The store in central Athens uses the faade of the 1960s building while looking to subvert typical over-glazed storefronts by having an irregularly shaped window within this, offering only a glimpse of the interior and intended to create a sense intrigue for passers-by.Surrounding this window, aluminium panels are embossed with a pattern reminiscent of the intricate detailing found on 19th-century jewellery boxes.Where the aluminium meets the street, the material shifts to solid slabs of travertine and marble, while the stores extruded aluminium door handle is folded and inlaid with gold alluding to the jewellery within.Advertisement Inside, the design and materials play with light and dark, smooth and textural, with silk wall coverings contrasting strongly with a dark oak floor.At the rear of the store, a new staircase, hidden behind a series of bevelled glass panels, takes clients up to a new mezzanine housing a jewellery salon and viewing room. Within the mezzanine, the palette is paler and brighter with white carpet and soft furnishings intended to encourage clients to relax.Display cases are formed from lacquered wooden boxes set on delicate legs, while at the rear of the store, a lacquered cabinet wraps a structural column. The largest piece of cabinetry, meanwhile, forms the window display, while other details include custom-designed fluted lighting sconces and a monolithic marble sink.Architects viewOur intention was to create a space that simultaneously feels like its brand new but also as if it has always existed on that street. The idea of a jewellery box that has been inserted on the ground floor of a 1970s block was what kickstarted the design-process. Then we wanted to use Greeces long-standing craft/making tradition by using local craftsmen and local materials to make sure the store is embedded in the Athenian urban fabric in a more substantial way. The interior was inspired by Nikos jewelry which tends to have an immense amount of detailing. The more you look at it, the more you discover and that was something we wanted to be part of the customer experience.Billy Mavropoulos, co-founder and director, Bureau de ChangeClients viewThe store design encapsulates the ethos of artistic aesthetic and intricate craftsmanship that defines the brand. My creative idiosyncrasy and personal affinity for an assemblage of art, furniture and objects from different eras has been translated in what is a unique architectural intervention in the historical centre of Athens.Nikos KoulisProject dataStart on site March 2024Completion date July 2024Gross internal floor area 54m2Gross (internal + external) floor area 54m2Form of contract or procurement route TraditionalConstruction cost UndisclosedConstruction cost per m2 UndisclosedArchitect Bureau de ChangeExecutive architect Stage Design OfficeClient Nikos KoulisStructural engineer Building TrustLighting consultant LUUNMetal fabricator Georgios MitrasMain contractor Building TrustCAD software used Autocad