House On Top, Residence in Philopappus Hill, Athens, ISV Architects

The brief was definitely interesting.

The site: a typical fragment of the Athenian urban grid on the edge of Philopappus hill.

The road: narrow, sloping, with dramatic urban views revealed from a certain height up. The Acropolis rock: omnipresent, if not ideally located regarding the plot.

In that particular intersection between the ideal and the real presence of Athens, the owners asked for a townhouse with features balancing among urban environment requirements and suburban residential references.

The potential for outstanding views called for an upside-down layout of the building. All areas that did not programmatically call for extended outside views formed a pedestal on top of which is found the living room block, reaching the maximum permitted height.