Design as the pursuit of the "new"

Commendation | Architectural Competition Rehabilitation of the Old Chann of Ibrahim in Paphos CY

ΕΠΑΙΝΟΣ | ΑΡΧΙΤΕΚΤΟΝΙΚΟΣ ΔΙΑΓΩΝΙΣΜΟΣ | ΑΠΟΚΑΤΑΣΤΑΣΗ ΚΑΙ ΕΠΑΝΑΧΡΗΣΗ ΤΟΥ ΧΩΡΟΥ ΤΟΥ ΧΑΝΙOY ΤΟΥ ΙΜΠΡΑΗΜ ΣΤΗΝ ΠΑΦΟ

Χριστιάνα Καραγιώργη | Christiana Karagiorgi Architects 

Xρύσω Ονησιφόρου - Χάρης Πέτρου | xx-architects 

Ιφιγένεια Νεοφύτου | Αρχιτέκτονας

Τ ο   ν ή μ α

Μέσα στην πλέξη ενός υφαντού και τις θηλιές του νήματός του, βρίσκονται χαμένες οι ρίζες του Χανίου του Ιμπραήμ. Η ύπαρξή του είναι πλεγμένη στους αρχαίους εμπορικούς δρόμους της Ασίας και της Ανατολικής Μεσογείου, αφού η μορφή του αποτελεί μετεξέλιξη ίδιων τυπολογιών των κτηρίων, που βρίσκονταν διάσπαρτα κατά μήκος του δρόμου του μεταξιού. Τα κτήρια αυτά, τα λεγόμενα «καραβάν σεράι», τα συναντούμε συνήθως στις παρυφές των πόλεων ως πανδοχεία, καταφύγια εμπόρων, δούλων, ταξιδιωτών, ζώων και εμπορευμάτων. Το δίκτυο που συγκροτούν, υποστηρίζει την ροή του εμπορίου και των πληροφοριών του αρχαίου Οθωμανικού και όχι μόνο, κόσμου έως και τον 19ο αιώνα. Με την πάροδο του χρόνου σε πολλές περιοχές το «καραβάν σεράι» μετατοπίζεται στο κέντρο της πόλης και ονομάζεται «χάνι». Το χάνι ενταγμένο στον μόνιμα μεταλλάξιμο αστικό ιστό, ξεπερνά την άλλοτε αυστηρή γεωμετρία του και εντάσσεται οργανικά στον ιστό των εμπορικών κέντρων των πόλεων. Οι δραστηριότητες της πόλης ενεργοποιούν επιπλέον δυνατότητες στη χρήση του μετατρέποντάς το σε έναν ζωντανό και πολυσύχναστο δημόσιο χώρο.

Το Χάνι του Ιμπραήμ στην καρδιά του εμπορικού κέντρου της Πάφου αποτελεί μέρος ενός ευρύτερου δικτύου Οθωμανικών χανίων στο νησί. Ως τυπολογία ανήκει στην ύστερη εξέλιξη των καραβάν σεράι συστήνοντας έναν οργανικό χώρο στην πόλη, όπου η συνάντηση των ανθρώπων συμβαίνει ως μέρος μιας διαδικασίας ανταλλαγής. Μέσα από την σύγχρονη επανάχρησή του το χάνι γίνεται χώρος συνάντησης της ιστορικής μνήμης. Η ξεκούραση, η σκίαση, ο ύπνος, η έκθεση τέχνης και τεχνικής, η συνδιαλλαγή και η δράση αναβιώνουν στους ίδιους χώρους όπου συνέβαιναν για τόσους αιώνες. Το παρελθόν και το παρόν βρίσκουν νέους συσχετισμούς και ο χρήστης ξανασυναντά την ιστορία και τις μνήμες του ιστορικού χώρου. Η πρόταση μας επιχειρεί να επανενώσει τις χαμένες ρίζες του χώρου και να επαναφέρει την δομική εξέλιξή του στην σύγχρονη αστική κουλτούρα, διατηρώντας τον κτισμένο χώρο ανέπαφο με εμφανείς ακόμα και τις μεταγενέστερες προσθήκες ως σπόλια.

