Past and Future in Architectural Information

On Thursday, June 5, the Hellenic Institute of Architecture hosted a roundtable discussion entitled “Past and Future in Architectural Communication”. The event was held to mark the recent digitization of the magazines “architecture in greece” and “design in greece”, along with all the special editions published by Orestis Doumanis.

The discussion was moderated by Panagiotis Tournikiotis (Professor Emeritus, NTUA) and Kostas Tsiambaos (Associate Professor, NTUA), with participation from:

Melina Arvaniti-Polatou (Architect, Editor/Contributor), Stelios Giamarelos (Associate Professor, Bartlett School of Architecture), Panos Dragonas (Professor, University of Patras), Dimitris Papanikolaou (Assistant Professor, NTUA), Giorgos Tzirzilakis (Professor Emeritus, University of Thessaly)

Panagiotis Tournikiotis opened the event with a brief introduction, describing the editorial project led by Orestis Doumanis as a complex network of individuals with a deep understanding of both Greek and international developments, a clear editorial vision, and curatorial precision. He also shared thoughts on the future of architectural publishing in the digital era and the implications of recent developments in artificial intelligence.

Kostas Tsiambaos followed by introducing the speakers as representatives of different generations and perspectives, forming a kind of chronological spectrum. Each speaker reflected a distinct viewpoint: Giorgos Tzirzilakis emphasized interdisciplinarity and openness to the humanities, from critical theory and psychoanalysis to contemporary art and anthropology; Panos Dragonas focused on issues of globalization and the metropolitan condition; Dimitris Papanikolaou addressed digital technologies and computational thinking; Stelios Giamarelos explored the autonomous development of architectural history and theory; while Melina Arvaniti-Polatou highlighted a poetic approach to writing and the use of social media in architectural discourse.

In their talks, Giorgos Tzirzilakis referred to Doumanis as a “father figure” with whom we all, willingly or not, have unfinished business. Panos Dragonas spoke of his own involvement in the magazine’s editorial team and the renewal it brought, representing a new, outward-looking, cosmopolitan generation of Greek architects. Dimitris Papanikolaou proposed a set of principles for architectural publishing, drawing on his experience as a member of the editorial boards of international academic journals. Stelios Giamarelos focused on the challenges and possible futures presented by artificial intelligence. Finally, Melina Arvaniti-Polatou advocated for a return to writing as a creative act, both independent from and closely linked to architectural work, stressing the importance of time, duration, and latent forces that shape architecture across time.

The event concluded with an open discussion involving the audience. Afterward, guests were invited to enjoy cold beer in the Benaki Museum atrium, generously sponsored by Babel Brewery, and to browse the first issues of architecture in greece and design in greece, which were exhibited on site.

For those who were unable to attend, the video of the event will soon be available on the Hellenic Institute of Architecture’s website and in the Bodossaki Foundation’s digital lecture archive at blod.gr.

COMMUNICATION SPONSORS:
Alumini.gr, Archetype.gr, Archisearch.gr, DOMa, Glassforum

BEER SPONSOR:
Babel Brewery

The event was held with the financial support and under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture.
The event was supported by Bodossaki Lectures on Demand (BLOD), the digital lecture library (blod.gr) of the Bodossaki Foundation.

Photographs: © H.I.A. / Stelios Nikas