The landmark of Piraeus, located in the heart of the largest passenger port in Europe, began construction in 1972 but remained unfinished and vacant for decades. Finally completed in 2023, after an international competition, it now stands as Greece's first green and digital skyscraper. The architectural firm PILA took on the design of the facades, while the office ASPA-KST designed the commercial spaces, and the new general architectural study was entrusted to Betaplan. After over four years of renovation, Piraeus Tower officially opened its doors to tenants and visitors on June 4th with a night of celebrations, establishing itself as a bustling hub and injecting vitality into the area.
This intriguing building is part of Open House Athens, an annual festival that invites the public to explore and appreciate the value of architecture. For one weekend, private and public buildings open their doors to everyone for free, transforming the city into a vast museum. This year, the festival follows the curatorial theme of 'Inclusion and Accessibility,' showcasing the barrier-free integration of urban locations and the societal impact of buildings.
The 24-story Piraeus Tower was the most ambitious construction project in Greece during the 1970s and remains the second tallest building in the country. Its history dates back to 1968 when the Mayor of Piraeus, A. Skylitsis, demolished the historic old Piraeus market to provide the site for the tower. The original design was created by the architectural office of Alexandros Loizos, in collaboration with Ioannis Vikelas and Dimosthenis Molfesis. The tower was built with the ambition of becoming a landmark in a port that was, at the time, rapidly transforming into an international hub for shipping and transportation. It was also intended to enhance the image of the regime's members as reformers of the Greek political and economic system. Consequently, the building became associated with the dictatorship and was not accepted by a portion of the population. During this period, a significant debate arose concerning the relationship between such a tall building and the Acropolis, with many viewing it as an act of "disrespect." Additionally, the residents of Piraeus had another reason for "disliking" the building, as a historic landmark was demolished to construct the tower.
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Recognizing the environmental impact of demolishing structures, this initiative revitalized the abandoned building through adaptive reuse. With an innovative and eco-conscious design, the project transformed a previously stigmatized building, reintegrating it into the city's dynamics. The redesign of Piraeus Tower aimed to reflect the vibrancy of this emerging area. "The rebirth of Piraeus Tower is significant not only for Piraeus but for the wider Athens, as it signifies the city moving towards its unique coastline," said Ilias Papageorgiou, principal of PILA. The existing structure, commonly referred to as "the sleeping giant," was enhanced with a shading system comprising vertical and horizontal overhangs. Each vertical fin is staggered horizontally from floor to floor, creating a spring-like pattern that makes the facade appear to shift from side to side. This dynamic pattern appears different from various locations, creating a rich visual experience that constantly transforms depending on the viewer's perspective.
Beyond its visual appeal, the facade incorporates green features for energy conservation and climate control. The vertical fins rotate upwards towards the top of the structure, enhancing the sense of movement. This rotation optimizes shading, provides panoramic views, and adapts each side to environmental needs and scenic vistas. The façade's overhang system is part of an ambitious sustainability and energy conservation strategy. After a meticulous solar study, the vertical and horizontal louvers of the tower were calibrated to reduce solar gain on the façade by 45%, cutting overall energy demand by 20%. The project also adopted circular economy principles by separating pre-existing glazing and aluminum from the rest of the removed facade elements. These were sent to Saint-Gobain in Romania for recycling and returned to Greece for reuse. 126 tonnes of glass were recycled. PILA developed the design in collaboration with facade engineer Eckersley O'Callaghan, and the project has been honored with the 2024 CTBUH Facade Award of Excellence.
The Piraeus Tower exemplifies the highest standards of adaptive reuse. By reimagining existing structures, it transforms the city into a more sustainable and livable environment. This project, showcased at Open House Athens, illustrates an approach that integrates environmental awareness with technological innovation in the revitalization of abandoned structures.
This article is part of an ArchDaily series focusing on built projects showcased in various editions of Open House Europe, highlighting their relationship with their cities, surroundings, materials, or programs. As always, at ArchDaily, we welcome contributions from our readers. If you would like to suggest or submit a specific project, please contact us.
This feature is part of an ArchDaily series titled AD Narratives, where we share the story behind a selected project, diving into its particularities. Every month, we explore new constructions from around the world, highlighting their story and how they came to be. We also talk to the architects, builders, and community, seeking to underline their personal experiences. As always, at ArchDaily, we highly appreciate the input of our readers. If you think we should feature a certain project, please submit your suggestions.
This article is part of the ArchDaily Topics: Refurbishment, proudly presented by Sto. Extending the lifespan of buildings reduces cost and environmental impact, avoiding demolition or more substantial interventions in the future. Sto's products for facades, facade refurbishment, crack repair, waterproofing, and concrete restoration systems are used on heritage buildings, adaptive reuse projects, renovations, and maintenance of new buildings all over the world. Every month we explore a topic in-depth through articles, interviews, news, and architecture projects. We invite you to learn more about our ArchDaily Topics. And, as always, at ArchDaily we welcome the contributions of our readers; if you want to submit an article or project, contact us.
