Miltos Papadopoulos & Associates have been shortlisted for the Office award in the International Design & Architecture Awards 2015.

The Grand Futur project was designed to house the headquarter offices of Intership Navigation, a highly recognised German shipping company.

The first design idea envisions a ship within the city and hence the design takes inspiration from the sea. Based on that, the buildings’ facades resemble a sailing ship, with a colossal sail on the roof, which serves shading purposes being located over the large skylight.

At the centre of the building, a large atrium that allows diffused natural lighting in the interior of the building, through a skylight spanning over the largest part of the roof is a key characteristic of the project. Expressing this both internally but also externally with a colossal sail, located over the large skylight on the roof, serving shading purposes, along with sustainable design aspects.

Regarding the building’s sustainability, the thermal insulation on the external envelope of the building is achieved through double-glazing systems of very low u-values, taking into consideration natural lighting maximisation. It is worth noting that due to the regional high temperatures; sensor-controlled shading systems have been installed, protecting the building with a necessary air gap for better energy performance.

The building comprises of office space on three floors, conference halls, and a large cafeteria serving its staff members. There is parking space, a sports centre and storage rooms, all located underground. The total building area is 5191m² over the three over ground floors and 5943m² of underground spaces.