Theoni Xanthi – Gerasimos Zakynthinos – Thodoris Androulakis

The Hellenic Institute of Architecture organized a new series of lectures by Greek architects titled “HIA Lectures 2008–2009”. The aim of this series was to broaden public awareness regarding the work of architects today. To this end, prominent professionals were selected and invited to present their views on Greek architecture and their own work.

Greek architecture today continues to be a subject under question. Various factors contribute to this, such as the processes involved in the profession, the inadequate implementation 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 mere executors of pre-determined decisions made by construction companies, the issues surrounding Olympic projects, the relationship between architecture and society, the problematic role of Greek artistic and urban architectural tradition, the connection between contemporary architecture and the reality of Greek cities, the state of architectural education, the relationship between Greek and international architecture, the flawed strategy of promoting architecture both in Greece and abroad, and the role of architectural criticism. All of these issues often fail to support true design research and the development of overall architectural quality. Architecture in Greece today still raises unanswered questions—questions that have already been addressed not only in the West but also in many countries of the so-called “Third World.”

This lecture series by the Hellenic Institute of Architecture sought to provide answers to these concerns. The architects invited, most of whom belong to a younger generation, aimed to present both theoretical views on the issues mentioned above and to articulate the principles that shape their personal poetics within the built environment.

“Principles and explorations of the Architectural work”

THEONI XANTHI

She was born in Patras in 1960 and graduated from the School of Architecture of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) in 1987. Since 1988, she has maintained an architectural office together with architects G. Zakynthinos and Th. Androulakis, focusing—beyond private projects—on urban design and public building studies, primarily resulting from architectural competitions. Since 2001, she has been teaching at the School of Architecture of the Democritus University of Thrace (D.U.Th.), in the field of architectural design and construction, and is currently an assistant professor.

GERASIMOS ZAKYNTHINOS

He was born in Athens in 1963 and graduated in 1988 from the School of Architecture of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA). In 1990, he completed his postgraduate studies at the Bartlett School of Architecture and Planning, University College London, earning an MSc in Architecture. Since 1990, he has maintained an architectural office together with architects Th. Xanthi and Th. Androulakis, focusing, beyond private projects, on urban planning and public building design, primarily through architectural competitions.

THODORIS ANDROULAKIS

He was born in Athens in 1954 and graduated from the School of Architecture of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) in 1977. Since 1988, he has maintained an architectural office together with architects Th. Xanthi and G. Zakynthinos, focusing primarily, apart from private projects, on urban planning studies and public buildings, mainly resulting from architectural competitions.

Major distinctions of the office:

‘Thebes Courthouse,’ 1988, 1st prize
‘Design of the Starting Area for the Classic Marathon,’ 1991, 1st prize
‘Chalandri Town Hall,’ 2000, 1st prize
Architecture Award for Public Open Space and Landscape “Dimitris Pikionis,” organized by SADAS-PEA (2005).
Participation in the “European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe 2007.”

The architects, observing the Greek context and architectural production, raise questions about whether human-centered principles of architectural design can find a “positive void” to exist and survive even fragmentarily, transforming their “voluntary disadvantages” into genetic resistances against denervated typologies or hyper-modern bare frameworks that compose architecture based on the commercial consumption of image.