HΙΑ Architecture Award 2000
The primary purpose of an award is the recognition of the quality of an achievement in the field to which the award relates, meaning a reward not only for the result itself but also for the effort of all those who contributed to its completion. In the case of architectural work many individuals contribute to its realization. Above all, the architect plays the central role. Without the architect, organizing the user’s requirements, and most importantly expressing them in space through the three- dimensional shaping of the material elements, would not be possible. Next, the user themselves plays a significant role. They will express their needs and desires, describe behaviours, and even state their aesthetic viewpoints. Lastly come the builders, those who using specific materials and construction methods, bring to life the designs as well as the visions of the architect and their client. This process is well known. I mention it because, within this familiar procedure, two essential conditions are implied, which we almost take for granted when faced with a noteworthy building:
- that the relationship of all those involved in its creation was harmonious and
- that the result fully satisfies those who use its spaces
Nevertheless, these two conditions are by no means self-evident, nor are they achieved without considerable effort and dedication from all those involved in the project, especially the architect. This is further illustrated by the fact that public works, where the user’s opinion, participation, and evaluation are completely absent and replaced by administrative procedures or even indifference, are often of only mediocre quality. On the other hand, a jury assessing architectural works cannot easily determine these two conditions solely from photographic material or other documentation. It is, in fact, to the credit of the first selection committee for the 2000 Awards, convened by the Hellenic Institute of Architecture, that it managed to identify the most noteworthy buildings with such success using only drawings.
And it is not only these two conditions that are lost when relying on drawings. There is also a crucial quality of an architectural work, which we might call “architectural wholeness“, experienced only when moving through its spaces. For this reason, and contrary to usual practice, the final selection committee for the 2000 Awards innovated by visiting the proposed projects in person, in order to feel the architectural spaces firsthand, even if only for a short time, alongside the users.
The fact that the Awards are given to the buildings themselves, rather than to any one of their creators, provides an additional reason for the jurors to visit them and to engage in discussion with those who inhabit them.
As noted in the following records, the committee observed a high level of architectural quality, particularly in residential buildings. Each of these represents a model, exemplary, one might say, proposal addressing a wide range of architectural challenges in our country, ranging from homes in predominantly traditional settings to single-family houses, precious objects, with an exceptionally high degree of craftsmanship in construction details.
Regardless of the general approval or disapproval of the final selection, it should be noted that the entire process provided a unique opportunity to conduct yet another discussion on the trajectory of Greek architecture at the dawn of the new millennium. This discussion even extends beyond the country’s borders, thereby contributing to the integration of Greece’s architectural discourse into the international architectural scene.
N.Kalogeras, Professor, President of the Hellenic Institute of Architecture
12-28.03.2001 National Hellenic Research Foundation
14-27.06.2001 Storage B of ThPA