The shelves became a characteristic backdrop during the pandemic, when students and academics flocked to the virtual sphere for lectures. Retreating to the flat space of digital networks, these libraries it often served more as wallpaper for the person gesturing in front. But what if a library was all that was needed party of a house, rather than a surface or addition? This is the idea that Archiwave Architects— led by Dimitris Ntoupas and Anna Konstantopoulou— is embodied in The Green Boxa 115 square meter renovation project in Chalandri, Greece, transforming a former office into a modern home for a young couple.
Inspired by the client’s profession as an educator, the residence’s design centers around a custom-designed library—the eponymous “Green Box”—that becomes the spatial and conceptual core of the home. Beyond library function, the volume incorporates storage closets while subtly defining the boundaries between private and public areas. Shelves are the focal point of the bright, open plan living area, while the rear zone includes the three bedrooms. Inside the master bedroom, natural light flows from the living room through a strategic opening above the bookcase.
Complementing the rigid, rhythmic lines of the library is a curved white wall at the entrance. Subtly lit by a recessed opening along the ceiling, this key design element welcomes guests and guides them into the private zone, smoothing the transition from the open living space. The kitchen next to the living room is made of oak to balance the earthy greens of the library. A perforated display housing factory-fitted kitchen tools nods to the bookcase’s neat grid, while a marble island provides the necessary contrast for separate household activities without sacrificing the home’s airy feel.
The bookcase itself reads as a sculptural line work that wraps around the entire wall and corner, with openings that expand and contract between horizontal and vertical to accommodate an ever-evolving collection of objects and household items. Playful colors – the same cool green as the bookcase – bring personality to the door paneling and furniture, tying it all back to The Green Box. Archiwave Architects have reimagined the library not just as an object or setting, but as a vessel for everyday life.
To see this and other works by the company, visit archiwavearchitects.com.
Photo by Piyi Wong.
