Dimitris Papalexopoulos

The Hellenic Institute of Architecture organized a new series of lectures by Greek architects under the title “HIA Lectures 2007–2008.” This series aimed to broaden public awareness of contemporary architectural practice, featuring distinguished professionals invited to present their views on Greek architecture and their own work.

Greek architecture today continues to pose a set of open questions. Issues such as the processes related to the profession, the insufficient execution of architectural competitions, the relationship between architecture and the country’s broader economic reality, the role and potential of construction technology, the gradual transformation of architects into executors of pre-decided choices by construction firms, the legacy of the Olympic projects, the relationship between architecture and society, the problematic role of the Greek architectural and urban tradition, the relevance of contemporary architecture to the lived reality of Greek cities, the issue of architectural education, the relationship between Greek and international architecture, the inadequate strategies for promoting architecture both in Greece and abroad, and the role of architectural criticism—these are all matters that often do not support genuine design research or the development of overall architectural quality. Architecture in Greece today continues to raise questions that remain unanswered—questions that have already been addressed not only in the West but also in many countries of the self-satisfied so-called “Third World.”

This lecture series, organized by the Hellenic Institute of Architecture, sought to offer responses to these concerns. The invited architects, many of whom belong to a younger generation, aimed to develop both theoretical perspectives on the above issues and to articulate the principles that define their personal architectural approach within the framework of the built environment.

“Digital Localism”

DIMITRIS PAPALEXOPOULOS

He was born in 1953, studied at the School of Architecture of the National Technical University of Athens (N.T.U.A.), and pursued postgraduate studies in France.
His conference presentations and participation in research programs focus on space and technology, the formation of technical thought, as well as the applications of information technologies in architecture. He has collaborated with the architectural firm O.T.O.ME since 1985. In 1995, he established his own architectural office. His architectural work includes, in both the public and private sectors, new buildings as well as renovations of historic and contemporary structures. His most recent projects focus on the design of buildings that emphasize the integration of information technologies.

“The term ‘digital localism’ is proposed as an opening for discussion.
It outlines a contemporary, complex tension between the insistence on defining the identity of a place and its simultaneous, inevitable fragmentation into a multitude of network bundles in which it actively participates and by which it is influenced.”