Architect Ntora Mastrogeorgiou designed Atout specialty coffee shop in Patras as a moment of stillness for contemporary flâneurs.

-by Melina Arvaniti-Pollatou

Nestled at the corner of two intersecting urban streets, Atout is where your pause to listen, to observe, to mingle and to meet.

With an L shaped permeable façade, working from the inside as well as the outside, Atout forms a social node between the private and the public, the intimate and the city.

Large glass openings frame the sculptural espresso bar serving as a solid island around which the archipelago of movements and interactions take place in a way similar to that of a crowd facing a theatrical stage.

“The crowd is his element, as the air is that of birds and water of fishes”, states Charles Baudelaire describing flaneur, this casual wanderer, observer and reporter of the street-life of modern city. Responding to that, Atout is this place in-between where the silence has its own distinct, familiar sound; this whimsical spot “to be away from home and yet to feel oneself everywhere at home; to see the world, to be at the centre of the world, and yet to remain hidden from the world” as Baudelaire himself puts it.

Material wise; Atout is earthy, woody, minimal yet rich of unexpected textures and quiet surprises.

The signature mosaic floor, in beige, white and brown hues, is preserved and combined with warm oak wood surfaces and sleek inox accents. Peach-colored metallic tables meet a glass brick partition, a bunch of playful lights, a handful of pop design references and, of course, greenery to complete the sophisticated yet fresh vibe.

“Atout is a curated experience of form, light, and context — a calm moment within the urban flow”, says the architect.

Facts & Credits
Project title  Atout
Typology  Coffee house, Retail design, Interiors
Location  Patras, Greece
Status  Completed, 2024
Architecture, Lighting Design & Construction  Studio Ntora Mastrogeorgiou
Photography  Alessandro Kikinas


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