London-based architecture studio Bureau de Change has completed a striking flagship store for Greek jewelry designer Nikos Koulis in Athens, featuring an intricate metalwork facade and asymmetric window design that draws inspiration from the designer's geometric jewelry collections. The new boutique occupies a 1960s building on the prestigious Voukourestiou Street shopping district.
Greek architects Katerina Dionysopoulou and Billy Mavropoulos of Bureau de Change collaborated extensively with local craftsmen to create both the exterior and interior design elements. "We employed local craftsmen, techniques and technologies to create a space that is inspired by Nikos' creations," Mavropoulos explained. "We worked with amazing local makers, metal workers, stone masons and joiners to design every single detail in the space, including the new facade."
The building's most distinctive feature is its asymmetric storefront window, shaped like two overlapping rectangles framed in travertine. This geometric motif extends throughout the facade design, with an offset marble slab positioned underneath the window and surrounding walls embellished with detailed aluminum work. According to Mavropoulos, "The facade takes its proportions from the nearby Athenian city walls and reproduces them in aluminum. At points, the aluminum is embossed with a pattern reminiscent of the intricate detailing found on 19th-century jewelry boxes."
The store's entrance features a custom extruded aluminum door handle that has been folded and inlaid with gold, demonstrating the attention to craftsmanship throughout the project. Visitors can glimpse additional geometric details through the asymmetric window, creating what the architects describe as a "multi-layered feel" that builds anticipation for the interior space.
Inside the boutique, Dionysopoulou and Mavropoulos employed contrasting materials to achieve a sophisticated balance of light and dark elements with both polished and textural finishes. The ground floor features dark oak flooring, silk wall coverings, and custom lacquered wood display cases alongside bespoke furniture pieces including a green marble table and decorative wall mirror.
A key interior feature is the mezzanine level, which is wrapped in illuminated glass prisms that create a distinctive zigzagging profile. The architects describe this installation as "an illuminated curtain, creating a sense of mystery about what lies beyond." Access to the mezzanine is provided by a new staircase fronted with beveled glass panels, leading to an upper level that maintains a lighter, brighter aesthetic with sculptural chairs and white carpeting.
This Athens project represents part of Bureau de Change's broader portfolio of work incorporating patterns and decorative motifs. The studio's other notable projects include designs featuring laser-cut bronze elevator wrappings and an Art Deco-inspired home annexe in London. The photography for the Nikos Koulis store project was captured by Gilbert McCarragher, showcasing the intricate details and craftsmanship that define this unique retail space.
