Christos Papoulias
13.12.2007 at 19:00
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.
“Architecture and Conceptual environment”
CHRISTOS PAPOULIAS
He was born in Athens in 1953. He studied architecture at the Instituto Universitario di Architettura in Venice, where he was taught by Carlo Scarpa, Aldo Rossi, Manfredo Tafuri, Carlo Aymonino, Francesco Dal Co, Georges Teyssot, and Massimo Cacciari. In 1976, he received his degree in architecture with distinction and honors. In 1977, he attended lectures at the Collège de France by Roland Barthes and Michel Foucault, while simultaneously studying Philosophy and Anthropology. In 1980, he attended postgraduate courses taught by John Hejduk and followed the entire academic year’s lectures at the Institute for Urban Studies in New York. He lived and worked in Athens.
The lecture was divided into two parts:
The first part presented some theoretical reflections on what is referred to as conceptual design, while the second part showcased architectural works, examples of his personal work, that respond to and relate to the aforementioned theoretical inquiries.