Habeat Records is a record store, situated in the center of Athens. Since the very first moment, its opening in 2011, in Exarchia, it stood as a magnet for those seeking to enjoy and explore music in a suitable environment.

In 2014, Habeat’s owner decided its relocation in the neighborhood of Psiri and asked for our contribution to the full-scale designing of the new record store. Habeat’s unique character was enhanced by the fact that the second floor of an office – handicrafts building, near Psiri’s central square, was chosen as its new location.

The particularity of this location -i.e. on the second-floor of an office building instead of a typical street level commercial space- was at the heart of the debate as to how it would affect Habeat’s commercial function and inevitably played a vital role to the new design proposition.

The use of materials such as wood and cork contributed to the creation of an intimate and cozy space for vinyl aficionados. Special structures of OSB wood panels were designed and constructed creating an ideal space for vinyl showcasing and record listening.

The floor plan is developed in two parallel spaces, the first of which houses an office space, the lounge/sitting room and the record store, while the latter houses a small gig space that hosts small-scale concerts, live events and DJ sets.

location: athens, 2014
status: completed
team: george peristeris, angeliki koutsodimitropoulou