athens' piraeus tower, fully retroffited, becomes first green highrise in country

piraeus tower retrofit completes in athens

Piraeus Tower officially opened its doors to tenants and visitors on June 4th, 2024, at the port city of Piraeus in Athens, revealing its award-winning, spring-patterned facade (see more here) designed by PILA. Two months later, the structure’s retrofit was officially completed, earning itself the title of the first green highrise and second tallest building in Greece, marking the starting point of the Athenian Riviera. It stands today as a mixed-used, fully accessible, and sustainable landmark with public open spaces and a contemporary workplace, soaring 88 meters into the sky. ‘This project sets a new standard for urban revitalization in Greece,’ shares Dimitris Andriopoulos, CEO of Piraeus Tower and Dimand.

image © Nikos Daniilidis

a mixed-use and fully accessible landmark

Spanning about 35,000 sqm, the first three levels of retail at the Piraeus Tower are already leased to Zara, Zara Home, JDSports, while the third and fourth floor will offer F&B by Nice n’ Easy, and a gym operated by Athlesis. The office levels above will host 2,000 people and are occupied by anchor tenants Dialectica, NorthStandard, and V Group of Companies, among others. The office fit-out for V Group’s headquarters on the 22nd top floor is also designed by the team at PILA. As part of the project, the architects have also designed an elevated walkway from Karaiskaki Square to the park, improving the urban experience and connectivity around the tower. The structure runs atop the port fence, providing unobstructed views of the port. Beyond a typical walkway, it features seating areas for enjoying the view and incorporates green spaces for a more pleasant experience.

image © Nikos Daniilidis

patterned facade by PILA with colorful, low-impact lighting

Moving on to the facade design by PILA, a shading structure with 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 appears to gently slide from one facade to another, with the resulting visual effect of the facade wrapping around the tower like an immense piece of fabric. This dynamic pattern appears different from various locations, creating a rich visual experience constantly transforming, depending on where one is standing.

image © Yiannis Hadjiaslanis

Designer Thanos Danilof wrapped the facade in a lighting system that features sequences of colors and luminous intensities on all the fins of the Piraeus Tower in Athens. During special occasions, such as the welcoming of the Olympic Flame, the exterior lights up with unique hues, including a permanent sequence appearing warm white. ‘This is chosen after studies were conducted for the best environmental conditions to have a mild intensity that protects against light pollution and energy consumption. The energy required to light up the tower each night is equal to the energy consumed by two home A/C units,‘ notes the team. PILA’s facade has been awarded a 2024 CTBUH Facade Award of Excellence and will be presented at the Barbican Centre in London on September 23rd, 2024.

image © Yiannis Hadjiaslanis

piraeus tower in athens: the first green highrise in the country

The Piraeus Tower is set to become the first LEED Platinum-certified tower in Greece and has also enrolled in the WELL Core™ program to prioritize the health and well-being of its tenants and end-users. It embraces circular economy principles by separating pre-existing glazing and aluminum from other facade elements, sending them to Saint-Gobain in Romania for recycling, and then returning them to Greece for reuse, resulting in 126 tonnes of recycled glass. Each floor is equipped with smart systems (BMS) that allow tenants to operate independently based on their specific needs.

image © Yiannis Hadjiaslanis

The rooftop features 500 square meters of photovoltaic panels, and the building is equipped with the latest cooling and heating systems. The basements provide 44 parking spaces with charging stations, three generators for backup power, and six water tanks to reuse collected greywater. Lastly, the Piraeus Tower in Athens is conveniently accessible by all forms of public transportation, enabling occupants and visitors to commute easily and access boats, trains, and airplanes for leisure travel.

image © Nikos Daniilidis

image © Yiannis Hadjiaslanis

image © Nikos Daniilidis

image © Yiannis Hadjiaslanis

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image © Yiannis Hadjiaslanis

image © Nikos Daniilidis

image © Yiannis Hadjiaslanis

image © PILA Studio

image © Nikos Daniilidis

project info:

name: Piraeus Tower | @piraeustower

location: Piraeus, Athens, Greece

original architects (1975): I. Vikelas, G. Molfesis, A. Loizou
lead architect: Betaplan
facade, common areas: PILA Studio | @pila.studio
PILA team: Ilias Papageorgiou, Christina Papalexandri, Silena Patsalidou, Iacovina Kontiza, Konstantinos Voutoufianakis Petropoulos, Marina Avouri, Eleni Nikolaou
retail architect: ASPA KST

clients and investors: Dimand, Prodea Investments, EBRD

project management: Dimand

general contractor: Terna
refurbishment: Exinos
structural design: DENCO
MEP design: Insta
facade engineer: Eckersley O’ Callaghan

geotechnical survey / retain design: H. Lamaris
survey design: AKSM
lighting design & daylight analysis: DANILOF
acoustics design: Technology & Acoustics
LEED consultant: DCARBON
commissioning: VPC
photographers: Nikos Daniilidis and Yiannis Hadjiaslanis | @yiannishadjiaslanis