07

Acropole

In Progress

The “Acropole” was one of the most important hotels in the city of Ioannina. It was built in 1936 on the corner of 28th of October and Dodoni by the Kalogeridis family and is one of the first buildings to be constructed with reinforced concrete and to have an elevator.

1930's

Ioannina

06

XT97

The extant building, nested in the city centre of Athens, is one of the finest examples of modernist housing in Greece – and potentially an early precursor to brutalism, imposed by topological factors in Greece. That was – considering his work – one of the main concerns of the architect Aggelos Siagas. Namely, incorporating the principles of modernism, in an effective way, in 1930s Athens. The initial design by Siagas stipulated two independent maisonettes, adjacent not only vertically, but also horizontally. This solution of Athenian housing, alongside many innovations in the design, constitute the particularity and genius of the building. In the forthcoming years, the initial design was abandoned and more conservative approaches were employed, changing not only the interior, but also the facade of the building.

2023

Athens

05

XT97: In Situ

A film – documentary during the restoration of XT97, an interwar modernist building and an early brutalism precursor, nested in the city centre of Athens. The initial design by Angelos Siagas stipulated two independent maisonettes, adjacent not only vertically, but also horizontally. In the forthcoming years, this concept was abandoned. Lara Vartzioti found the extant building and began the restoration process in 2021. The film shows how during this time, various originally hidden details of the building were discovered. Many of the design decisions were made on site, as a  result of collaboration with the construction crew. The construction process demonstrated in the documentary, in synergy with the crew team’s knowledge and the architect’s intentions, has led to the retention of many details of the original building, the structure and the shell, along with the transformation of the interior into flexible spaces that can be adapted for different uses, in direct contrast to the strict floor plans of the original Siagas’ designs. From the original building, the slabs of the existing reinforced concrete load-bearing structure were retained and reinforced with plates. During this process, the cross-section of the columns and beams was increased, while the third floor slab was demolished and reconstructed, as it had suffered irreparable damage. The video captures these moments, creating a narrative of how this nearly demolished shell got alive, remembering its original form.

Directed by: Alekos Alexiadis

2022

Athens

04

XT97 In Progress

These pictures capture the essence of the building’s original condition, as it was found, while showing the process of its restoration.

2021-2023

Athens

03

Old House 45221

In a rural town Ioannina, lying in a valley of the Greek Alps of Epirus, the dwelling is located in the suburb with picturesque character. The stone house falls into the traditional typology of Greek rural houses, with only one level and very simple layout. The presence of the stone is dominant between the very few materials used, like wood on the roof and concrete on the floor.

2020

Ioannina

02

4057 AADRL Research Project

4057 evolves around the topic of culture, where culture is defined as what most of the people do most of the time.

In the cities we live in, what we do is defined by the surrounding built environment and our routines are determined by the opportunities and obstacles created by the infrastructures of the city. Therefore, 4057 introduces a new system within the urban infrastructure, which interacts with the user routines of the cities, in order to redefine them, to redefine urban culture.
The way the existing infrastructure defines our culture and routines is static and non-dynamic, thus making it impossible for the existing urban systems to adapt to the users needs. In this framework, the emergent behaviours and organisational abilities of 4057 make it possible for the urban environment to respond to the user and the user’s needs, in order to create cities that are intelligent, interactive time-based space generators.

2019

Architectural Association

01

Circus Hostel

While working on the competition for the renovation of The Circus Hostel, we wanted to bring together a contemporary minimalist approach to design with the playful atmosphere of a circus. We got inspired by the existing infrastructure of the hostel, as well as the forms, the curtains and the hanging elements of the tents of the circuses. Curtains, hanging lights, as well as minimalist furniture in black and white come together to create a cool yet cozy vibe for the rooms of The Circus Hostel in Berlin. The colors respect and enhance the existing color palette used in the hostel. This way we created an atmosphere that is cool and cozy, urban and dreamy simultaneously.

2018

Berlin, Germany