Root 56 is a delicatessen in Holargos in the eastern suburbs of Athens. The name is a play on Route 66 , spelled root, as in the root of a plant, referencing the scenic yet long journeys the owner has made in search of locally sourced produce.
Inspired by rural Greece and by buildings meant to serve agricultural purposes, such as shepherd barns and haylofts , the architects have lined the interior with oriented strand board (OSB) – a kind of engineered chipboard made from compressed wooden flakes – which resembles in both appearance as well as texture, materials used to construct rural buildings, wood, mud and straw. The space is literally wrapped in osb . The walls are covered with the compressed strips of wood which have been cut and placed following a grid which creates the recesses, forming the shop's shelves. The same material has been bent and cnc milled to form the arch on the ceiling, creating a wooden cave.
Led lights have been installed behind the wooden boards, following the shelving grid and lighting the products from behind. The idea for such use of light comes from the way glimpses of light are allowed into a barn through cuts and holes that exist in the walls.
In the centre of the shop there is a long, rectangular copper desk, above which, hang two large spheres made from blown glass. The desk doubles as a storage and display unit for wine bottles.
Copper, a shiny precious metal, was used here to create a strong contrast to the surrounding space. On a practical level, copper was the material of choice due to its antibacterial nature.
The design aim was to reinvent a delicatessen, creating an earthy, natural, raw yet polished space with strong visual and textual links to the origins of the products it trades.
