Nikos Skoutelis & Flavio Zanon

The Hellenic Institute of Architecture organized a new series of lectures by Greek architects entitled “HIA Lectures 2004”. This series aimed to broaden the understanding of the work of architects, and for this reason, prominent professionals were selected and invited to share their views on Greek architecture and their own projects.

Today, Greek architecture remains a pressing issue. The processes related to the practice of the profession, the inadequate implementation of architectural competitions, the relationship between architecture and the broader economic reality of the country, the role and capabilities of construction technology, the gradual transformation of architects into executors of pre-determined decisions made by construction companies, the issues surrounding the Olympic projects, the relationship between architecture and society, the problematic role of Greece’s artistic architectural and urban tradition, the connection between contemporary architecture and the reality of Greek cities, the matter of architectural education, the relationship between Greek and international architecture, the ineffective strategies for promoting architecture within Greece and abroad, and the role of architectural criticism — all these are issues that often do not support architectural research or the development of the overall quality of architectural work. Architecture in Greece today still raises unanswered questions — questions that have already been resolved not only in the West but even in many countries of the self-congratulatory so-called “Third World.”

The Hellenic Institute of Architecture’s lecture series sought to provide answers to these concerns. The architects who were invited, many of whom belong to the younger generation, aimed both to present theoretical positions on these matters and to articulate the principles that shape their personal approach to architecture within the built environment.

“Creative Memory”

NIKOS SKOUTELIS

He was born in Heraklion, Crete, in 1962. He holds a degree in architecture from I.U.A.V. – Venice (1987). Together with Flavio Zanon, he worked in Venice from July 1987, and since 1993 he has been based in Heraklion, working on both public and private projects, while also participating in architectural competitions. His theoretical work focuses on architecture and the Renaissance city, the theory of restoration, and the role of history as a tool in architectural design.

FLAVIO ZANON

He was born in Venice and studied architecture at I.U.A.V. Venice. Since 1987, he has worked in Venice together with Nikos Skoutelis.

The lecture attempted to combine themes concerning the recognition of the intervention site at various architectural scales, the reading of historical events and memory as reflected through discontinuities and interruptions in the built environment, and finally, their representation based on contemporary design. The central axis of the lecture was the relationship between history and design as a result of personal experiences when getting to know a space.