Η πρόταση χρησιμοποιεί ως βασικό σχεδιαστικό υλικό το νήμα, αναγνωρίζοντας την σημειολογική του αξία στην εξέλιξη των αρχαίων κοινωνιών και στην διαμόρφωση του αρχαίου κόσμου. Τα νήματα του δρόμου του μεταξιού λειτουργούν ως ραφές στην ιστορική μνήμη και χρησιμοποιούνται ως συνδετικοί κρίκοι σε μια αόρατη ύφανση μεταξύ ιστορίας και σύγχρονης αστικής επανάχρησης. Το νήμα και η ύφανση χωρίς εξαίρεση αποτελούν σημαντικό στοιχείο της κυπριακής παράδοσης που κατά την αρχαιότητα βρέθηκε και αυτή αναμεμειγμένη στο δίκτυο του αρχαίου εμπορικού ιστού. Έτσι, πλέκεται ένα υφαντό το οποίο εισάγει, καθοδηγεί, σκιάζει και δημιουργεί εναλλαγές αισθήσεων στον χρήστη μέσα στο χώρο του χανίου. Το υφαντό αυτό βρίσκεται κάπου ανάμεσα στην αυστηρή δομή του στημονιού και στην αταξία του νήματος, κάπου πριν την σχολαστική σαφήνεια του μοτίβου αλλά και στην διάρκεια της κοπιαστικής προσπάθειας να δοθεί τάξη στο χάος νημάτων που περιτριγυρίζουν τον υφαντή. Η ιδέα του νήματος εκφέρεται χωρικά σε μεταλλικά στοιχεία, πλεγμένα μεταξύ τους ώστε να δημιουργούν αλλά και να ορίζουν την πυκνότητα της επιθυμητής ύφανσης. Αυτά τα στοιχεία σχηματίζουν ένα ελαφρύ ένδυμα που λειτουργεί συνεκτικά για το υπάρχον κτίσμα. Η νέα δομή της πλέξης παραλαμβάνει το φυσικό στοιχείο του πρασίνου για να οργανώσει ένα φίλτρο φωτός και σκιάς επεμβαίνοντας έτσι κλιματικά στον δημόσιο ανοικτό χώρο. Το πράσινο μετατρέπεται σε αρχιτεκτονικό στοιχείο που συνθέτει υπαίθριους φωτεινούς με σκιερούς χώρους. Η ιδέα της πλέξης των φυτών στο μεταλλικό υφαντό παραπέμπει στο γνώριμο κυπριακό τοπίο της κληματαριάς, όπου ο κάτοικος τοποθετεί το πλέγμα του και το ίδιο το φυτό αρχίζει να περιτυλίγεται και να μεγαλώνει γύρω του ακολουθώντας τα όρια του πλέγματος. Το νήμα, που φέρει εντός του την ζωντανή πλέξη της φύσης, δημιουργεί γόνιμες συνθήκες βίωσης του χώρου.  

 

Σ ύ ν θ ε σ η

Το συγκρότημα του χανίου αντιμετωπίζεται ως ανοικτός χώρος με δυο διακριτά κέντρα: την κεντρική αυλή, όπου και παραλαμβάνει τις δημόσιες λειτουργίες, ενώ συγχρόνως οργανώνει την κίνηση και τη στάση κατά μήκος της και την πίσω αυλή, όπου η δημόσια λειτουργία είναι θεματικά ανάλογη με την εκδήλωση, που λαμβάνει χώρα κάθε φορά. Η κύρια είσοδος εισάγει τον επισκέπτη μέσα στο πλέγμα και το πράσινο, για να τον διοχετεύσει στην αυλή και στους χώρους εκατέρωθεν, όπου συμβαίνουν δημόσιες συναθροίσεις και δράσεις. Ο ελεύθερος ανοιχτός χώρος αποκτά κινητά στοιχεία, έτσι ώστε να υποστηρίξει υπαίθρια κύριες χρήσεις. Τα έπιπλα, ως ελεύθερα στοιχεία στο χώρο, διπλώνονται και αποθηκεύονται ή αναδιπλώνονται για να συνθέσουν χώρους δράσης στην αυλή. Στον όροφο χωρεθετούνται οι ξενώνες κατά μήκος της στοάς που δημιουργούν τα κατακόρυφα στοιχεία (νήματα). Απέναντι προστίθεται ένας μεταλλικός όγκος, με χρήση εκθεσιακού χώρου. Η δημόσια δράση της κεντρικής αυλής διαπερνά το κενό ανάμεσα στους χώρους των εργαστηρίων για να συναντήσει έναν πιο εσωτερικό χώρο, την πίσω αυλή. Ο περίκλειστος χαρακτήρας της ενισχύεται με το στοιχείο του νερού, που αποτελεί υπόμνηση μιας παλαιότερης χρήσης. Στους στάβλους, όπου άλλοτε τα ζώα των επισκεπτών ξεδιψούσαν και ξεκουράζονταν, δημιουργείται ένας μυστηριακός χώρος απομόνωσης στον εαυτό ή καταβύθισης στη σημειολογία κάποιου γεγονότος ή στην εκσκαφή ενός εσωτερικού χώρου ενθύμησης.  

