MINISTRY OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND TRANSPORT building
OPEN ARCHITECTURAL COMPETITION
LOCATION: ATHENS, GREECE YEAR: 2019
TEAM: PROJECT ARCHITECT: MANOLIS VENIERAKIS, ARCHITECTURE TEAM: AGGELIKI ANTONIOU, TINA KONTARIDOU, ELENI ANDREOU, MYRSINI ALEXANDRIDI
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANT: AGGELIKI ANTONIOU, STRUCTURAL ENGINEER: concept - pARISIS MPILLIAS, mEchanical engineer: DNDplan - DIMITRIOS DIMITRIOU
The new office building of the General Secretary of Infrastructure of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport is located on Piraeus Street in the area of Taurus and is adjacent to main road axes, as well as buildings of a supralocal importance (shopping malls, night entertainment, sports center).
"Transparency" is a key design objective of the proposal, which is reflected both in the materiality and in the transparent processes of the state. The proposal integrates the administration building into public space, making it accessible and permeable to citizens.
The building is laid out in a patio around the inner square that serves as a central reference point between employees and citizens. The cultural functions, organized at ground level, and the system of pedestrian access unify the complex with its direct context - sports center, green space, suburban railway, residential area. Consequently, the building acquires great urban qualities and becomes integrated into the wider built environment, with the aim of activating the area.
The building is expressed as four geometrical prisms, which are joined in two by intermediate connecting volumes, bearing indoor atriums, communal spaces and semi-outdoor green spaces. This subdivides the building mass while at the same time achieving efficient connection and communication between the departments. The building extends to five upper levels with open plan workplaces, as well as four underground levels, including department archives and parking spaces.
The building integrates energy systems and innovative technologies in line with sustainable design principles, aiming to nearly zero-energy consumption (nZEB).
The facades are formed by passive solar systems, such as the double glazing on the south side (heating system in winter, shading and cooling system in summer) and active systems, such as metal rotating blinds of varying width and density, depending on the orientation and solar radiation.
The integration of natural ventilation, in addition to the innovative air conditioning system, geothermal heat pumps, green roofs, green walls, water surfaces, rainwater collection tank and photovoltaic panels, contribute to low energy consumption and ensure great indoor environmental quality and occupant wellbeing in the workplace.