The Project
SET ON THE GROUNDS OF THE FORMER INDUSTRIAL AREA, PIRAEUS GATE PROVIDES 631 new homes for families and 268 serviced apartments for students, nomads, executives and travellers. OFFICES, CAFÉS, RESTAURANTS AND SHOPS energise this mixed-use DEVELOPMENT THAT WILL REACH 105.000 SQM (GBA)
The Piraeus Gate area lies at the entrance of Piraeus, enhancing the cityscape with a cluster of intervention points. These points, often plots or existing building shells within a compact urban structure, contribute to the city’s landscape. New compositional elements reshape the area to accommodate existing uses and needs while creating green spaces and public passages. These additions not only facilitate movement within the city but also enhance its welcoming entrance. A novel urban redevelopment that establishes a contemporary community.
LIFE WITHIN EASY REACH
Piraeus was once referred to as the "Manchester of the East," a title that reflected its industrial prosperity.
The story of Piraeus begins in the 5th century BCE, when the Athenian statesman Themistocles selected Piraeus as Athens’ primary port, making it central to Athenian naval power. Piraeus played a pivotal role in the Persian Wars and the Peloponnesian War, linking Athens to the Mediterranean world. After Athens’ decline, Piraeus revived during the Byzantine and Ottoman periods, remaining a vital strategic port. Its real resurgence came in the 19th century, after Greece’s independence, when it quickly developed into the country’s shipping and trade hub.
Piraeus Gate sits in an area steeped in history. Known as «Vavoulas’ Hollow» for its low elevation, the neighborhood is named after Dimitrios Vavoulas, whose mansion once dominated the landscape until it was demolished in the 1980s, revealing an important archaeological site. The area is also connected to Mimis Traiforos, the renowned writer and director, whose former home is now the Historical Archive of the Municipality of Piraeus. The neighborhood is rich in Greek folk traditions and rebetiko music, with notable neoclassical buildings such as the Kleidas Public School contributing to its architectural heritage.
Once referred to as the «Manchester of the East,» Piraeus saw significant industrial growth in the late 19th century. Factories such as the steam mill of N. Stamatopoulos (1873) and the textile factory of Ch. Stamatopoulos (1874/1875) flourished, alongside the Retsina brothers’ textile factory and K.N. Oikonomou’s confectionery factory, establishing the area’s industrial character.
Piraeus Gate still incorporates the old AZEL building (Anonymous Industrial Company for the Production of Starch and Yeast), which was one of the city’s key industrial sites until 1997. Founded in the 1920s, AZEL played an important role in shaping the industrial identity of the area.