Τα κτήρια που περιβάλλουν το χάνι μπορούν να λειτουργήσουν ως προπομπός της χρήσης που βρίσκεται πίσω από αυτά. Το ανάπτυγμα των όψεών τους αντιμετωπίζεται ως ενιαία επιφάνεια, που λειτουργεί ως φίλτρο, αφού η διάτρησή της επιτρέπει το φως να την διαπερνά ελεγχόμενα, σκιάζοντας τμήματα των καταστημάτων. Το βράδυ, προβολείς ρίχνουν το φως από απέναντι μετατρέποντάς την σε θέατρο σκιών των περαστικών. Το χάνι ως εσωτερικό, παραμένει κρυφό και τα κτήρια που το περιβάλλουν, υπαινίσσονται την παρουσία του μέσα από ένα κινηματογραφικό εφέ της δράσης του δρόμου. Οι προβολές των σκιών αποτελούν ένα διαδραστικό γεγονός κατά το οποίο το αστικό τοπίο συνομιλεί με τον άνθρωπο σε ένα δημιουργικό παιχνίδι αισθήσεων.

Β ι ω σ ι μ ό τ η τ α   

Οι άλλοτε υπαίθριες συναθροίσεις των εμπόρων και ταξιδιωτών στους ανοιχτούς χώρους του χανίου, στη σκιά των δέντρων ή κάτω από τον ουρανό, στον αέρα, το φως ή την σκιά είχαν τη σημασία τους ως ουσιώδεις

και πρωταρχικές ανάγκες. Η πρόταση συστήνει το χάνι ως βιώσιμο χώρο με την περιβαλλοντική σημασία της βιωσιμότητας αφού χρησιμοποιεί το πράσινο ως δομικό στοιχείο της σύνθεσης. Η φύτευση λειτουργεί ως φίλτρο φωτός και αέρα αφού τα φυτά που προτείνονται, αμπελοψίδα και αγιόκλημα, είναι αντίστοιχα φυλλοβόλα και αειθαλή, έτσι ώστε να διατηρείται το πράσινο καθ’ όλη τη διάρκεια του χρόνου αλλά και να ενισχύεται το καλοκαίρι για να δημιουργεί τις κατάλληλες προϋποθέσεις φωτισμού και σκίασης. Το υγρό στοιχείο στη σύνθεση αποτελεί πρόταση βιοκλιματικού σχεδιασμού με συλλογή του νερού της βροχής, που καθαρίζεται και διαχέεται στα σημεία της εσωτερικής αυλής. Η πρόταση εισάγει τον σχηματισμό ενός ευρύτερου δικτύου πράσινων δημόσιων χώρων. Το φυσικό στοιχείο ενισχύει την γενικότερη πρόθεση σχεδιασμού πράσινων χώρων στο κέντρο της Πάφου. Η σύγχρονη χρήση του Χανίου συστήνει ένα χώρο όπου ο επισκέπτης ενεργεί δημιουργικά στο παρόν ενθυμούμενος το παρελθόν και σκεπτόμενος το μέλλον ως βιώσιμη δυνατότητα.

