157 + 173 designers convert a historic building in greece into a compact living space

157 + 173 designers’ passer domesticus is a two story 1924 historical building located in thessaloniki, reborn into a unique compact living space for short term habitation and city break experiences. originally a tradesman’s fabrics shop and later a fishing accessories store, the project is dedicated to modern urban living, along with experiencing much of its past era atmosphere. the aim is to enable people to experience living in a street level shop environment, and feel the city’s vibe from a closer, warmer and more personal perspective.

the bathroom area has a mixed old monumental / cycladic style feeling

away from the city’s usual busy mood, standing in a small historical neighborhood in the heart of the city, passer domesticus’ ground floor level — a stand-alone habitation, becomes an experience itself. it is a reminder of characteristics found in small scale societies, greek villages and city neighborhoods of the past. greek based studio 157 + 173 designers‘ passer domesticus aims to additionally offer private — in place — experiences to its guests, such as exclusive dinners, private small music concerts, small exhibitions hosting and guided historic retrospectives.

experience living in a street level shop environment

‘passer domesticus’ in latin means the little bird of the sparrow genus ‘passer’, native in the mediterranean region and strongly associated with human habitations in urban settings. ‘passer’ as someone — like the sparrow birds — who passes by and ‘domestic’, as the definition of the urban space, passer domesticus becomes a little nest inside the urban environment to host all romantic urban nomads.

dark wooden antique barber chair contradicts with white and light warm grey shades of the general space

157 + 173 designers’ passer domesticus is a two story, yet four level space, including basement, ground floor, mezzanine, and first floor, with a flat roof atop. the first floor operates as the main lounge, with a resting area, a dinner / working table, small kitchenette and a large clear glass facade towards the street while the mezzanine, is specially built with a white strong fisherman’s net, offering the space a comfortable and very trendy area of resting.

the mezzanine is inspired from the building’s previous use as a fish accessories store

in the bedroom area, the old wooden painted floor, the intentionally left rusty metallic window roll tops, and semitransparent paper curtains, complete the super calm feeling of the bedroom. the bathroom at the basement, has a mixed old monumental / cycladic style feeling, with a private garden of plants and stones in the lighted area of the ‘cour-anglaise’, while reddish brick, pink marble and grey cement floor, is a direct reference to the ‘bedestan’ famous ottoman market building, which stands next corner.

the net is tied on a metal structure and offers the space a comfortable and very trendy area of resting

the space is designed to be playful, offering new spacial experiences

the bedroom area completes the calm feeling of the house

the open closet is designed to be hanging over the staircase gap, with an old wooden ladder, found on site

basement and ground floor plans

intermediate and first floor plans

section and elevation plans

passer domesticus — its latin definition — is a little sparrow bird

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: apostolos costarangos | designboom