11.10.2022

At a time when living and working conditions are no longer reminiscent of the past, it is time to redefine our relationship with the cities and buildings that host us.

COVID-19 has changed our relationship with the home, the office, the places we move. At the same time, the way businesses operate has also changed. Those of us active in the development of modern building infrastructures must keep in mind three categories of buildings that co-shape the cities of tomorrow.

New buildings: based on sustainable development standards with green LEED certificates, upgrading the area around them – like the office complexes we are developing in Maroussi for the companies PWC and Kaizen Gaming, which incorporate modern architectural trends.

Existing buildings: at DIMAND we regularly invest in the reuse of buildings, contributing to the regeneration of the local market. Respecting their history, we develop benchmark sustainable buildings that respond to environmental goals and contemporary social needs. The Piraeus Tower and the former MINION building are typical examples of that process.

Retained buildings of architectural excellence: the protection and promotion of the architectural heritage is our obligation. As manifested in the former fire station in Antwerp, where the local authorities turned to the iconic architect Zaha Hadid years ago, and she redefined the relationship of coexistence between old and modern building by creating an impressive diamond-shaped sculpture on top of it, without altering the retention of the original. A similar example is the historic building at 35 Anagnostopoulou Street in Kolonaki, which we renovated in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture.

Cities change along with the needs of the residents and those who work in them. At DIMAND, we are creating the cities we want to live in.

The article was published in Kathimerini’s ‘K’ magazine, issue 1.008, on 25.09.2022