© Χριστιάνα Καραγιώργη (Christiana Karagiorgi Architects), Xρύσω Ονησιφόρου, Χάρης Πέτρου (xx-architects), Ιφιγένεια Νεοφύτου, Aρχιτέκτονας

House study in Koloni Village

 

House design in Paphos 2011

Larnaca under Shadow _For a shaded urban terrace

The project is about the new building of the municipal market of Larnaca, to be placed at the site of the old, now demolished, market, at the heart of the city,

In our proposal we introduced the idea of the ‘shaded urban terrace’. We acknowledge that the creation of shaded spaces has become an important urban condition in Larnaca, both due to the harsh sunlight during a large part of the year, and the need for outdoors life of the residents. There are at least three different conditions of shaded spaces that we found in the city: the spots of shadow created by the umbrellas along the sea-side promenade, the temporary shaded areas on platforms and recreational spaces and the semi-open shaded spaces in the interior of blocks and workshops. These different versions of shaded city space that manage to enhance public life in many different ways have become the motivation for our proposal.

In our proposal we introduce the shadowed terrace of the city into the new Markets’ building by covering it up with a canopy. This canopy becomes the agent that multiplies the existing shaded city space from the ground of the marketplace up to the highest level of the parking space. At the same time a new cityscape is formed by the creation of an uninterrupted ground level. With these two design tools, the canopy and the ground, the commercial surface of the city is enforced and becomes uniform while the market is placed at its center, a nodal point in the entire commercial centre of Larnaca. 

Competition entry by

AA & U (Socrates Stratis, Riccardo Urbano)

And DraftWorks (Christos Papastergiou,

Christiana Ioannou, Christiana Karagiorgi)

City spaces - Interpreting the Event

The value of the contemporary city lies upon its ability to broaden experience either by hiding or revealing its qualities in space and time. Thus an evaluation, analysis and new interpretation are attempted through an experimental approach.

To attempt a definition of empty spaces, possible design practices are proposed without "occupying" existing settlements. The architecture proposals being light opaque layers of new space structures, suggest a new experience of the same – in a space of existing notion – now enriched through architecture design. therefore, one can participate in - rather than merely observe the city, thus experiencing an interactive reality.

Europan 9 - "Geneva Point de la Junction" 2007

"MelanGe_neve: Contriving Momenta"

A reference on Art towards contemporary new media

Essay in new media Arts

Though there is no linear historical process in the audiovisual Arts, there have been efforts of ordering them into fields of expression. The boundaries between these fields are usually indistinguishable. Each field tangles to another in times where their categorization only projects to reassess the objective of arts, and its creational process. Conceptual Arts refers to non traditional forms of cultural production, flux’s movement [at the end of the 50s] criticizes on the elitism of exclusion of arts at its times, performance art borrows itself to   actuation of event and not its mere objectification, arte povera puts questions to form relatively to the medium...   

Since the beginnings of the 20^th century artists of modern times give a new notion in artistic creation - that lays beyond any interpretation – the power to judgment on the present in a completely revolutionary way. At those times, art has been expressed in many new and non conventional ways. Their common contemplation has been the relating of tangible representation to an abstract reality through new, inventive expressions. Art of the first decades criticizes on traditional painting and its weakness to endure in modern times’ new notions. Experimentations of creation have already started from the ends of 19^th century through invention of photography thus expanding to fields of science and technological progress.

This new artistic reality aims to overcome its traditional limitations. Artists like Braque or Picasso struggle with canvas not for an exterior representation but for sake of their very personal expression. Such experiments are inspired from the artists’ everyday life together with possibilities of new technological achievements.

Nietzsche’s and Froyd’s theories put the subject to the centre of history thus pushing art towards personal perquisites. Marcel Duchamp as a pioneer of the early 20^th century places artist on the trajectory of a modern expression as A. Danto speaks of “…the end of art as we have known it….”

Cultural production embraces the technological revolution while its point of departure is already out of conventional limits – from experimentation with photography and cinema to expanding on video and virtual reality while moving in between.

This new direction in other fields or disciplines, suggests an art of time – an art whose basic component is condense of past, present and future. Artists of the 50s yearn to involve into the process of change in a widening and absolutely critical way.

Since the ends of 19^th century scientific and art researchers like E. Muybridge and E. J. Marey are exploring movement in snap – shots. These experiments are to influence surrealists and futurists like M. Duchamp later on. Photographic or filmic material [still image] recommends a new way of time representation. What interests the cultural production of that period is the meaning of time and memory [historical or personal] not only as a spectacle but also as a basic component of notion in artistic work.

An art of time is thus born through which creators and spectators are experimenting with event.

