FLOATING TERRACES

FLOATING TERRACES

The project involves the design of a multi-family residential building on a corner plot in the Pampeloponnisiako Stadium district of Patras, Greece.

The architectural concept is based on the fragmentation of the original building mass into two distinct volumes, connected through a central circulation core. Their separation and positioning on the site is a deliberate design strategy that maximizes orientation, daylight, and views. This configuration establishes a clear functional organization of the apartments while enhancing natural illumination, cross ventilation, and visual openness. The setback of one volume in relation to the other further reinforces these qualities, increasing access to sunlight and expanding outward views from the living spaces.

A defining characteristic of the building is its strong horizontal expression. Generous cantilevers and slender concrete floor slabs appear to float, visually reducing the perceived mass of the building and creating a sense of lightness and movement. These floating terraces are conceived not merely as balconies, but as fully inhabitable outdoor living spaces—extensions of the apartments themselves—integrating planted areas that soften and mediate the relationship between the private interior and the surrounding city.

At ground level, the building is partially elevated on pilotis, allowing the sense of suspension to extend beyond the projecting slabs and permeate the composition as a whole. This gesture also preserves the continuity of the open space, strengthens the connection with the site’s landscape, and allows greenery to flow beneath the building.

Rather than approaching the apartment building as a compact object, the proposal seeks a clear functional and formal composition articulated through the interplay of solid and void. The building establishes its identity through a careful balance between solidity and lightness, creating a distinct architectural presence within the urban streetscape.