How Greece‘s second-tallest building will be transformed

The Piraeus Tower will gain "life" more than 45 years after its construction.

Located in the port neighbourhood of Athens, the 84 meter tall tower- Greece's second tallest building- was built in 1975 and was originally designed by architects I. vikelas, G. molfesis and A. loizou.

Often referred to as the ‘sleeping giant’, architecture studio PILA will transform the existing architecture into a contemporary and dynamic landmark for the burgeoning piraeus district, Iefimerida reported.

"The rebirth of Piraeus Tower is significant not only for Piraeus but for the wider Athens, as it signifies the city moving towards its unique coastline’, said Ilias Papageorgiou, principal of PILA.

The president of the Piraeus Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Vassilis Korkidis, stated: "It's time for the 'sleeping giant', as we Piraeus residents call it, to wake up and become a state-of-the-art building., special architecture that will stand out in the city. Its utilisation is very important because, on the one hand, it creates added value to the local community with additional jobs and, on the other hand, to the economy by attracting businesses."

The intention is for the building to combine offices, retail spaces, restaurants and a Multicultural Centre for the promotion of maritime tourism and shipping, which characterises the city and the large port of Piraeus.

PILA’s winning proposal envisions a structure that is visually intriguing and incorporates strategies to drastically reduce energy consumption.

The facade is designed so that the tower communicates dynamically with the daily life of the city, with the ultimate goal of improving the quality of life of the residents of the area and the users themselves.