Mario Botta has designed a new complex for the Greek insurance firm Ethniki

A vast part of the district along Syngrou Avenue has been redesigned to accommodate the two buildings, one square and one with a big curved wall. The architect wished to produce a form that would interact with the city around it, while at the same time conveying the idea of motion. In this way he wanted to break up the closely-packed curtain of buildings along the avenue connecting the old part of the city with the sea.

This is why Botta divided the offices between two buildings rather than creating a single compact volume, linking the two with a slightly elevated plaza.

The firm's administrative offices are located in the rounded building on Avenue Syngrou, facing the Acropolis. The ground floor and the other six floors have horizontal openings with large windows running their full height to underline the building's geometry. The offices are located in the oblong building on four levels, which constitutes a true visual barrier on one side of the lot.

The complex also includes a large conference centre concealed underneath the raised plaza and a 5 level underground parking lot big enough for 550 vehicles.The conference centre is designed as a separate entity which is located within the complex but is functionally independent of it. The foyer, on two levels, follows the shape of the curved wall, which also affects the shape of the conference hall and the adjacent exhibition area, the library and the refreshment areas. 

A large skylight lets sunlight in to contribute to microclimatic comfort inside the complex. Like Mario Botta's best buildings, this project is clearly characterised by a pragmatic spirit and by definition of a geometric space with strong, bold lines.

Pure volumes cut out of large openings are another constant in the Ticino architect's vocabulary, always attentive to function but interested in juxtaposing contrasting forms.
These two volumes contribute to the definition of space, interacting with the city and helping alter its fabric.