During the same period, philosopher H. Bergson [1859 – 1941] influences in great extend photographers, painters, writers chorographers and videografists. For Bergson time is the center of metaphysic thinking for reality is nothing else but flux – movement in time. Notion of the present time as the in-between field of past and future suggests an intuition – conception interactivity. Bodies in space interests artists mostly in terms of such a philosophical thinking.

In 1878 E. Muybridge prints a photographic sequence of a horse’s movement as an effort of capturing the distinctive physiology alterations of movement on time. Multiple horse portraits are captures from a series of snap – shots through the distance covered. The photography is set to be taken at the exact moment of the horses touching a string attached to the machine and crossing the line. A series of images of 1/200second is produced. Time is thus deconstructed – cut in pieces of still images of the event. The project affects the whole scientific community for it brings new and factual material for biology studies.

Furthermore it is the first automated  sequence taken on film! Later on cinematography is going to advance this idea into filmic machine.   

A few years later, M. Duchamp will use the idea of time in his work “Nude Descending a Staircase” [1912] parallel to another influence of Maybridge’s work “ascending and descending stairs” [1884 – 85]

C. Greeberg – a protagonist of postmodern critic – establishes a new movement – abstract expressionism. In his theoretical aspect work of art must have the ability to exist by their selves – to constitute unique objects as ready mades. He supports the dept for new art – of criticizing on its own application towards enforcement of its competitiveness. Art has to differentiate from social life or politics so that to search for the obsolete – thus founding an idea for its own. The meaning must be totally annulled in art image or form so that the art piece cannot be undertaken into anything else but its objectiveness.  

Abstract expressionism abandons the traditional notion of representation. The abstract is an important aspect of the two dimensional image while even a quite fragmental silhouette could lead in forbidden relations to illusionism. Furthermore, the reality – actuality of the modern painting is found at its relation to its medium. Painting or sculpture is self referential – adequate. Abstract expressionism effort is to overcome the symbolism of exterior reality trying to achieve the inner – primitive experience of an abstract artistic gesture. Canvas is not the framing of an image but the representation of an open area of freedom in which the root is foraged. Work of art is thus an unexpected locus of hypothesis – conception – a non transparent space that acts as a metaphor. It is in this way a notional object. After all, the absolute image is not evaluated for what it prescribes, explains or represent but only for what it is in its own objectivity.

Duchamp’s searches are to exceed representation. Soon he will experiment in a mixture of media to create sculptures in space [the Bride stripped Bare by her Bachelors, Even 1915 – 23], films [Anemic cinema 1926] and installations [etant donnes 1946 – 66]. His work is outside every preconditioned aesthetic thus cannot be consolidated into any artistic movement of its times.  His notion of the ready – made as the non replica - the unique piece of art that can only exist in it for it self autonomously puts in question again the meaning of art. Through an emancipated approach of the medium, the work of art is detached from its commercial purpose. According to Duchamp, the new value of any promotion is assigned to its concept.

Duchamp’s controversial ideas affect most of the young artists of the 50s. Not only Europe but also United States are facing great changes in that period that relates to the cultural production. Students demonstrate their opposition to Vietnam’s war, social right are in crisis, political activists are greatly motivated and commercialization of every commodity indicate a world in which the role of an artist is crucial.

More specifically, art in United States tends to overcome the abstract expressionism. This consternation is spread everywhere. Movements such as Pop or Minimal Art come up parallel to multimedia experiments of John Cage [1912 – 92] whilst R. Motherwell prints dada documents [including Duchamp’s]. Abstract Expressionism has already made place for new art. Pop Art, Minimal and Post minimal Art, Happenings and Fluxus fix a completely new cultural scene. Video originated from the media acts independently as a medium of reassigning aesthetics in its every form of expression. J. Pollock, W. Kooning, F. Kline, M. Rothko, B. Nauman etc represent the power of new artistic creation.

John Cage’s project of experimental music following by philosophy of Zen relates to his research on chance. His music include abstract noises of the street, sounds of raw material such as wood or the chords of a piano or even silence [mute concert titled 4΄:33΄΄ of 1952] His colleague M. Cunningham [dancer and chorographer] assigns his sounds in special expressions creating provocative performances – non linear fragmental expressions of movement in space.

In such perspective, artists of that period embrace the notion of a conceptual art in which the meaning is formed through the event, an abstract situation of common life that simply happens.

