PROJECT: sykeli
LOCATION: ermou 41, mytilini, greece
AREA: 33m2 ground floor + 12m2 1st floor
STATUS: completed, january 2020
DESIGN: studiomateriality
LEAD DESIGNER: Miltos Kontogiannis
DESIGN TEAM: Nancy Karagianni
3D VISUALISATION: Nicolas Hadjipourganis
PHOTOGRAPHY: Alina Lefa
TEXT: Gaia Deligianni
A FIG FOR A CARE, A FIG FOR A WOE!
Studiomateriality has contrasted soft and pastel finishes in this Nuts, Coffee and Chocolate shop in Mytilini.
But before the finishes, let’s start from the beginning.
The shop’s brand name ‘sykeli’ comes from the word ‘syko’ which means fig in Greek.
Mytilini is the capital city and port of the island of Lesbos and also the capital and administration centre of the North Aegean Region.
The island has been known the latest years for hosting an open refugee camp and assisting thousands of refugees.
Mytilini is also an island, famous for its lively personality, its eclectic churches, food, beverages and finally her famous figs of Eresos.
Studiomateriality designed the brand identity of sykeli and the store itself, which can be easily spotted -because of its bold colors- in one of the main roads of the city, Ermou street.
The shop offers plant-based butters, like hazelnut, cashew and almond butter, sugar-free energy nut bars, dried fruits, chocolates and high-quality coffee.
Bright pastel painted walls and ceiling provide a backdrop that gives more space to the narrow shop and more vibrant pistachio-colored shelves hold large jars full of whole and fresh nuts.
Below, wooden cupboards from natural-colored plywood are framed by the pistachio-colored metallic shelves and across the store, plywood also forms the row of working counter featuring the same color palette.
In addition to styling the interior, studiomateriality also designed the store’s logo and brand identity, a signature-one of the head designer Miltos Kontogiannis, yet also an emblematic picture of Mytilini that depicts the miraculous healer of the island, Saint Therapontas.
This artwork with the flat colors is printed on glass and is placed in the main upper part of the store, welcoming the visitor. The same visual is printed on paper coffee cups so that Sykeli’s clients take a blessing and quality coffee to go.
Besides, Aliki and Haris, co-owners of sykeli wanted to blend the old with the new, the modern with the traditional and studiomateriality created all the spatial conditions to help them do so.
When in Mytilini don’t forget:
A fig for a care,
A fig for a woe,
Eat your troubles away!
