By Poli Akavalou*
Travelling is still a part of my life. The greatest thing about travelling is that it lengthens time enriching the memories within you.
Decoration of a space has always been my life’s passion. Every single creation is for me a journey through art.
It makes me very proud and happy the fact that I come from the Island of Chios. An island in the northern Aegean Sea with such a great maritime tradition, history and success in the Shipping adventure worldwide.
I am grateful for the exquisite cooperation we had and the trust shown by this shipping company in assigning me the design of this extremely beautiful space!
I wish them all the best for this new venture! May their ships have always calm seas and fair winds.
The project
A 1960’s single-storey house in the centre of the city of Chios was the inspiration for housing a shipping office. The neoclassical aspect in its various manifestations dominated on its architecture. On the one hand, we had to preserve the western character and the style of the house itself while on the other hand, to design a modern, ergonomic and professional space meeting the new millennium’s technological and environmental demands. For all of the above reasons, a combination of elements has been decided to keep the house in this current condition only by changing colours and removing the wooden shutters from their external frames, so that the LIGHT diffuses freely inside without obstructions.
The workspace of an office incubates many risks. We always emphasize on ergonomics while aesthetics are also essential as employees spend a lot of time there and it should be a source of inspiration and energy for everyone. Therefore, we externally used shades of blue, light blue, light grey in order to accredit the coolness of the sea to the building. The exterior lighting is discreet and classy to highlight the company’s billboard. In the interior, we chose earthy colours such as darker and lighter shades of sand that can render a workspace warm and hospitable inspiring confidence.
Sandy and sea colours dominate all around and match extremely well with the exterior colours.
The choice of these colours attaches elegance, style, character as well as balance to the building inside and out, empowering its sense of peace and tranquillity.
The white and maple shaded furniture is in a minimal and stripped back line. The chairs and armchairs that have been used are made from easy-to-use materials such as leather and unwashed blue and white coloured fabrics.
The relevance to the sea is the main protagonist and the dominant theme. That is the reason why every single corner was designed with special care. The aquatic feeling you get when you first walk inside acquires a central role. Modern shading systems were used on the pebble-coloured windows.
The wooden panelled oak doors allow one employee to be independent from the other. The half-timbered floor attributes warmth to the space. At the entrance hall, you find an impressive miniature of the company’s cargo ship that looms. The white rotunda serves the needs of a meeting among company’s executive members. Moreover, rare etchings of old ships and paintings that depict the company’s modern fleet decorate the various spaces.
The predominant lighting keeps you alert at all times. The electrical and electronic equipment enable direct communication between the office and its partners, customers and seafarers all over planet ocean. Therefore, the appropriate study and design of a space can harmoniously match the old element with the new one, ensuring a sound outcome.
Chios has a very distinct architecture. Its study is a daily search and research of the past. Its architectural elements that characterize this island are unique in beauty and in history.
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*Poli Akavalou, Interior Designer
