Project: New Waterfront in Athens 

Location: Athens Greece

Geographic coordinate:  37.9838° N, 23.7275° E

Year: 2020-On Going

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Studio: Kengo Kuma & Associates

Role: Architect-Designer

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ABSTRACT

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Situated along the Athenian Riviera within the redevelopment of the former Hellenikon airport, the Marina Galleria establishes a new typology for a commercial and cultural destination, one conceived as an extension of the landscape rather than an object placed upon it. The design draws directly from its coastal context, where the primary gesture is a flowing canopy—a "ripple" that echoes the movement of the sea and frames a continuous dialogue between built form and the open horizon.

The structure is organized to remain porous and accessible, dissolving thresholds between interior spaces and the outdoors. Generous openings and layered terraces invite natural light and prevailing breezes, while the material palette incorporates elements drawn from the Greek landscape—stone, timber, and softly reflective surfaces—allowing the architecture to settle into its site with warmth and tactility. Greenery is woven throughout, softening edges and reinforcing a sense of immersion within a coastal garden.

The result is not a conventional retail pavilion but a place of passage and pause—open to the sea, the sun, and the daily rhythm of the Riviera—where commerce, culture, and landscape converge.

GALLERY