The movement called Fluxus appears in 1961 when Georg Macinnas [1939 – 78] a provocative artist organizes the first artistic “events” in AG Gallery in New York. Later on, it is established as an international movement of artists, cinematographers and musicians who expose their work in Europe [1962]. Thus, flux acts as a regenerator of great importance in performance, cinema and experimentation upon video art. Alike Dada, Fluxus formed the neo-dada in music, theatre, poetry and art. In a historical time in which modernism reaches the zenith of self reference having excluded art from the masses, fluxus as an anti – art movement aims to bind new artistic creation to the common everyday life objective world. Artistic ideals of Fluxus are thus accessed to public through performances – events that embrace chance as a new aspect of artistic creation in real time.

For the G. Brecht, performance is the reality’s minimum unit. A performance example is “open event” of Mieco Shiomi, a challenge for the opening of an enclosure. During this event, the audience was invited to write about the exact reality of their own event. This artistic action opposes to the elitism of the museum defending the communicative process of art.

Another similar but yet different event of minimal music composition is John Cage’s “scores” – based on the idea of covering a piano so that to produce no sound. During the event, everything as a result of sounds by chance could happen.

Fluxus idea of art piece is the possibility to be finalized through the correspondence of the audience. The viewer thus becomes very important for the event. This participation of the subject determines the current notion of art while differentiating its parameters and deciding its idea in real time.

Fluxus manifest expands in moving image thus forming the bases for the upcoming media art. From the early 60s “fluxusflims”  [a series of 40 short films] are projected in Canal Street New York. One of them belongs to Nam June Paik [“Zen for film” 1962 – 64] as a 30 minutes projection of 1000f film on television screen. The projection surface is placed next to an upturned piano and a double bass. The project criticizes on commercial film as it captures every element of film production [lighting, visual effects, scene, even image itself]. Such a subtraction aims to expose the work of cinematography naked of its common context – as an object of pure 16mm film sequence – opened in any artistic substance. This non imaged projection constitutes the minimal actions of what is going to follow – the beginning of alternative cinema. Production of fluxusfilms’ experiments by Mieco Shiomi, Yioko Ono, Peter Moore, Gregiry Marcopoulos, Andy Worholl, Robert Beavers and more is to be continued in the following years. The boundaries of cinematography are now broken, for a new and pure artistic approach on moving image. Video art activates something new creating an open and charming field of playing.

Audiovisual form relates to a notional procedure. Nevertheless, it has not lost touch with natural material and interpretation even to the limits of invisible or hidden. The audiovisual art introduces a new notional and aesthetic criteria – it reverses the classical thesis of image on natural to distinctive – thus digital world. The reality of the planets augmented promptitude of electronic inter link is reflected into the new trajectory of art – an attempt for reappointing from scratch the notion of space ant time.

Notes

Henri Marcel Duchamp was born in 1887 in France. From 1904 to 1905 he studied painting in Academe Julian together with Jacques Villon and Raymond Duchamp – Villon in Paris His early works are post impressionistic. His first exhibition took place in Salon des Independents and Salon d’ Automne. His paintings of 1911 refer to cubism but emphasize on forms in motion. He finalizes his subject on movement in “Nude Descending a Staircase” [1912] a painting quite controversial in New York. His drastic iconoclastic ideas prepared the way to Zurich’s Dada movement in 1916. He had given up classic painting already from 1913 to experiment in alternative artistic forms [mechanical drawings, surveys and notes] which he would combine later on to another work of great importance [“the Bride Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors, Even” 19115-23 also known as “The Large Glass].  In the 1914 he introduced the idea of readymade – the common object of everyday life which he alters to transform into a piece of art. This point of view, is to be adopted by    

Bibliography

Rorimer Anny “New Art in 60-70 Redefining reality” Thames & Hudson 2001       

R. Michael “New Media in Late century Art” Thames & Hudson world of Arts 2001

http://www.guggenheimcollection.org

http://www.moma.org

http://www.artmuseum.net

http://www.the-artists.org

Robert Motherwell, Elegy to the Spanish Republic No. 110 1971

Franz Kline, Painting Number 2, 1954, The Museum of Modern Art

Willem De Kooning, Woman V, 1952–1953. De Kooning's series of Woman paintings in the early 1950s caused a stir in the New York City avant-garde circle.

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.

[1]

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.