Sklires indies coffee bar

An empty space in a really bad condition , formerly occupied by a football academy / cafeteria. At its prime state a lot of dynamic elements such as the top row windows in the facade , a window on the back side of the space and another window facing the light shaft were conceiled .The entire facade was covered by plaster boards that hid the marble pieces . A couple of walls that used to house the toilet were demolished to make space for the kitchen area. The basement which was acessed through a very narrow ladder , was unified with the ground floor through a metal spiral staircase after the opening of a hole on the floor increasing the total capacity of the space and incorporating it to the general layout.The objective was to keep the budget on a rational level and use prime materials in an effort to bring out all the qualities of this small space ( 35 sq.m ground floor ) in the best possible way. A complete transformation had to take place since after the cleaning out there was nothing left inside the space but destroyed walls and a literally empty facade. By creating a color contrast and exploiting the natural light ( the spot of the cafeteria is situated in an indent) the space had to acquire a feeling of comfortable and cool atmosphere . All the walls were painted white in order to make the space appear bigger while for the floor a plastic red checkered layer was applied. As a result everything that is placed on the floor create a neat assemblage that stands out when viewed as a projection on the white surfaces of the walls. The wooden surfaces which are spotted in various positions are made of plywood a material which is known for its endurance and warm appeal. Most of the furniture are black or not painted at all emphasizing on the feel that their textures emit. A pure and clean character emerges from the combination of all the elements that comprise the space .
A guideline that was followed right from the start in terms of aesthetics and function was that the space should have a cultural appeal and that it would be used for activities such as zine exhibitions,video projections and live music performances. On that basis a wooden tribune was created on one corner of the space in order to host a large number of persons simultaneously on a limited space. All the furniture pieces along with the lighting fixtures that were created for the space specifically were inspired by the Bauhaus and the De stijl movements.Τhe idea behind the design was that each furniture should perform a function with as little as possible material and have restrained proportions. When the clear out of the store was taking place under the plaster boards that used to cover the facade cantilever two brushed cement surfaces came to light and were later cleaned up and polished in order to bring out an interesting alternation of materials.
The prevailing element in the space is iron because of its low cost and because of its capacity to form impressive and sturdy structures. All the components of the facade were made from iron and so was the bar bench and the tables inside. In the basement which was an empty space a toilet and a closet room were created. Both of the spaces are made of galvanised iron and armed glass in order to take advantage of their properties in terms of color and opacity.As a result a structure that occupies the space but at the same time seems to be opaque and light weight while it remains distinctive in style. A plastic grey checkered surface is implemented on the basement floor allowing for the light to be reflected as much as possible giving away a sense of a bigger space despite the fact that the total height is limited . Another particular element that occupies an important part of the space is the spiral staircase also made of galvanized iron which was created with the same principal of prime materials use and minimum volume .
In night time when viewed from outside the space looks as if it’s floating compared to the surrounding elements and the composition of colors ( white, red and black ) stand out and protrude on the rectangular facade .