A “holistic approach” to architectural design and construction, reuse of materials, an innovative façade assembly system and many other innovations are at the heart of the iconic project of the Piraeus Tower, the second tallest building in Greece (84m), currently completed in the first months of 2023 years, so that for the first time since its construction in 1975 according to the designs of Ioannis Vikelas, Demosthenes Molfesis and Alexandros Loizos, it will cease to be … a corpse, given that its 23 floors, only the first floor was sometimes used as the first.

Its reconstruction provides for 34,623 sq.m. built-up area – the first two floors are occupied by shops, the third – a multi-purpose cultural and entertainment center and a dining area, and the remaining 18 floors are reserved exclusively for offices. Finally, the last two will have restaurants with a unique sea view. The investment will exceed the initial forecast of 40 million euros and is being carried out by Piraeus Tower, a consortium formed by Prodea Investments, Dimand and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), which is participating in a tender organized by the municipality. Piraeus. As for the construction, the project was entrusted to the company TERNA of the GEK TERNA group.

The goal of the investors, who have leased the property from the municipality for 99 years, is to bring large companies back to Piraeus by offering them a modern and luxurious working environment, as well as to revitalize the city’s waterfront with quality premises that will improve the entire area.

THE STUDY

The architectural design was completed following a closed competition by the PILA office of Ilias Papageorgiou and Cristina Papalexandris, who returned home in 2019 with many years of experience in America and important international awards such as first prize in the C40 Reinventing Cities competition with the MKNO project, a proposal for urban renewal in Paris. “The tower is a landmark on the horizon, visible from the surroundings and immediately recognizable in the eyes of passers-by, which is once again entering the lives of residents,” we will be told. “For this reason, our architecture emphasizes multiple scales of building experience. Initially, we were interested in its reintegration into the city and the continuation of its history. We also wanted to balance the large size of the building with the smaller size of the city that surrounds it, and create cozy spaces and opportunities to enjoy a unique view.”

PIREUS

“In recent years, it has acquired a special dynamic. It is increasingly becoming one of the most exciting places to live, work and cultural experience. The implementation of such a project will give an additional impetus to this dynamic and will be the starting point for a more general discussion for the entire waterfront, as the Tower signals this movement of the city towards the water.”

BUILDING

“Often old buildings were built according to the legislation of another era (regarding height, distance from water, etc.). The tower, and indeed no building of such capacity, could be built today on the same spot.

Its reuse allows thousands of square meters of modern office space to be added to the center of Piraeus. The area will greatly benefit from the increase in the working population there, and a large part of it is likely to seek housing in the wider area.

CIRCULAR ECONOMY

“Existing buildings have what we call built-in carbon, because the carbon to build them has already been used up, so reusing them, if done right, does not burden the environment. The same goes for materials. That is why the time has come to develop methodologies for dismantling buildings instead of demolishing them and then handling their materials. We also followed this recycling process in Pyrgos. Instead of demolishing the existing façade, it was carefully dismantled and its materials were separated on site, which were selected for recycling and which for reuse.”

INNOVATION

“The façade building system has never been used in Greece before, at least on this scale. It is fully prefabricated, assembled from large panels that directly bear the glazing and the necessary insulation, which are placed on special anchors in the building frame. With this particular system, production time is greatly reduced and efficiency is ensured as all parts are manufactured in a controlled factory environment. In addition, there are innovations in the direction of significantly reducing the environmental impact, both in the operation of the building, and in reducing the integral carbon of the materials that make up the building.”

COMPETITION

“Strong winds in the area have been a problem, as regulations require very high wind pressures for Piraeus, resulting in excessively thick glass and aluminum profiles. We, in cooperation with the statics of the project, decided to carry out a wind pressure test on the new façade. We made a model of the building and placed special sensors on the facade. The tests were carried out at extremely high wind speeds in the NTUA wind tunnel. The results showed that the actual wind pressure was significantly less than the standard, and therefore we were able to optimize the design, saving resources from the final project budget.”

PROMENADE

“During the study of the project, we conducted a parallel study on how to better connect Pyrgos with the surrounding area, as we noticed many problems, mainly related to foot traffic. Finally, we proposed the creation of an elevated walkway/park that would sit above the harbor fence and connect critical points such as car parks and MMM stations. In addition to facilitating foot traffic, it also provides a unique harbor experience by bringing the water element closer to the city. Research on a specific project is ongoing, and at the same time they are in the process of approval by the interested authorities.”