Design on existing concrete structure 2002

Selected program: Theater

The choosing of the program evokes a specific spatial experience. Interaction of movement and function was the basic condition. Events insight the structural vacuous space, the exposed movement trough the suspended functional chambers, allow the possibility of witnessing the everyday events.   

Light industrial materials of metal and wood form folding surfaces which are suspended from existing concrete beams and pillars.

Basic design lines shape the main functional spaces of the theater, the amphitheater and the cloak room so that these spaces can be recognized within the whole structure. These lines seam to float between the concrete structures as light and non permanent spatial forms, as folded surfaces that wrap spaces. The distinction of the new structure is obvious through exterior and interior perspective views.

House Design in Paphos 2009

The site is found in the periphery of village Polemi in the district of Pafos.

The concept relates to what “home” suggests as experience for a family and its friends. Home is a kind of return to a spatial and emotional intimacy. The passing through this enclosure of intimacy presupposes a filtering from the outer world.

The design applies to the simplest structure of traditional Cypriot house. A floor plan housing unit in shape of Greek letter Γ opening to the South and protected by walls from the North. The entrance is an in – between roofless space forming a closed yard.

The inhabitant or visitor experiences the notion of “home” in three successive states.  The first – of the enclosed entrance yard - relates to the preparation of entering. The second - of inner space - is the state of congeniality. The third state – of the opening to the south – of the big “living” yard refers to the fulfillment of returning – as the experience of cognizance.   

The Banks of the river Ilissos - Athens

 

 Urban Design Project

The decayed bank of the river Ilissos, could be considered as a sleeping giant as it hides a huge possibility of dynamic in the Athenian landscape. The power of evoking memory and its actual form as an empty – vacant space, make it a fragmentary end point for one’s  historical consciousness. Since it is situated between two different municipalities, actually as the end barrier of both, and having been blocked from the sea, it is found in a problematic relation to the urban space, man and the environment.

The streamline of contemporary Ilissos, could become a very strong axis of events, combining differences together, enhancing communication of inhabitants, rehabilitating memory of the past and fortifying the urban qualities of the future.

The design administers two basic ideas.

The adoption of local event for the neighborhood thus forming centre points for communal use and reestablishment of relations to nature thus enforcement of memory retreat of the past.

Ilissos can become an urban experience of intense changes, interesting image perspectives and event divergences.

A pattern of relating paths is planned, related to existing pedestrian precincts and empty spaces whereas communal uses are proposed. This pattern is either visible or notional interrupted or reappearing in space.

The design aims to reinforce the stream line of the old river giving it a dynamic of possibilities of uses and intense actions.

Three themed areas are designated as main points of design intervention whereas continuity in between them is realized in several ways.

The notion of nature is provided through an antithesis. The stream remains empty to a certain point of subversion where water appears dramatically. This intense antithesis as realized in space is purposed to evoke notions of rethinking different times in the rivers history – present and past. Across the stream whereas water is absent, river channels purpose to remind its existence.

These channels become the fragmental pieces of the river’s past –in a way of distortion - the water stream decays and breaks into pieces as entering the urban density, suggesting a resistance to the “solid” non natural environment of the city.  

The idea of interpenetration of different elements in space, produces transformations of great intense thus evoking notions of versatile realities. Through antithesis one can experience the stream line as an adventure of consciousness in the city’s present and past time.    

 

Pafos Town Hall

A Public space such as the town hall is the community’s representation. Pafos is a small town with a great past and up growing future. Its inhabitants need to concise of its historic value and through this memory restore the notion of its present dynamics and possibilities.

The building is the negative of an ark. Its insight is formed of solid structures wrapped up from a semi penetrated screen. The lobby is the crucial space of facing the past. Above it is suspended a symbolic memory space – the town’s library – sealed in a see through cube. The internal solid forms are obvious from the external thus making evident an inner and consistent depth of matter. This idea rather refers to the aesthetic notion of space as an analogue of remembering. Chambers of memory are difficult to reach, though an involuntary memory, that of the easy view penetration through a screen, can find fragments of past in the present. 

The Labyrinth

Athens School Of Fine Arts

Masters Course “Digital Forms of Arts” 2005-2006

Labyrinth is a graphic resolution of a question of rhythm – a line regulation of a geometrically composite plan.

