It’s not every architecture firm that has the creative courage and technical brilliance to pull off a building inspired by the ocean. A building whose curves ebb and flow just as the waves do, creating a sense of fluidity and movement that is unique to the mass bodies of water we all love so much. But the team at CSS & Associates did, and they did it with great skill.

Project Portgate is the latest outstanding piece of work from this reputable Cypriot design house, whose reputation in the country and across its borders is growing in strength with each successfully completed project. It comes as no surprise then that Luxury Lifestyle Awards would award the firm the title of Best Luxury Mixed Use Architecture for Portgate project in Cyprus. The firm has previously won Best Luxury Architecture (Residential Development) for Cielo, in 2022, and Best Luxury Architecture (Residential Development) for Art Parkside, in 2021.

Portgate is a commercial high-rise building in Limassol. As the first imposing building in the vicinity, it is hard to miss, not least because of its grand structure and brilliant design. According to Luxury Lifestyle Awards, “we are delighted to award CSS & Associates the title of Best Luxury Mixed Use Architecture for Portgate project in Cyprus, which we believe they fully deserve for their exceptional work on this development. As an awards body, we were greatly impressed by the architecture, creativity and finesse displayed in Portgate.”

Portgate is not your average four-walled building. In fact, it is anything but average. For starters, what stands out about this mixed-use building is its curvy shape, which is very atyptical for buildings of this purpose. The curves of the building make for a very fluid look, which is complemented by the abundant use of floor to ceiling windows on each level.

From the inside, this makes for breath-taking views of the city and its surrounds. But more than that, its reflects an approach to life and wellbeing that is based on connection with the outside and natural environment. Surely this makes for an ideal working environment, considering that the client’s brief was to design a building that their business could operate from with ease.

When CSS & Associates accepted the brief, the team focused on incorporating the fluidity of the ocean and the movement of its waves into the appearance of the building. This inspired them to design volumes and shapes that alternate harmoniously, creating the calm ocean effect that many find relaxing. This effect can be seen in the building by the consistent change of shapes within the balconies and enclosed spaces.

“We knew that the views from Portgate would be something special, so this inspired us to design something that is out of the box, not the ordinary structure that people expect from a high-rise building,” says Elena Colocassidou, Director at CSS & Associates.

Each of the buildings three sides offer unobstructed views of the harbor and the sea, hence the use of floor to ceiling glass in order to bundle the view like a postcard perfect picture and bring it to the workplace. The wide balconies offer the ideal tea break spot or even a quiet moment for some uninterrupted pondering.

Behind the magnificent design of Portage is CSS & Associates, an architecture, engineering and design firm that was founded in Cyprus in 1991. Now with over three decades of experience offering these expert services, CSS & Associates is consider an industry leader in the country. The firm is known for providing a wide variety of services, covering the entire range of projects  starting at urban design and extending to commercial and residential buildings, interior design and renovations, as well as industrial, institutional and educational buildings. To date, the firm has worked on over 1,000 projects.

CSS & Associates can be found on the following social media channels: Facebook – @cssarch; Instagram – @ css_architects; LinkedIn – CSS & Associates LLC.

For more about CSS & Associates, visit https://www.css-architects.com/about