NIKOS SCULPTURE
The Greek soul and heritage of internationally renowned fashion brand Nikos Athina, house of the Sculpture, has found its perfect nest in the flagship store we have designed for it in Mykonos, inspired by marble quarries. We wanted to create a space that would serve as the embodiment of the brand’s creative psyche, like a thematic art gallery, while welcoming the visitors with a unique experience. Mykonos, both popular and rough in its Cycladic character, was the perfect location to realize our concept, which was to let the Nikos Athina’s trademark griffin unfold its wings freely, demonstrating how its primitive-like creative force manifests objects equal to artworks. The display of the brand’s items should feel both natural and artistic. To this end, we took inspiration from the exact place where nature’s roughness showcases its readiness to get transformed into art: The marble quarry. In fact, we decided to actually create one, specially designed to host the creations of the brand, using blocks of Dionysos marble from Penteli – the renowned marble used in masterpieces such as the Parthenon. It took three months to complete the new flagship store. We used 3.8m3 of marble, two of which for building the 5800kg wall. In the interior, a staircase made of 0.6m3 of marble captivates the eye, and the marble rock of the window display weighs 960kg. There is no use in counting, though; the time the visitor wishes to spend inside the store is uncountable.
Architectural Concept and Interior Design: SAINT OF ATHENS Architectural Design and Master-Planning: MANOS KYPRITIDIS Sculpting: FORM TO MATTER Woodworks: FLATFORM Artworks: YIORGOS KAPLANIDIS Signage: XSIGNS Project Coordinator: GEORGE BALAMATSIS / PAVLOS MASTELA Photographer: GIAGKOS PAPADOPOULOS
