The message of the Greek Contemporary Architecture

To begin with, I would like to thank all the architects that sent  to GreekArchitects.gr their Work (30 participants) participating to the "European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award 2015". Special thanks to the European Association that has nominated me as the independent expert for Greece.

The initiative for open call of participants to the prizes (totally from any private interests) has risen up "surprises". Pleasant surprises, due to the general anguish of the quality and quantity of the architectural works that Greece may produce the last two years. These last two years, that Greece as a country passes through a hard and painful crisis.

 

 

The five architectural works that follow, are presented at random:

 

1 - h_3 House in Athens >>>

Beyond any doubt the big surprise for this year arises by a young and recently appearing architect, named Pavlos Hatziaggilidis (314 Architecture) with his colleagues Foteini Karagianni and Mohammed Ahmed , both civil engineers.

An architectural work, doesn't really need expensive construction solutions to be executed. There are anyway, many low-cost buildings that are excellent architecturally creations. Nevertheless, bearing in mind all the technological, industrial and commercial advance of our times, the "expensive architecture" nowadays is globally more than welcome.

This creation, even I is nothing really prototype in the architectural world and generally has many exaggeration points, still attracts the sights and will provoke a lot of discussion.  The "architectural flame" that burns in this building is what brings it high in the selection list.

Follow a detailed presentation of the building HERE

h_3 House in Athens (314 Architecture)

 

2 - Vacation House in the island of Naxos >>>

As far as the "tourism is quite mainstream  lately", the vacation house in the island of Naxos made by the architects: Foibi Giannisi, Zisis Kotionis, Ioannis Mpaltogiannis, Katerina Kritou and Nikolaos Platsas, is an excellent example of a brave project, despite the simplicity of the island concerning to this.

A project that is representative of the successful function of underground architecture applied to a downhill field-bear in mind that these fields are more than a lot in Greek topography. The rising characteristic that makes this creation selective is its smart plan distribution. Stairs of 3.10m width hit perpendicularly the horizontal masse of the building and the movement created distributes smartly the spaces inside and outside of the house.

This paths created among the spaces really rise up the complex architectural concept of the building.

Follow a detailed presentation of the building HERE

Vacation House in the island of Naxos.

 

3 - Vacation House in the island of Serifos >>>

The poetic expression in architecture, is interpetated with a total success in this vacation house, also made by a new architect called Iliana Kerestetzi, that has constructed in the island of Serifos. The collaborators to be mentioned: Maria Vrettou, Katerina Daskalaki, Fotis Zapantiotis, Richard Rubin and as a consultation architect Manos Kerestetzis.

A concentration of simple volumes, not only integrate totally and smartly in the landscape, but also gve birth to the element of the beauty of architecture, an element that contemporary typologies may ignore nowadays.  This creation abandons any narcissist philosophy and applies anthropocentric principals to its architecture.

Follow a detailed presentation of the building HERE

Vacation House in the island of Serifos

4 - Kindergarten of the German School of Athens >>>

Even though the sound of German may bring bad thoughts to most of the Greeks nowadays, we must admit that they offer "social and personal supplies", as it is demonstrated by the architectural project of the office POTIROPOULOS D + L ARCHITECTS for the new kindergarten of the German School of Athens.

With this concrete project, I would rather like to promote "the boss than the architects". And of course I mean the willingness of constitutions and associations to choose the pieces of good architecture as the one proposed by the POTIROPOULOS office.

Follow a detailed presentation of the building HERE

Kindergarten of the German School of Athens

 

5 - Redevelopment of seafront promenade in Thessaloniki >>>

The project of Prodromos Nikoforidis and Bernard Cuomo was executed in two phases.

The first phase, that as well had been proposed for the Mies van der Rohe Prize, was delivered tin 2008 and the second phase started in 2011 and was delivered in 2014. Personally, I find that his project gives honor to the Greek  Architectural  Society and for this reason I propose it for the Mies van der Rohe Prize.

Follow a detailed presentation of the building HERE

 

Redevelopment of seafront promenade in Thessaloniki

 

 

The five projects briefly presented are the ones proposed for the "European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award 2015".
Furthermore there will be mentioned some projects that are of a fine architectural determination even though they are not proposed to be honored:

 

House in Kato Gatzea
Architect: Dimitris Philippitzis

Follow a detailed presentation of the building HERE

House in Kato Gatzea

 

Oil Press Installations in Pilos
Architects:  Dimitris Thomopoulos & Olympia Koukouna

 

Oil Press Installations in Pilos

 

Container House in Pilaia of Thessaloniki
Architects: P. Makridis+Associates S.A.

 

Container House in Pilaia of Thessaloniki

 

Engineers' and Public Conbtractors' Pension Fund Building

 

Engineers' and Public Conbtractors' Pension Fund Building

 

New Town Hall of Koridallos
Potiropoulos D+L Architects

Follow a detailed presentation of the building HERE

 

New Town Hall of Koridallos

 

House in Strovolos of Lefkosia
SIMPRAXIS Architects. Marios Christodoulides Christos Christodoulou

 

House in Strovolos of Lefkosia

 

House in Keratea
Nikos Lykoudis Architects

Follow a detailed presentation of the building HERE

House in Keratea

 

Beach Comber Restaurant
PARTHENIOS architects & associates

Follow a detailed presentation of the building HERE

 

Beach Comber Restaurant

 

Hotel Complex in the island of Crete
Dimitra Nikolaou Architects

 

Hotel Complex in the island of Crete

 

Social Center of Melissia
Architects : Kostas Daflos, Argyro Panagouli

Follow a detailed presentation of the building HERE

 

Social Center of Melissia

 

Block of Flats in Cholargos
Architects : Thanasis Karaxalios, Sotiris Karaxalios, Panos Mantzios

 

Block of Flats in Cholargos

 

Building of Social Entertainment of Thesaloniki
Architects: P. Makridis+Associates S.A.

 

Building of Social Entertainment of Thesaloniki

 

 

To conclude, two small scaled projects are mentioned

 

Sun Protection Construction for the ancient founds in Coca-Cola Factory Field
Architects : Spyros Kakavas, Eleni Klonizaki

 

Sun Protection Construction for the ancient founds in Coca-Cola Factory Field

 

Open Air Bath and Meditation Space in Vacation House
Architects : Manolis Iliakis, Maria Remoundou

Follow a detailed presentation of the building HERE

 

,
Open Air Bath and Meditation Space in Vacation House

 

Thank you,
Vasilis Mistriotis, architect
Editor in chief of GreekArchitects.gr
Independent expert of the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award 2015