Manos Perrakis

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.

“The vision always left for later”

MANOS PERRAKIS

He was born in Heraklion, Crete, in 1937. In 1958, he moved to Athens to study painting, and in 1959, he relocated to Vienna, where he studied Architecture at the Academy of Applied Arts until 1964, under the tutelage of Oskar Haerdtl and Norbert Schlesinger. Upon returning to Athens, he worked for two years alongside Professor Ioannis Despotopoulos.

In 1967, he established his own architectural office in Athens. His work has primarily focused on the architectural design of both open-air and indoor spaces for theatrical and musical performances, as well as museums, exhibition halls, and educational facilities. He has also worked extensively on the architectural configuration of open public spaces intended for cultural events and exhibitions, on the restoration of listed buildings and historic ensembles, and on the architectural treatment of archaeological sites and their surrounding landscapes.

Among his most notable projects are the restoration and redesign of the New Stage of the National Theatre of Greece in Athens, the Karolos Koun Art Theatre in Athens, the General Confederation of Greek Workers (G.C.G.W.) building in Athens, the Municipal Theatre of Mytilene in Lesvos, and the Ilissia Theatre in Athens. Other important works include the redevelopment and extension of the Byzantine and Christian Museum of Athens, the Pancretan Educational Center in Heraklion, the restoration and redesign of the War Museum of Thessaloniki, and the Theatre of the Earth, an open-air venue for theatrical and musical performances in Thessaloniki. He also worked on the Unification of the Archaeological Sites of Athens, the Irene Papas Center for Performing Arts in Athens, and the restoration and redesign of the Hatzikyriakio Child Welfare Foundation in Piraeus. His international projects include open-air performance venues in Rome and Valencia, as well as a rotating open-air theatre in Rome. He also designed the Kostas Tsoklis Museum in Kambos, on the island of Tinos, and the Open-Air Theatre of Mani in Kardamyli, in the municipality of Lefktro.

Since 1985, he has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Athens Concert Hall Organization (Megaron). He has also been or continues to be an active member of various organizations related to the arts and culture, including the National Gallery – Alexandros Soutsos Foundation, the Acropolis Monuments Preservation Committee, the Hellenic Society for International Communication through Art, the Friends of the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Friends of the Hellenic Institute of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Studies in Venice (“Unwaning Light”), the Friends of Athens, the International Council of Museums (ICOM), the cultural committee “Friends of the Municipality of Asklepieio,” and the association DIAZOMA, which promotes ancient theatres.

He has represented Greece twice at the Venice Biennale. In 1991, he was awarded the first prize and a gold medal at the Prague Quadrennial International Exhibition and Competition of Contemporary Stage and Costume Design and Theatrical Architecture, for his restoration and redesign of the Karolos Koun Art Theatre.

He has been invited to present his work and give lectures on theatre and museum architecture at numerous conferences and symposiums both in Greece and internationally. Models of his work have been included in exhibitions held in cities such as Plovdiv, Palermo, Syracuse, Frankfurt, Paris, London, Dublin, Denver, Toronto, and Berlin, and they continue to travel the world.