Office complexes come in all shapes and sizes, lending itself well to the exploration of architecture and how to deal with light. The EIGHT Office Complex in Marousi, Greece is designed by PEOPLE and has a bold look using white elements surrounding the building to ensure the protection of users from the run. It consists of two separate volumes connected along the East-West axis with a central entrance at their junction
Courtesy of PEOPLE – Photographer George Fakaros
EIGHT Office Complex received its name after its internal ordering system that is based on the number 8. This arrangement creates intersecting axes and circular movements throughout the building, providing the user with various moments and views of the interior and exterior as they travel along the passages. Using the number 8, a central atrium was formed around which the offices are spread.
Courtesy of PEOPLE – Photographer George Fakaros
At the ground floor there is the central staircase, two central elevators, the main office areas, as well as spaces for common use. On all the other levels of the building there are two perceptible main workplaces that are separated from the main entrance, the lobby, and the central atrium offices, allowing the independent operation of each space while marking distinct administrative and operational functions. The third floor is a single operational area with a staircase and access to the passable planted loft. Finally the basement covers the entire area of the plot and contains the utility rooms, engine rooms, fire-engine rooms, private substation space, E/M backup systems space, a central server room, and all the required parking spaces for the building.
Courtesy of PEOPLE – Photographer George Fakaros
The free construction style of the building contributed to the fashioning of facets and the highlighting of the building. Around the building, the landscape is comprised of grass or low bushes with a small open area covered in decking near the western junction of the two volumes. The planted loft at the roof of the second floor contains irregular geometric planting strips and granite in linear devices around the curtain wall. This space acts as both a garden and surrounding area for the third floor offices.
