An industrial Athens block has been transformed into an events venue, gallery and showroom dubbed 10am Lofts by Studio Andrew Trotter and Gavalas Ioannidou Architecture.

Located in Gazi, inside a 1970s industrial building, the venue and penthouse has maintained plenty of the block’s gritty vibe, with concrete forming the backdrop to a rentable penthouse as well as expansive, interconnected events spaces.

The team totally gutted the building, giving it an entirely new facade, with a wall of glass bricks to diffuse light into its re-configured interiors.

A rugged Corten steel staircase connects the lower two floors while the events space has a black concrete floor, which heightens the industrial atmosphere. Though entirely new interventions, they feel as though they’ve been there for decades, in keeping with the architectural spirit of the building.

They used this rugged architectural palette as the starting point when dressing the interiors. ‘[All the concrete] was left raw, and all new elements keep the industrial feel, softened by curtains, sofas and antique furniture,’ says the practice.

The design team aimed for what they describe as ‘raw luxury’ with the interiors, softening 10am’s harder edges with antique wooden furniture, rattan chairs and ceramic objects.

The lower floor makes the most of its natural light, filtered through long white curtains, while the basement is more of a moody, nightclub affair, with the only shafts of light peeking through cracks in the ceiling. The space is hugely adaptable, easily divided up into smaller sections or used as a whole.

The team also oversaw interiors of 10am’s open-plan penthouse, leaving lime plaster walls raw and adding lighting pendants and a smattering of plants to give it a lived-in feeling. Design pieces include chairs by Charlotte Perriand and across the space, there are moments of ‘arrival’ awaiting discovery. For example,  guests can enjoy sights of the Acropolis as they shower, thanks to the bathroom’s wall of windows.

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Editor’s note 17/12/21: The article has been updated to credit Eva Papadaki, Eleni Ioannidou and Marcelo Martínez who worked in collaboration with Studio Trotter on the project.