Though, its substantial context lies more on its internal path than on its outer design viewed from above.

The Labyrinth is experienced through ones inner flanerie. It is a space in which the movement experience can be held in the most simple optical Eyre.

The meaning and formation begins from the prehistoric times during which secret rituals occurred. Those spatial expressions related to the ancient ideas of the world thus forming into mystic dances and body sequences.

The Minoan Labyrinth refers to a mythical idea that life realizes in a cyclic manner in relating to a meta physic – non representative point. It forms around a cross [double axes] as symmetrical but non centric – distinguished structure in which every movement is realized in the cyclic space and time of the myth.

During the classical times the Labyrinths center is Socrates’ end point in which everything start from the beginning -nothing but an in-between passing through – the medium for finding the initiating idea.

Roman Labyrinth is a designed correspondence to being and non being [a route – center] thus referring to the former myth whereas Minotaur as the spirit of bad is imprisoned in its center.

It is geometrically structured in sections of even circles or rectangles through which movement is successive towards a distinguished point – “medallion”.

Parallel to its Roman expression, the Medieval Labyrinth attains a religious and symbolic significance resembling a path towards god which relates to beginning and ending of being [life and death].

During Renaissance Labyrinth’s center disappears – becomes outerly rotten – whilst the being itself stands as a moving figure in an even geometrical structure having gained the control of the whole.

Its’ transcendental nature passes through and beyond history of being, thus forming the intermediate locus of finding or departing from point of views.

According to the old meaning of the Labyrinth, the route is specific. What changes is the motion’s orientation rhythm in space. This rhythm is predestined in the Labyrinths own structure.

Any root’s loss or disorientation or even the probability of choosing any route corresponds to the contemporary.

The modern “maze” is not only a system with no specific route channel but also a structure of errantry. Errantry as a movement of randomness in time – a  manoeuvrings of changing routes through the possibility of choice. The wanderer comes towards points of interest which act as pilot to his infinite motion.

In Walter Benjamin’ s thinking everything changes during wandering movement – time –

Notion and memory in such way that the flaneur’s  perception is fragmentary formed during experience. In this way, the Labyrinth is nothing but a complicated disorienting web – a multiple space structure in which someone can detect different pathways during time.

In Kafka’ s ‘Das Gebäude”  is a representation of inner perceptional world in the Labyrinth’s  spatial analogy. Inside these scheme, paths, dead ends, flattened openings, the writer inhabits in continuous motion. Changing positions from space to space, hearing sounds, observing invaders, sensing light or shadow, fixing rotten structures, calming or worrying about the way he inhabits inside he is in an eternal reassigning of purpose.

This project negotiates the meaning of notional Labyrinth. A loop motion takes place inside an abstract spatial analog of the maze. During this movement, perception is altered – related to abstract experience of sound or noise.  Camera moves inside the maze model capturing changes of perspective, light and shadow, open paths or dead ends. Time is continuous accelerated or delayed in relation to the observer’s position in space. Delay occurs when sounds evoke thus disorientating the movement. Sound is applied as an abstraction of sense thus simulating involuntary memory to act upon the past.

the Eternal return

Athens School Of Fine Arts

Masters Course “Digital Forms of Arts”
2005-2006

Nietzsche’ s Idea of the eternal return refers to the wills’  strong ability for strength or existence – a will that can reform itself in the continuous changing of things in an obscure or invisible – infinite time.

Every event of the past will occur eternal again and again in the circled time called history.

In Zarathustra’ s image, the eternal return is the substantial idea of existence as a re-bringing of the same events in his view and perspective. He is aware of the repetition of every phrase and every concept of his life, thus having a fascinating time. In accordance, Albert Camus’  Sysifos experiences the eternal return in a constant positiveness.

19ths an 20ths century literature and philosophy had to criticize the idea of time trying to overcome the historical traditions’ constraints. Goethe refers to the repetition f every wise thought in ones experience through life.

In James Joys’ first [non finalized] sentence in Finnegan's wake “..by a commodious vicious recirculation…” – where events, words and ideas are cycled in an eternal present with no beginning or end.

Mark Twain criticize on history’s’ non repetition but rhyme…whilst Proust’ s writings rotate around moments of the past through a non voluntary memory.

