Catalogue of the 2008 Architecture Awards

Available

Order: info@heliarch.gr
ISBN: 978-960-98072-2-7
Pages: 128
Dimensions: 24×30 cm

FOREWORD

The Hellenic Institute of Architecture is organizing, for the third time, the Architecture Awards, a program it established ten years ago an institution that has since gained recognition and respect within the architectural community of our country. This is evidenced both by the number of entries, which was the highest to date, and by the quality of the projects submitted. The jury included the architects who were awarded in 2004 – V. Baskozos, D. Tsangarakis, D. Diamantopoulos, and Ch. Deligiannis. The representatives of the Hellenic Institute of Architecture were A. Giakoumakatos and P. Dragonas in the first phase, while in the second phase the jury was joined by Professor Fulvio Irace, Director of the Triennale di Milano, and the President of the H.I.A.

In the first phase, out of 125 submissions, 17 were selected from five categories of projects commissioned by public or semi-public institutions, covering needs such as workspaces, cultural spaces, etc., and seven were selected in the residential category. In the second phase, the international jury visited all the projects along with their designers and engaged in discussions with them about the design principles, the challenges, and any difficulties they faced. This dialogue was particularly fruitful, as it allowed the jury to better understand each project within the relatively short time of their visit.

To better reflect this dialogue, the proceedings of both phases are presented in greater detail in this catalogue, so that visitors to the exhibition may, even indirectly, take part in the ongoing conversation about Greek architecture and its place within the broader European architectural context.

This year, the Board of Directors also introduced another innovation: the awarding of honorary distinctions to notable projects that had been selected for the second phase of judging, but whose creators had either already received awards in previous years or were members of the Board of the Hellenic Institute of Architecture. In this way, we believe that, on the one hand, the high quality of work by already recognized colleagues is acknowledged, while on the other, the overall presentation of the exhibition is enriched with projects that are equally commendable as those that were officially awarded in the competition. I would first like to thank the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, whose generous sponsorship made the realization of the 2009 Architecture Awards possible. I also extend my gratitude to the Benaki Museum for its support in co-organizing the exhibition and for providing the venue.

Special thanks must go to Marianna Milioni, Director of the Hellenic Institute of Architecture, for designing the exhibition and editing the catalogue, as well as to Iro Foutrou for her administrative support throughout the event. Finally, my warmest thanks go to the members of both committees, who selflessly offered their valuable time and expertise to ensure the best possible selection of projects. I also wish to thank all those who participated and submitted their work, thus helping to establish the Architecture Awards as the only institution in Greece that formally recognizes architectural excellence.

President of the Hellenic Institute of Architecture

Nikos Kalogeras, Professor Emeritus NTUA