designed as a system – experienced as a home
Some buildings reach the end of their original purpose. Others still hold the potential to accommodate an entirely new way of living.
This project transforms a former industrial floor into a collection of 23 apartments, responding to the gradual transformation of its Thessaloniki neighbourhood from an industrial district into a residential one. Rather than treating the existing structure as a constraint, the design embraces it as its starting point. Exposed concrete ceilings, visible services and the raw character of the original structure preserve the building's industrial identity, while a new architectural layer defines its next chapter.
At the heart of every apartment, a custom-designed timber volume integrates sleeping, cooking and storage into a single architectural element. By concentrating these essential functions, the remaining space is left open, flexible and adaptable to everyday life. The same spatial strategy is repeated throughout the project, while distinct colour palettes give each apartment its own atmosphere and identity without compromising the coherence of the overall design.
Living extends beyond the boundaries of each home. Shared lounges, entrance areas and circulation spaces are conceived as places for everyday encounters rather than merely transitional zones, encouraging a stronger sense of community throughout the building.
More than an adaptive reuse project, twenty-three explores how existing structures can be reimagined to support new forms of urban living while reflecting the ongoing transformation of the neighbourhood itself.