PILA wins competition to redesign the façade of piraeus tower in athens

PILA has been announced as the winner of an international competition to redesign the façade of greece‘s second-tallest building, piraeus tower. located in the port neighborhood of athens, the 84-meter-tall tower was built in 1975 and was originally designed by architects I. vikelas, G. molfesis and A. loizou. often referred to as the ‘sleeping giant’, the abandoned structure has in fact never been occupied except for the first three floors. this winning project by PILA therefore seeks to transform the existing architecture into a contemporary and dynamic landmark for the burgeoning piraeus district. 

all images by konstantinos koudounis courtesy of PILA

situated 8 km (5 miles) from athen’s city center, piraeus has long been a vital hub for global transportation. however, the neighborhood is also now establishing itself as an exciting urban district. with this in mind, PILA‘s redesign of piraeus tower aims to reflect the vibrancy of this emerging place: ‘the rebirth of piraeus tower is significant not only for piraeus but for the wider athens, as it signifies the city moving towards its unique coastline’, said ilias papageorgiou, principal of PILA.

inside, the new program will combine offices, retail spaces and restaurants. for the upgrade of the exterior, PILA’s winning proposal envisions a structure that is visually intriguing and incorporates strategies to drastically reduce energy consumption. designed to engage with multiple scales, the tower intends to be visually pleasing from any viewpoint: a visual marker on the skyline, intriguing from up close, heartening from the sea.

the façade is conceived to integrate the structure into the daily life of the city and to enhance the lives of citizens and the users of the building. the design mediates the scale of the city and that of the tower, offering welcoming exterior spaces and sharing breathtaking views. it improves the appearance of the street by introducing green elements. the façade design will also create a pleasing internal working environment, contributing to the wellbeing of its users and allowing them to enjoy the impressive views of the surroundings.

a shading structure consisting of vertical and horizontal overhangs encloses the tower. each vertical fin is horizontally displaced from one floor to the next, creating a spring pattern that wraps around the building. the pattern gently slides from one elevation to another, like a piece of fabric wrapping around the tower. this dynamic pattern appears different from various locations, creating a rich visual experience that is constantly transforming, depending on where one is standing. this approach allows for a specific treatment of each façade, depending on environmental requirements and views, but also ensures a unified treatment of the volume.

to further emphasize the movement of the façade, the vertical fins rotate as they rise toward the top of the structure. the rotation of fins is designed to optimize the shading performance of the building and amplify the panoramic views the property offers. the fins facing southwest and southeast are rotated to provide unobstructed views of the water and the port, while the northwest and northeast façades are oriented toward views of downtown athens.

the design of the overhang system is a result of an ambitious sustainability and energy conservation strategy undertaken by the team at PILA. following a meticulous solar study, the vertical and horizontal louvers of the tower have been calibrated in order to reduce solar gain on the facade by 50%, resulting in a 20% reduction of the overall energy demand of the building.

project info:

project name: piraeus tower

location: piraeus, athens, greece
client: dimand sa, prodea investments, EBRD
architect: PILA
team: ilias papageorgiou, christina papalexandri, iacovina kontiza,konstantinos voutoufianakis petropoulos, marina avouri, eleni nikolaou
façade engineer: eckersley o’ callaghan
renderings: konstantinos koudounis
area: 322,917 ft2 (30,000 m2)
floors: 22
program: office, retail, restaurant, terraces
schedule: expected completion Q1 2023