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#PUBLIC ARCHITECTURE PROJECTS

A Happy Place: 'Nipiaki Agogi' Kindergarten by Proplusma Arkitektones

Unpretentious innocence interflows with the high-end aesthetics indicative of Athenian architectural firm PROPLUSMA ARKITEKTONES, in their recent (2015) renovation of the stone-built villa that has housed the Kindergarten NIPIAKI AGOGI ANNA RAFTOPOULOU since 1978.

Located in Athens, Greece, in the northern suburb of Filothei, the kindergarten occupies an imposing Minoic-rhythm edifice surrounded by a beautiful English garden, designed during Greece's inter-war period by the acclaimed architect Nikolaos Zoumpoulidis. The unique anatomy of its morphological elements was carefully accentuated during the renovation, creating a dialogue with the bold and contemporary scheme conjured for the interior spaces. As the project's leading architects, Eugenia Manta and Michail Provelengios realized, "Designing for children aged 2-6 years old can be quite a challenging task. We wanted to create a space that will embrace the children and allow them a great deal of spaciousness and flexibility in their movement, also by keeping up with their specific needs and various activities".

What emerged after the design group's intervention was a comfort zone with sharpened details and unique elements to alert the senses and stimulate the children's intuitive eye for beauty: rounded edges, soft holes in the wall for masterful hide-and-seek sessions, stencilled animals watching over playtime and canny little wooden windows that inspire endless hours of make-believe. Artistry plays alongside safety in this brightly coloured space that successfully further educates bright young minds by nurturing their imagination.

About the architects

PROPLUSMA ARKITEKTONES, founded in 2006 by architects Eugenia Manta and Michail Provelengios and supported by several associates (architects & designers), is a fast growing firm based in the capital of Greece, Athens, with branch offices in the town of Hermoupolis, on the island of Syros. After several years of work on a great array of design and construction projects in various scales and typologies, PROPLUSMA ARKITEKTONES has grown to become a multidisciplinary design firm, with accumulated comprehensive knowledge and know-how on different aspects of construction and design management, capable of efficiently realizing a wide range of projects.

photo © Nikos Alexopoulos.

Details

  • Athens, Greece
  • PROPLUSMA ARKITEKTONES