior intervention section

london 9.175 m. population

48,42% christian 20,73% none 12,39% muslim

8,47% not stated

5,03% hindu

1,82% jewish 1,54% sikh 1,00% buddhist 0,59% other

LOCATION

CONSTRUCTION

The project examines the utilization of Red Sands Fort, a complex of abandoned WW2 sea forts in the Thames Estuary, in the southern part of the United Kingdom.

The idea of converting former war machines into spaces of touristic development is introduced and aims to redefine the main principles of both tourism and communal living

The main factors that influenced the process of design are the history, the natural environment and the experimentation with forms, that will lead the users to question the state of alienation that has shaped the 21st century.

The final proposal consists of the design of a small communal hotel facility, a space of self-reflection and gathering, away from the constant passing of time. A new utopian environment is proposed, fighting the dystopia of the past, but still preserving

the history through an experiential approach.

This complex will function as a place of peace and shared living, achieving the continuous communication among its users through monolithic structures and the avoidance of any kind of separation

.isometric exploding of intervention elements

cranes and platforms on the sea level

underwater tunnel

above-the-sea welcoming point

.site plan

The 7 towers are reused, following their current structure, while three main additions are occuring. A sphere functioning as the main entry to the complex, an underwater tunnel that leads to the central “control” tower and sea-level platforms that offer an additional layer of experience.

Each of the towers hosts a very specific use: sleep, personal hygiene, dining, playing and relaxing. The absence of any kind of separation in the living lets the users trust each other and create interpersonal relationships.

Through this process of design, the modern user will manage to proceed in the search of the more personal needs, those of self-esteem and selfactualization, in this micro-community created in the Red Sands Fort.

entry

.amphitheatre

.underwater tunnel

.reception

.control tower

.site program

“sleep” towers

“bathe” tower

“dine”

“play” tower

“relax” tower

world heritage site

185 million years history

fossils of creatures

radipole lake nature reserve habitat of reedbed birds

chesil beach

site of special scientific interest shingle structure shallow lagoon migrating birds and fossils

site location .ODE.

bird nesting tower

weymouth tourist seaside resort sailing events and olympic games

LOCATION TYPE

CONSTRUCTION

Individual Work

The competition’s brief asked for one image representing our view of the future. After visiting the village of Abbotsbury in Dorset, in the southern part of the United Kingdom, a place of unique natural beauty was unveiled.

The area is famous for the largest tidal lagoon of the country and the swannery, which hosts flocks of swans.

“What can we do? What can we create that will last and assist future life?”

Imagine a scenario when we have not survived. When the only left memory of our world are these species that do not touch it, that are set free in our skies and overlook our shadows.

This is a manmade structure. A vague memory of our last endeavors to save what will survive. A new home for the flying nomads of the new world. It could

be located near a lagoon or a swamp. It could be frozen in time and forgotten. But they will find it. They will inhabit it.

“But a bird that stalks down his narrow cage can seldom see through his bars of rage”. Now we are gone and the bird is free.”

The project examines the installation of multileveled platforms in the lagoon, that would safely accommodate the nests of the birds and that would function as a landmark in the area. Visitors could watch the birds from a distance during the summer or visit the platform through the sea, enjoying a view of the geological beauty, in the winter. The platforms compose a series of towers developed in various heights. The towers allow viewing to all the types of wildlife and let the users understand the different scales and atmospheres through a range of levels.

The new structure aims to create a distinct manmade installation that will be absorbed in the natural environment and become a silent extension of it while remaining strong and graphic in the form. Due to the heavenly exteriors, full of wildlife, the project followed an anti-real approach, with a modular system of cones that represent the infinity of nature.

artificial intelligence photography

intelligence photography

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INTELLIGENCE

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ARTIFICIAL

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ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

stavros sgouros interior & spatial designer