314 architecture designs optimist eyewear store in greece

314 architecture designs optimist eyewear store in greece
(above) the patio looks like an imaginary delimited cube
all images courtesy of 314 architecture studio

designed by athens-based 314 architecture studio, the optical shop ‘c_29 / optimist’, is part of an interwar listed building, and encompasses a total surface 90 square meters. located in the centre of chalkida, greece, the space is airy and expands along the central market and the back courtyard / patio which is formed in the core of the building. the edifice itself is a composite construction with the ground floor being made of bearing masonry and the two floors of reinforced concrete and filling brickwork. 

the use of mirrors is one of the linking elements of the design

the main design aspect was the creation of a gradient technique in the texture of materiality in order to emphasize the reflection and the absorbance of light. this gradient tool continues to exist and plays a significant role even to the choice of materials, resulting in their sound existence or their theoretical absence in the formed space. some utilitarian objects were transformed into prismatic sculptures. 

the main storage furniture sits imposingly in the middle of the store 

the courtyard space is delimited by an imaginary cube. the plan does not allow visual contact from the courtyard to the shop. therefore,  a wall at an angle of 45 degrees was added in the intermediate space fully covered by mirror, resulting in visual continuity between the two spaces.

patio view in the night

a white predominance sits in harmony with the use of mirrors and glass

the shop windows give a glance of the pure design inside

entrance view

the terrace also has a bar that follows the same furniture design of the interior pieces

the ambiance is set to enjoy the fitting of different eyewear

the stone wall painted in white remembers the location’s past

project info:

architect: 314 architecture studio
design team: pavlos chatziangelidis, giota chala, theodora papadopoulou, stelios dilintas, andrea bratu, karoline kalionyte, angeliki kokkosi, maria nikolousi, elvin demiri
construction: such
year: 2015
location: chalkida, euboea island, greece, europe 

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: juliana neira | designboom

Save