Duplex Apartment S

This project involves the addition of a 4^th floor on top of an existing three story apartment block. Duplex apartment S is composed of this newly added top floor and a renovated apartment on the 3^rd floor.  These two elements are internally connected with a newly added staircase. Accessibility is further enhanced with the addition of an exterior private elevator on the north side.  From the top floor there’s a beautiful 270-degree view over the sea and Samothrace Island. 

This new addition is conceived as an abstract slab which hovers above the existing structure. Although the architecture of this new addition is very different, it respects and follows the general dimensions and form of the existing generic apartment block. Underneath this slab the boundaries between inside and outside have been optically removed. A wooden box located in the center accommodates the kitchen, bathroom and storage. A horizontal cut-out in the slab gives room for a tree to grow. 

The fourth floor is supported by a lightweight steel structure with a span of 12m which is is able to cope with the very high wind load. The existing concrete structure on the 3rd floor has been reinforced with a steel exoskeleton.  The minimal frame windows in the living room have an opening corner. The floor is finished with very large ceramic tiles (2.44m x 1.22m).