Integrated materials and state-of-the-art infrastructure help pay homage to the history of this 19th-century building in Chania Old Town, which has been transformed into an exceptional property by ARENCOS. Located in the centre of Chania Old Town district, the apartment was renovated with the aim of balancing historical elements with modern design.

Because we were restricted in what we could do with a historical preserved building, the bespoke joinery allowed us to maximise the potential of each space.

Remodelling the home around the building’s existing features, ARENCOS retained the original slate and stone walls, with three of the four facades kept intact. The northern facade of the building has suffered over the years, being redesigned depending on the needs of the former owners with no architectural link with the original construction.

Despite its heritage listing, the building had been messed around with and many of the original features were ripped out. We were required to preserve the proportions of any rooms that hadn’t changed too much and focused on identifying the minimal permissible alterations that could have the biggest spatial impact.

While the interiors had to be largely redesigned, we aimed to retain as many existing features as possible, including interior stone walls, which are now used to divide the spaces on the ground floor.

Inside, the rooms of the apartment are arranged across two levels, with a kitchen, living, and dining area on the ground floor and two bedrooms and two bathrooms on the upper floor.

Downstairs, the living areas feature exposed shale walls along with other elements that draw upon the building’s history, including a staircase at the side of the dining area made from local stone sourced from the original walls.