Icon Group Headquarters

Renovation of an industrial building from the 1960s to a sustainable office building

The architectural redesign aims to give a new identity to an abandoned and seemingly outdated building while supporting the establishment of functional, environmentally, and energy-efficient workplaces within the existing structure.

One of the key decisions was to demolish all existing walls in the industrial building and retain only the concrete frame, which dominates the internal space and serves as a guideline for the new office floor plan.

The workspaces are arranged around a central multifunctional area – the PLAZA – ensuring that everyone has a view of the surroundings and access to natural light. The adjacent rooms occupy the “blind” part of the floor and offer a view of the central plaza. The PLAZA forms the heart of the company’s premises, a space for meetings, discussions, and relaxation, acting as a bridge between the offices.

Electrical, heating, and cooling installations are concealed under a raised floor, allowing the ceiling to remain intact with exposed beams, maintaining the room’s dominant industrial structure. Solid and glass walls provide a gradual view of the Plaza and the surrounding offices. The flexible and future-proof layout enables future modifications depending on the company’s needs.

After the decision to demolish the existing external wall and balconies, the new building envelope was designed in close alignment with its new purpose. The facade follows the concept of the internal layout, which consists of alternating solid and transparent sections, ensuring views from the Plaza to the surrounding area.

The building envelope consists of brick with integrated polystyrene and insulating plaster with hollow glass microspheres. The reduced number of facade openings, combined with the low thermal conductivity of the specified window frames and triple-glazed windows with Microshade, contributes to a significant reduction in cooling demand.

Advanced BIM technology has ensured precise energy and daylight calculations in accordance with EN 17037, and the building will apply for DGNB certification as the first office building in Greece.

For the project, we have produced MicroShade® triple-glazed units with our energy-efficient Super Spacer®.

Project name
Icon Group Headquarters

Location
Athens, Greece

Type
Office building

Products
MicroShade^® triple-glazed units for facade

Architect
IV Architects

Customer
Icon Group

Photo
IV Architects