Past and Future in architectural information (BLOD)

On Thursday, June 5, the Hellenic Institute of Architecture organized a roundtable discussion on the topic “Past and Future in Architectural Information,” on the occasion of the recent digitization of the journals Architectural Issues and Space+Arts Issues,digitization of the journals “Architectural Issues” and “Space + Arts Issues”  as well as all the special publications of Orestis Doumanis.

The discussion, moderated by NTUA Professor Emeritus Panagiotis Tournikiotis and NTUA Associate Professor Kostas Tsiambaos, featured contributions from Melina Arvaniti-Pollatou (architect, editor-in-chief/contributor), Stelios Giamarelos (Associate Professor at the Bartlett School of Architecture), Panos Dragonas (Professor at the University of Patras), Dimitris Papanikolaou (Assistant Professor at NTUA), and Giorgos Tzirgitzis (Professor Emeritus at the University of Thessaly). Panagiotis Tournikiotis gave a brief introduction, explaining how Orestis Doumanis’s publishing endeavor functioned as a complex network of individuals with an awareness of current affairs in Greece and internationally, with a clear focus on project selection and curatorial perspective. He also shared some thoughts on the future of architectural publications in the new era of digital media and recent developments in artificial intelligence.

Kostas Tsiambaos then took the floor, presenting the sequence of speakers as a chronological timeline, where each individual represents a different generation and simultaneously offers a distinct perspective on the subject. Giorgos Tzirtzilakis reflected interdisciplinarity and the opening toward the humanities—from critical theory and psychoanalysis to contemporary art and anthropology; Panos Dragonas expressed ideas on globalization and the metropolitan condition; Dimitris Papanikolaou focused on digital technologies and algorithmic/computational thinking; Stelios Giamarelos highlighted the autonomous formation of Architectural History and Theory; and Melina Arvaniti-Pollatou brought a poetic approach to discourse and the use of social media. The speakers then took the floor: Giorgos Tzirtzilakis referred to Doumanis as a ‘father figure’ with whom, willingly or not, we have unfinished business. Panos Dragonas described his own involvement with the journal’s editorial team and the renewal brought by a new, outward-looking and cosmopolitan generation of Greek architects. Dimitris Papanikolaou outlined a set of principles for architectural journals, drawing also on his own experience as part of the editorial boards of international academic publications. Stelios Giamarelos focused on the challenges and potential developments brought about by artificial intelligence.

Finally, Melina Arvaniti-Pollatou proposed a return to writing as a creative act—both independent and in dialogue with the architectural work—emphasizing the importance of time, duration, and latent forces that shape architecture across time. The event concluded with an open discussion involving the audience.

After the event, attendees had the opportunity to enjoy a cold beer at the atrium of the Benaki Museum, courtesy of Babel Brewery, and to view the first issues of the journals Architectural Issues and Space + Arts Issues, which were on display.

The event is supported by Bodossaki Lectures on Demand- BLOD, the online lecture library (blod.gr) of the Bodossaki Foundation, and the video of the event is available at the following link: 

https://www.blod.gr/lectures/parelthon-kai-mellon-stin-arhitektoniki-enimerosi/