LUXURY FURNITURE
20 Characters, Japanese
Calligraphy-Inspired Furniture
SABI by Sabina Blasiotti
London-based Italian architectural design studio, SABI by Sabina
Blasiotti, has envisioned a collection of living room furniture called
Characters. The collection is informed by Japanese calligraphy, but
each piece possesses its own expressional character.

The Characters collection consists of a family of chairs, a table, a
coffee table, a cupboard, a bookshelf, a sofa, mirrors, lamps, picture
frames, and vases. Each piece is crafted from carved and burnt cedar
wood, except for the lamps and the mirror, which include additional
metals for the movable lamps’ heads and the mirror finish.

The sculpted cedar wood is burnt on the surface to obtain a
superficial layer of carbon that allows for more sustainable
preservation of the timber when compared to wood oils and paints.

Furthermore, the charred finish provides the furniture with a black
look, reminiscent of the black ink characters of calligraphy.

Characters is intended to address the self-expression of skilled
workers, providing an opportunity to create bespoke sculptures
with fluid execution and wood carving tools. In return, each piece of
furniture allows its maker’s temperament and confidence to be visibly
expressed in their work.

Sabina describes the living room collection as well-rounded and
multifaceted, suiting a range of environments from private living
rooms to retail, office spaces, and hospitality premises. Each
“character” is intended to stand alone, as well as to be combined with
other collections’ pieces to create larger spatial compositions.

“The embodiment of self-expression in design and architecture is
very important to me,” said the creator, Sabina Blasiotti. “I’ve always
been fascinated by Japanese calligraphy as an exhibition of the
calligrapher at a moment of time producing artistic pieces that look
alive. Likewise, I conceived the Characters collection as a personal
expression at a moment in time, with each piece of furniture designed
after a unique series of quick sketches that haven’t been further
edited or corrected. With this method, I wanted the furniture to
showcase personality, as well as imperfections, and to bring life and
expression inside living spaces. As a result, Characters seem to have
their own conscious life, being familiar to me, but also strangers. They
keep changing and revealing ineffable silhouettes as you move and
rotate around them, and they are unpredictable as they play with light
and shadows through the days and through the seasons.”
Contact: info@sabinablasiotti.com
Images: SABI by Sabina Blasiotti



REGENERATION
21 Developers of largest urban
regeneration project in Europe to
revamp Athens paralympics site into
purpose built accessible housing
Rhe site of the former “Ellinikon”
airport and the coastal front, The
Ellinikon, is becoming a reality
accessible to all.

The Ellinikon is a commitment to
help members of all communities live
comfortably and safely in one of the
world’s most exciting developments.

The vision of Lamda Development
goes beyond simply creating a modern
building. It showcases a new way of life,
of higher quality, easier, more open,
more extroverted, that will improve the
daily life of children, but also adults
with disabilities.

It is for that reason that the entire
Ellinikon investment was designed,
planned, and is being created with
special provisions for people with
disabilities. Design choices made include different-
textured surfaces on main routes for
the visually impaired and BRAILLE signs
placed at appropriate heights at key
points. The incorporation of a building
complex for vulnerable groups at The
Ellinikon confirms that this landmark
project involves and supports the entire
society. The design of The Ellinikon
development is based on specifications
for people with disabilities. Ramp
slopes, dimensions of paths, pedestrian
walkways, and materials used are
considered for the outdoor and
pedestrian areas throughout the new
green smart city.

In addition, the first building is one for
people with disabilities:
• The Ellinikon is in the process of
renovating, recreating, and repurposing
the 2004 Summer Paralympics facilities
into an accessible complex, housing
numerous associations for individuals
with special needs. The construction
works of the building, which is
considered an international model
for Care Units, is already underway
and will be completed in 2023. The
construction cost of the building at
€15 million will be borne entirely by
Lamda Development, at no cost to the
government or taxpayers.

• The initiative of Lamda Development
to dedicate the first building on the
site as one for people with disabilities
is highly symbolic. The welfare of
people with disabilities and especially
the existence of suitable caring and
occupational structures are crucial to
them and their families.

• The new building at The Ellinikon
that extends over a plot of 7000 square
metres, stands out for its pioneering,
green, sustainable design, like the
rest of the development. It will
house associations for the visually
impaired, as well as those with autism,
paraplegia, multiple sclerosis, learning
disorders, and other conditions
including Amymoni, Hermes, Niki and
The Association of People with Multiple
Sclerosis. Representing the Greek Prime Minister,
the Deputy Minister of Welfare and
Social Solidarity, Ms Domna Michailidou
commented: “We are now in the era
where inclusion is necessary not only
as a humanitarian model dictated to us
by moral rules, but also as a must have
prerequisite for social development and
financial progress.”
The Minister of Development and
Investment, Mr Adonis Georgiadis,
commented: “I would like to
congratulate Mr Odisseas Athanasiou,
because what I was expected was far
less than what is being implemented.

He gives joy to children who need it. He
goes beyond all expectations. He sends
an important message that the largest
urban regeneration project in Europe
is not a project that starts with the
exclusion of some people, but a work
that embraces all people”.

With an estimated investment of €8
billion, The Ellinikon overall will be the
largest private investment in Greece.