Malm - aki .
An Artistic Residence in the City of Chania.
Malm-aki is a small-scale renovation project of an 40sqm apartment in city of Chania in Greece. It is located on the ground floor of narrow alley in a high-density residential area in the Venetian old Part of the City. Surrounded by various cafes, restaurants, and different types of residences, the neighborhood is organized in an uncanny way. It’s a place with countless daily local gatherings, chatting on the streets, hanging the laundry outside of windows and storing stuff in front of the houses temporarily on a daily basis. It’s an area where you can sense living.
Although the neighborhood’s typology creates strong social connections and blends residential and commercial mixed-use at the eye of the visitor it has also several drawbacks. Our primary concern was about the problem of the darkness and stuffy airflow of the apartment and the separation of the interior and external environment.
To increase the flexibility, light and air quality of the space, we removed the original interior partition walls, created several openings on the existing stone wall and enlarged the front façade’s windows. We restored the stone wall where needed while designed the lighting features thoughtfully to enhance the fluidity in terms of the air and the lights of the space.
Aesthetically speaking, project takes on the old Venetian typology, traditionally found in the old Port of Chania with a contemporary twist. It reflects the owners' love of stone masonry walls and their desire to leave a respectful print on the land by creating a modern studio in harmony with local nature and culture. When the owner was not in the house, there were neighbors sitting and chatting closely on the semi-outdoor entrance stairs. Streets and the house began to merge. When the host reads, he/she can see bicycles and neighbors slowly passing by, but his/her thoughts are not interrupted. The activities of the street and the interior are not overly exposed but not absolutely separated from each other.
