HΙΑ Architecture Award 2004

FOREWORD

The 2005 Architectural Awards have this year a double meaning, on one hand they continue the most important initiative of the Hellenic Institute of Architecture to identify and acknowledge the architects who through their work of the last five years distinguished themselves in Greece, and on the other hand to give the Institute the opportunity to highlight its tenth year of operation.
The awards developed in an institution. Proof to this is not only the great number of submissions (entries) but, also of their undeniable quality. The first committee which consisted of the winners of the previous Awards 2000 professors A. Kotsiopoulos, G. Makris and T. Papaioannou, professor and architect K. Moraitis had a difficult job in selecting the fifteen projects for the international committee. This is witnessed by the minutes included in this edition. The jury of the second stage was enlarged with the addition of two more members, the German architect and former editor of the architectural magazine db Wilfried Dechau and the President of the Institute. This jury visited all the fifteen selected projects and spoke both with the architects and their clients who inhabit or use the buildings. Thus, for a week a very interesting discourse on the present state of Greek architecture took place. The presence and contribution of a well known European architectural personality i.e. Wilfried Dechau enlarged the scope and framework of the discussions and helped in establishing relations and comparisons with the European architectural scene.
It was established that Greek architects especially the younger generation, develop their problematic within the general international tendencies, while in the same time they try to incorporate in their thinking elements from the past and more specifically from the Modernist tradition which after a rather long period of abatement is coming back to the foreground.
The jury also noticed the critical role played in the design process of the illuminated client and the able and conscientious craftsmen. These fill the mosaic of the architectural totality and only if these people help, the architect can achieve a meaningful and notable result.
It is well known, that in all judgments from the moment that they become public property, the element of disagreement is inherent i.e. the evaluation results are themselves being judged by the public at large. But this process becomes the solid base of the sought after discourse. I hope that the present catalogue offers the opportunity, as it was done four years ago, to the greek architectural community to engage in fruitful discussion, on the evolution of the present architectural trends in Greece. Only then this big effort both from the part of the Hellenic Institute of Architecture, as well as, from the part of the participants in the Awards 2005 programme will be justified.
I would like to thank the Benaki Museum, for the support and contribution to the realization of the exhibition and especially for hosting the whole event.
I would also like to thank the sponsors of this event, the Skouropoulos office furniture and “Neokatoikein” home furniture, for their generous sponsoring, the Bright / Special lighting company both for its sponsoring and its technical help in the lighting of the exhibition, the Diathlasis / architectural lighting company, and the ETEM S.A. and HALCOR S.A. companies. Without the generous help of all the above companies, this catalogue and exhibition would have never been realized. Their sponsorship was an inspiration to us all to continue our efforts.
Finally, I would like to thank the secretary general of the H.I.A. Katerina Giamalaki for the design of the exhibition, as well as, the staff of the Institute for organizing everything and for the editing and compilation of the catalogue.
The president of the Hellenic Institute of Architecture Nikos Kalogeras, Emeritus professor N.T.U.A.
The 2004 Architecture Awards ceremony took place at the Benaki Museum on Pireos street. The exhibition of submissions ran from March 8 to March 27, 2005.  

SPONSORS:
SKOUROPOULOS
ΝΕΟΚΑΤΟΙΚΕΙΝ
ETEM S.A.
HALCOR S.A.
BRIGHT Special Lighting

PARTNER ORGANIZATION:
Benaki Museum