Bespoke Shell Petrol Station

The wild scenery of Attica, on the way to the busy port of Lavrio, is the site of this bespoke Shell petrol station.

The idea was to reject prefabricated images of Shell petrol stations chains that ignore characteristics of the site and to create a custom-made space that allows the User to actively participate and enjoy the surrounding nature. The building was conceived in such a way that time, porosity, movement, transparency, and materiality were the starting points for spatial exploration suggesting different ways inside-out and offering a multiplicity of views. Huge openings create dialogue with the outside Attica context while introducing the natural light and its various effects throughout the interior. Ever-changing sky entered the place through the linear skylight that emphasizes the passage from the front to the back entrance along a three-meter-long customer counter.

The event of car washing enabled the Visitor to experience the process through the screen-like clear glass, simultaneously being surrounded with the serenity, smells, and sounds of the Mediterranean landscape.