The commission for the reconstruction of the Minion building in Athens was the result of an international competition in which ten professional firms participated, and in which the project presented by the md Arquitectos studio was chosen.

Minion is an emblematic building that played a very important role in the history of the city. Built during the 1940s, Minion was the first major shopping mall in Athens. It was a great success among the Athenians, especially during the Christmas season. It is of no coincidence that the phrase “Christmas equals Minion” was often heard.

Unfortunately, a fire swept through the building in December 1980, leaving only the structure. An effort was subsequently made to rebuild it despite enormous financial difficulties. However, nothing was the same and the mall ended up closing in the early 1990s.

Recently, the Greek real estate investment company DIMAND bought the building with the intention of giving it a second life.

The proposal presented by md Arquitectos is based on articulating the 3 different buildings that make up the shopping center (separated by seismic joints) through a modular façade made up of a framework of vertical and horizontal aluminum slats, of a different color in each building. At the functional program level, the ground floor and the first 3 floors will be for commercial use, while the rest of the floors will be used for offices.