Bocas

In Solomou street in Exarchia, a neighbourhood which during the recent years has undergone
an often violent process of gentrification, we have been asked to design a space hosting
mediterranean cold cuts and several varieties of biological wines made by local producers. In
a low profile street which hosts mainly traditional cookhouses, our main design principle was
the contextualisation into the authenticity of the region while ‘extending’ the public urban
fabric to the interior of the bar. Elements like the red colour of a vintage garage on the
opposite side of the street, a built-in bench serving the visitors of the space as well as
highlighting the originality of the existing building materials contribute to the continuity
between private and public space, which in the neighbourhood of Exarchia holds an important
historical position. The functional need for the creation of a three dimensional exhibition of
wine bottles and other local products was the start of the synthetic process, pointing out the
mediterranean essence of the initiative of the creator of the space which is not just a
conventional bar but rather an experience tasting space and diving into the familiarity of
mediterranean smells and images. Α 3d grid made out of black iron neutrally varnished
organises a small space of 40 sqm while a wine red curtain creating a background to the
products exhibited offering theatricality to the double height space. The black iron in its primal
state is combined with the columns of the ‘60s building block to their original material, raw
concrete, which offer at the same time a spatial rhythm. A Spanish hand-made tile with a
tactile surface has been chosen for the bar tiling as well as for the bench on the opposite side
giving a material continuity to the space. The wooden surface of the bar and the bottles
storage shelves has been varnished wine red as well letting the wood water visible. An
important element of the materiality of the space has been the revelation of the original
building material of one of the walls, natural stone. The redesign of existing buildings is
considered for us a living organism, so even though natural stone was not included in our
initial design intention, the old material during the removals construction phase has refuelled
the design process. Stainless steel has been used for the external bar while as a building
material for the facade rectangular glass brick has been chosen to match the proportions of
the orthogonal 3d metallic grid, strengthening the indoors-outdoors continuity. Due to the very
narrow width of the space, small movable tables have been placed on top of the bench giving
space to users to move freely through the corridor. The main facade has preserved the marble
covering and no signage has been placed respecting the non-commerciality of the streets of
Exarchia and avoiding the normalisation of the commercialisation of the streets of such a
historically sensitive area. The name of the bar ‘Bocas’ means in Spanish ‘Mouths’ inviting the
user to taste mediterranean smells and to create images from Spain, Greece and other
Mediterranean countries. A theatricality has deliberately been given to the photoshooting of
the project in an attempt to redefine the commercial recreation spaces into spaces which
respect their context and which the user will be able to be familiarised with by keeping the
continuity with the open public space as intact as possible.