Walter Benjamin refers to the loss of historical time. The 20^th century man seams to detach himself of history and be witness of this detachment in a dramatic way of farewell while attempting to grasp the remains of historical time. The ‘angel of history’ separates from something in which it stares insistently. Its face turns to the past and its ruins. The angel wishes to rebuilt the past but futures’  power pulls it towards a backlash movement.

Accordingly, Henri Bergson’s being is related to a perceptional center of a mattered action in a constantly changing presence. In this consideration of space there is only an eternal continuity of time points. During time’s itinerancy there is no beginning or ending – but an internal continuity in which all return eternally in itself. This is the form in which self relation to the past and present occurs.

Self being is captured in this cycled movement where every change of position in nothing but a repetitive moment in an indefinable time.

Probably fare welling the last consistence on linear historical time but then maybe welcoming through the interval the movement between the loss and ourselves – the possibility of passing through a map of randomly moving points where initial ideas communicate with time and overcome its constraints.

Probably history and non history narrative and non narrative consist of each other. In such supposed parallel position non historical needs historical to confirm itself in every present and vice verse.

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According Deleuse we are thrown in an endless manifoldness of diverse relationships. The seemingly distinctive elements of the world are nothing but reformed relations of different points in time thus continuously returning in between.

Form or designing the “new”

Architectural research is usually focused in designing “new” which is sometimes constrained to a sculptural representation of form. These forms may concern impressionistic shapes of spaces producing interesting perspectives in three dimensional world, nevertheless do not exceed the exteriority of German expressionism cinema. Dr Calgary’s workshop recommends nothing less than a building complex of Tom Mayne concerning its scene projections or perspective views in space. Yet, the genius of Mournau succeeds in creating an atmosphere of outlandish which fails in the case of architecture purpose of Mayne as shocking experience multiple space possibility. There is a contemporary tenacity for “pan-optic” for constantly searching the new – the one that differs from the custom – that results to a garrulity of pluralistic forms which are this way self destructive in order to become self exposed.  Organic structures are thus the motif in the fanade of science.  Resultantly, we come to face pseudo-scientific aspects of design in which molecular structures in the discipline of biology for example are consolidated as footprint on designed forms or programs. Unfortunately, this “new” mode is only about another morphology as fragmental representation of a bio – microcosms.     

 All these “organic” forms interpreted in means of space structures, almost aesthetically or physiologically dangerous are results of the intention of “new” which proposes a finally “same” reality!

The notion of Deconstruction as cultural achievement is only an incongruous remark for architectural designing of “new” form. The construction exists either as parameter or system of parameters – software – or as instant information behind the contemporary production of form. What lacks is perhaps the preinstalled image established by the modern movement.  Modernity in a way, counterbalanced quantities, shapes, parts through function and aesthetics of the modulus’ structure for as much as perception of the analogue could permit.  Thus never was it acquainted with “special” distinctive quantities or digital compensations related to its form.

Modernity structured a “new” commodity together with an altered perception of aesthetics without the pursuit of any “new” fable in itself thus being developed harmonically and in accordance to its current times.

Contemporary embarrassments of any “new” as a difference, suggests an awkward and pointless recycling of the “same” thus producing mere images of what has been already interpreted in other and perhaps sometimes even stronger cultural forms.           

the Writer’s Retreat

“...there are writers who find comfort and inspiration to their activity in noisy cafes, smoky wine bars, crowded trains, busy airport lounges, public spaces and there are writers who prefer the isolation of a private room, the obscure conditions of a monastic cell or the seclusion of a small cabin, cut off from the reality of the world….”

The concept is based on the relation between private and public space in the metropolitan center. The notion of retreat does not necessarily apply to isolation from the world. Into the complex system of cityscape, distinctive fragments of space or substance are intensified. The inhabitant – writer – is found in a constant pursuit of identity whilst at the same time detached from and attached to it. His creative power is deduced from the environment he is assigned to.

In real time and space, a site in the center of Athens is located t the crossroad of Athinas and Ermou Street, into the hard of the city whereas multiple images and events take place.

The aim of design is the re-discussion of antithesis of housing towards an urban palimpsest through its architectural charge as private space. The house of the writer as a retreat into a specific time – space – becomes a receptacle of elaboration and record thus being an observation vehicle. It is the space of possibility for emerging to or submerging from the world.