Deca Architecture

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.

“This is how we work…the adventures of a space lobster”

The decaARCHITECTURE team consists of Carlos Loperena, Kyle Gudsell, Alexandro Vaitso, and Elena Zambeli. It is a creative group based in Athens. The team’s interests revolve around the search for sensual experiences in the places, spaces, and landscapes they discover and design. During its first five years of operation, the firm designed proposals for the following projects: the Periscope Hotel in Kolonaki, the Hotel Twentyone in Kefalari, eight holiday homes in Antiparos, a stone campsite in Arkioi, a residential complex in Marousi, a park in Kefalari, a contemporary art collection in Nea Ionia, an apartment building in Kolonaki, a residence in Politeia, a house in the settlement of Poros, a residence in Kifisia, an apartment in Pangrati, and an apartment in Kastela.

The first building of the group to be realized, the “Crater” Residence in Antiparos, was awarded in 2004 in the international Emerging Architecture competition based in London and was distinguished in 2005 at the Architecture Awards organized by the Hellenic Institute of Architecture.

The decaARCHITECTURE lecture was divided into two parts, initially examining the same issues myopically and then presbyopically: The first part of the talk presented the work of the group during its first five years of operation, with the creative process as the central axis of the narrative. In the second part of the presentation, references were made to the group’s work aiming to express their concerns and worries about the broader context in which they work and express themselves.

The purpose was to open a discussion with the audience through questions such as:

1.What conditions do young architects face today in Greece? What opportunities are given to them to express their creative concerns?

2.How will the phenomenon of the development of Greece’s coastal areas continue? Will these places become mass tourism and retirement spots for the European Union (Floridification)?

3.How can mechanisms of reflection be created to transmit ideas about Athens and the urban environment through the architectural community? How far can the dynamics of efforts like Update Athens reach?