Ioanna Vlachaki

In the heart of Kypseli, a neighborhood layered with modernist memory and urban vitality, our new studio finds its home — a space that reflects both our architectural sensibility and our emotional connection to the area. The same space houses the office of our close collaborator ATOB, with whom we share common values, a continuous creative dialogue, and extensive collaboration across many of our projects.

The choice of location was deliberate. Kypseli, with its eclectic and interwar façades, buildings influenced by neoclassicism through modernist movements — often bearing Art Nouveau or Art Deco features — and its dense cultural identity, has always been a field of observation for us. Many of our projects take place here, as we continually engage with and admire the architectural and cultural heritage of the area, which remains a constant source of inspiration: a place where form, memory, and lived experience coexist. The neighborhood embodies our practice — balancing the industrial and the historic, the rigorous and the poetic, the experiential field within which our work unfolds.

The Space

The studio spans 75 sq.m., organized as a two-story ground-floor plan with generous through-openings and a luminous storefront that bridges the interior and the street. The main space occupies the ground floor, while two auxiliary workspaces and a meeting area reside above, connected by a circular metal staircase. Despite its modest footprint, the space exudes openness, intimacy, and natural light. From the outset, it inspired us to conceive it as an open canvas — a site of interpretation and narrative, where visitors can “read” our approach through objects, materials, and spatial relationships.

Design Approach

The aesthetic is founded on an off-white, neutral backdrop — a calm and unobtrusive surface that accentuates custom-made constructions and curated artworks. Every detail and object has been conceived and executed for this space, embodying our philosophy on the dialogue between architecture and object.

We create rigorous, geometric, and sculptural volumes that converse with curves, soft forms, and contrasting materialities. Both industrial and refined materials are re-evaluated, reconsidered, and transformed. Handmade interventions and finishes impart a tactile presence, highlighting the materiality of each piece. Galvanized sheet metal, colored lacquered wood, soft textiles, and lighting elements function as sculptural components, bridging the industrial and the intimate. Carpeting across the floors enhances warmth and tactile comfort, creating a balance between austerity and hospitality.

K3 Collection

For this studio, the bespoke K3 Collection was designed — objects situated between architecture, sculpture, and furniture. A white lacquered workstation anchors the space; a steel daybed offers moments of repose; an industrial meeting table in galvanized metal introduces raw materiality.

Other pieces — a wall-mounted light crafted from recycled galvanized steel and Chinese paper, a lounge chair transformed from a “miscast” sheet metal fragment paired with lacquered blue legs, and a compact kitchenette embracing the circular staircase — embody our approach to reuse, reinterpretation, and site-specific design. Each piece bears the hallmark of handcrafted detail and intentional construction. Every object functions as a miniature architectural experiment, scaled to the human body, sculptural yet functional, rigorous yet tactile.

Studio as Canvas for Art and Collaboration

The studio walls operate as a mutable canvas for art. Works by T. Ross, Stamos Michael, and Barbadee inhabit the space, while additional pieces by selected artists will be gradually incorporated.

Our aim is to cultivate a space of dialogue — between architecture, design, and other creative disciplines. We believe creativity flourishes in the convergence of different expressive forms, and that the interaction between architecture, art, and design is a source of continuous inspiration.

Philosophy

Every project — including this personal endeavor — is grounded in sensory relevance and cultural value, from detail to large scale. We conceive spaces and objects with a sculptural character, balancing contemporary and traditional elements.

We adopt a holistic architectural approach: from the urban landscape and building reconstruction to custom furniture, design objects, or installations — all conceived as parts of a unified body, developed simultaneously within a shared narrative framework. Our aim is for objects to inhabit the space like buildings on the horizon as Gae Aulenti used to say, reminding the observer of the story embedded in lived spaces and the interplay between design, construction, and architectural experience.

Education in art, philosophy, and history is central to our practice, enabling the reinterpretation of existing frameworks and allowing design, from large scale to fine detail, to emerge as a cohesive, unified composition. Every corner of the studio is crafted with meticulous handmade detail, in a space that deeply expresses our vision and serves as a personal refuge — a place of encounter, inspiration, and creativity.

Athens, 2025.