Polembros Company Offices

The office building of the shipping company, Polembros Shipping Ltd., consists of five floors and one level of underground parking. The dominant synthetic goal of the designers was the best possible utilization of the sea view at all levels of the building.

A key component of this focus was the retreat and simultaneous turn of the southern front of the building. which maximizes the surface of the building towards the sea. The compact volume of the brick building remains parallel to the shore, forming a P shape which, on the one hand, harmoniously integrates the building into the existing urban fabric, and on the other hand, dynamically emphasizes the shear of the glass surface.

The combination of the two dominant materials of brick and glass creates a curved end at the intersection of the oblique glass level with the eastern boundary of the building. The intensely dynamic glass surface (mainly due to its direction but also because of its texture) drags the mantle of the building, emphasizing the intensity at that point and giving the feeling of movement. The entrance of the offices together with the vertical movements were organized from the east side, leaving the south face inseparable and offering clean office spaces facing the sea. A series of glass canopies on stainless steel carriers (the design of which refers to the marine background of the company), perpendicular to the coastal front, marks and at the same time protects the path to the entrance. The operational scheme of the company led to the organization of a mixed system of configuration of workplaces: open offices for certain parts of the company and autonomous office spaces for executives.

Internally, the extensive use of wood was dictated by the image and character that the company wanted to give to its premises. Wide oak wood floors, wall coverings – a combination of perforated and non-absorbent curtains with oak veneer – and solid oak office equipment (reception desks, bookshelves, etc.) are combined with glass surfaces, which allow the penetration of natural light and enlarge the space without impeding the necessary privacy of each workplace. The materials used externally are brick and glass with individual use of stainless steel in the roof supports and railings.

The uncovered space at the western boundary of the plot and between the two buildings has been utilized by creating a refreshment / event space. The use of wood continues here in harmony with the interiors, lining the floor and extending vertically to the blind wall of the adjacent building.

Client: Polembros Shipping Ltd.
Area: 4.350 sq.m.
Location & Year: Poseidonos Av., Faliro, 2004
Photo Credits: Konstantinos Kontos
Tags: offices, industrial buildings, office design, architecture