CTRLZAK is excited to share the completion of one of its latest projects at the Museum of Modern Greek Culture (MNEP) in Athens. Featuring also artworks by artist (and the studio’s founder) Thanos Zakopoulos, CTRLZAK developed a series of objects and architectural interventions that welcome visitors while highlighting the living legacy of Greek craft and tradition, reinterpreted through a contemporary lens.
Entrance & Ticket Counter
The museum entrance and ticket counter were reimagined as a layered spatial experience, drawing inspiration from both domestic interiors and religious spaces. A solid wooden base forms the counter, while brass arches rise above, framing the interaction between visitors and staff and creating a subtle dialogue with the large-scale mural behind.
This counter acts as a contemporary abstract iconostasis, a threshold that separates and guides visitors while inviting reflection on the layered identity of the museum and the culture it represents.
The combination of wood and brass highlights both functional and symbolic qualities: wood evokes the warmth of intimate interiors, while the brass arches suggest both a gateway to a new journey and a restrained frame for the artwork behind it.
Behind the counter, Thanos Zakopoulos’ mural depicts Greek architecture through overlapping layers and a stratification of styles, reinforcing the dialogue between past and present.
Traditional furniture revisited
Alongside the entrance redesign, CTRLZAK developed a series of objects to make the museum experience more authentic and engaging. Working with local artisans, the studio created seating and tables that reflect traditions deeply rooted in Greek culture, reinterpreted in a contemporary context.
The Samari stools and benches take inspiration from the traditional donkey saddle. Upholstered in handwoven flokati wool — a pastoral textile central to Greek craft — these pieces carry material memory and tactile heritage.
By transforming humble, everyday objects into functional furniture, the stools invite visitors to engage with the museum in an intimate and authentic way.
The Sini-inspired coffee tables were inspired by the traditional communal serving tray, historically used within Greek homes. Crafted by local artisans using traditional techniques and decorative motifs, the tables highlight the enduring craft of Greek metalworking. Together, the tables and seating not only provide comfort but act as instruments of the museum’s narrative, creating a space where memory, craft, and contemporary design converge.
Artworks by Thanos Zakopoulos
Alongside the architectural and design interventions, the museum features two permanent works by Thanos Zakopoulos, which expand the narrative of Greek culture and identity within the museum space.
The first, Εν – ΚΑΤΑΣΤΑΣΗ (EN KATASTASI), is a large-scale photographic mural positioned behind the ticket counter. Drawing on the archetypal form of the Greek house and the foundational material of stone, the mural creates a visual backdrop that situates visitors within the layered cultural identity of the museum from the very first encounter.
The second, ΚΑΤΩΦΛΙ (KATOFLI), is a symbolic door located at the center of the entrance. Housed in a minimal iron frame, the door is partially opened, inviting visitors to enter the museum complex, which comprises a series of restored neoclassical houses. Its upper panels have been replaced with mirrors, reflecting those who pass through and transforming visitors into active participants in the narrative of Greek culture they are about to experience.
Through the integration of artisanal craft, Art&Design, and cultural storytelling, CTRLZAK and Thanos Zakopoulos have created a cohesive ensemble at MNEP that welcomes visitors while celebrating Greek heritage in a modern context.
Short Bio
CTRLZAK is a hybrid studio that integrates diverse disciplines and forms of expressions. Founded by artists and designers Katia Meneghini and Thanos Zakopoulos, the studio’s creations are based on extensive research into humanity’s cultural history and the natural world that surrounds us in order to create a meaningful future.
Due to its’ interdisciplinary approach CTRLZAK specializes in art direction while creating artworks, objects and spaces but above all points of reflection where form follows meaning. Through the use of semiotic tools within the creative process the studio conceives projects and orchestrates situations that surpass common aesthetic values operating on a deeper cognitive level, aspiring to make people consider their actions and the planet that we live in.
CTRLZAK has been extensively covered by the international printed and digital press while their creations have been exhibited in galleries, museums and institutions all over the globe like the Venice Art Biennale, the Triennale in Milan, the CID-Grand Hornu, the London Design Biennial and the MAXXI to name a few.
Facts & Credits
Title Design for the Museum of Modern Greek Culture
Typology Exhibition Design
Location Museum of Modern Greek Culture (MNEP), Athens, Greece
Status Completed, 2026
Design CTRLZAK
Photography Courtesy of CTRLZAK
Text by the authors
Take a look at another project ‘Re-Live Center’ by CTRLZAK, here!