Cafe Bar Ichor

WORK » Coffee/Bar/Restaurants

2002 - Delphi

Cafe Bar Ichor

“ICHOR” The return of the God.

“And they are the monuments and marbles, all-around this country, witnesses in perfection to a bright past in literature, art and the sciences.  And this earth that respires with her sun-exposed wounds would want to retrieve her works – children together again, returned to their first birthplace.  Handsome and mythical the Delphic landscape, splendid, creates the premises for knowledge, the process of initiating expression and art, cultivates institutions and ideas in the endless and tortured course of man for the high and the beautiful.  Hence today, Delphi, radiant and beautiful, reveals and presents its visitors with a civilization that shined on this earth and lifted the people to higher spheres of thought.”

The above words formed the basis for the whole attempt to create a space on three levels, which would emit both the aura of Delphi, as well as the uniqueness of the Delphic landscape.

Since the small space of the folklore art shop was deemed insufficient, the concept of joining it to the owner’s old masonry stone house and making use of its upper floor level, resulted in the desired design objective.

In this manner, the first section of the old building, welcomes the visitor with sculptural artistic interventions: to the left, the frieze of the treasures of the Sifnians “Battle of the Gods and the Giants” and to the right representations on canvas of 5th century BC statues facial details, leading to the space of the rectangular wood- built bar and finally extending the visual field to the unobstructed view of the second level.

The second floor level, which originally supported the four-way sloped roof structure of the old house, was expanded to include a semi-outdoor area which is now sheltered by a two-way sloped roof, while its south and west facing sides are defined by sliding glass doors that ensure smooth operability during the summer season.

Within the centre of the second floor level, a rectangular void focuses on the wooden ascending staircase, that invites the visitor to the final third level within which resided the attic of the old house, a very particular space whose stone masonry walls with wooden ties and small openings for views were preserved and restored, so as to retain its traditional expression, whilst in the space continue artistic references to the archaeological finds of the Delphi area.

The artistic interventions involving sculptural elements, engravings and paintings on canvas, extend along the whole length of the east wall, marking the unfolding course of history and civilization to present day.

Specific emphasis was given to the seating furniture of all levels (specially designed seating shaped into forms that follow the morphology of the space as well as large leather armchairs) allowing those with fixating attention to comfortably enjoy the exquisite view of the olive groves and the sea, and the sunsets of all time.

The lighting of the space utilizes light fixtures that either focus on details or diffuse light where required and completes the aesthetic of all the areas during the evening hours in combination with the natural earth tones of the construction materials selected.

“The name was chosen within the context of Greek mythology, in which we have many references from the Greek wise men Plato, and Julius to “Ichor”, the substance that circulated in the blood of the Greek Gods and distinguished them from mere mortals.”

 
click to enlarge