Jewellery informs Bureau de Change's facade for Nikos Koulis store in Athens

London studio Bureau de Change has created an Athens store featuring intricate metalwork and an asymmetric window for Greek jewellery designer Nikos Koulis.

Occupying a 1960s building on Voukourestiou Street, the flagship store takes cues from Nikos Koulis' geometric jewellery designs.

Greek architects Katerina Dionysopoulou and Billy Mavropoulos of Bureau de Change applied ornate details to both the shopfront and the interior.

"We employed local craftsmen, techniques and technologies to create a space that is inspired by Nikos' creations," Mavropoulos told Dezeen.

"We worked with amazing local makers, metal workers, stone masons and joiners to design every single detail in the space, including the new facade," he continued.

The starting point for this facade was the travertine-framed window, shaped to look like two overlapping rectangles.

The asymmetry extends to other facade elements. An offset marble slab sits underneath, while the surrounding walls are embellished with aluminium details.

"The facade takes its proportions from the nearby Athenian city walls and reproduces them in aluminium," said Mavropoulos.

"At points, the aluminium is embossed with a pattern reminiscent of the intricate detailing found on 19th-century jewellery boxes."

More geometric details can be glimpsed through the window, giving the shop a multi-layered feel.

These include a mezzanine wrapped in illuminated glass prisms, which create a zigzagging profile.

The architects describe them as "an illuminated curtain, creating a sense of mystery about what lies beyond".

For the interior palette, Dionysopoulou and Mavropoulos chose contrasting materials to create a mix of light and dark, with both polished and textural finishes.

As you enter, you encounter a dark oak floor, silk wall coverings, lacquered wood display cases and other custom furniture pieces, including a green marble table and a decorative wall mirror.

Bevelled glass panels stand in front of a new staircase, leading up to the mezzanine. This level has a lighter, brighter feel, with sculptural chairs and a white carpet.

Other crafted details include the extruded aluminium door handle, which is folded and inlaid with gold.

The project is among several by Bureau de Change incorporating patterns and motifs. Other examples include an elevator wrapped in laser-cut bronze and an art deco annexe to a home in London.

The photography is by Gilbert McCarragher.

Project credits

Architect: Bureau de Change
Contractor: Building Trust
Lighting: LUUN
Metalwork: Georgios Mitras
Executive designer: StageDesignOffice

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