KETHEA – Addiction Treatment Center

Area : 2458 m2

Location: Thessaloniki, Greece

The urban environment is like a living organism that changes over time. Contemporary demands require the reconstruction and the re-use of “abandoned” buildings. It’s a challenge to contemporary architecture to integrate “marginal” buildings to city’s needs and its daily life.

According to this theoretical framework, “KETHEA” building is transformed from an old building to a new one, it alters according to institute’s contemporary needs and it is aesthetically changed.

 

Changes refer both to internal uses and functionality, as well as to its aesthetic. The previously simplified façade turns into a multiple layer faced in a variety of materials, from first to fourth, providing the users with safe environment (a shelter), while on ground floor the building remains opened, encouraging and inviting people in. This concept resulted in significant morphological changes on the building. The choice of both traditional and contemporary materials (bricks and aluminum) for building’s face introduces time sequence concept and encourages the integration of new aesthetic concepts.

 

Local interventions like this, contribute to urban development, as they participate to the revival of city areas and their integration to the city.

KARD