Nikos Ktenas I TOPOLOGIES

The architectural event “Nikos Ktenas – Topologies” was successfully held on December 12 at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC) Lighthouse, to a full audience. Organized by ek magazine under the auspices of the Hellenic Institute of Architecture, the event highlighted the profound contribution of Nikos Ktenas to contemporary Greek architecture, architectural education, and culture. Through a series of presentations, key aspects of his built and teaching work in Greece, Italy, and Switzerland were brought to the foreground.

The symposium opened with a short excerpt from the television program “Urban Landscape”, dedicated to Nikos Ktenas. The first speaker, Panayotis Tournikiotis, Professor Emeritus at the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) and President of the Hellenic Institute of Architecture, placed Ktenas’s work within the broader legacy of modern rationalism. He was followed by Pierre-Alain Croset, Professor at the Politecnico di Milano, who addressed Ktenas’s teaching activity in Milan and at the Accademia di Architettura in Mendrisio.

The influence of the Ticino School on Nikos Ktenas’s architecture – particularly its distinctive approach to the relationship between modern architecture and place – was explored by Rena Sakellaridou, Professor Emerita at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Afterwards, Manolis Stavrakakis, Assistant Professor at NTUA, reflected on his dialogues with Ktenas, offering an interpretation of his work through alternative forms of spatial representation, including visual poetry, the visual arts, and video.

Dimitris Philippidis, Professor Emeritus at NTUA, recalled his formative encounter with Ticino architecture during the period of Ktenas’s presence there, while photographer Erieta Attali spoke about the beginning of her engagement with architectural photography through documenting his buildings and their relationship to the landscape. Ariadne Vozani, Professor at NTUA, analyzed the multiple references that informed Ktenas’s work and the ways in which they coalesced into a distinct architectural identity.

A detailed account of the educational experience at the Politecnico di Milano was presented by Elena Fontanella and Lorenzo Guzzini, who reflected on their time as students and later as teaching assistants to Nikos Ktenas, accompanied by archival photographic material. The event concluded with Katerina Vasilakou, architect and long-standing collaborator of Nikos Ktenas in Greece for nearly two decades, who shed light on both his architectural practice and his human qualities, sharing personal experiences and anecdotes from their close professional relationship.

On the occasion of the event, ek Architectural Publications released the first edition of the new bilingual volume “Nikos Ktenas Architecture | Topologies”, edited by Ariadne Vozani and Katerina Vasilakou. The book presents the complete catalogue of Nikos Ktenas’s works, featuring ten selected projects documented through drawings and photographs, alongside archival material and an extensive unpublished interview conducted by Panos Tsakopoulos for ek magazine in 2018.

Sponsors: AHI Carrier, Alumil, Europa, Halo Architectural Lighting

Stage Design Sponsor: MOROSO by Casa di Patsi

Supporters: Acrilan, Elval Colour, KEBE, Koligas Wood, Pirotek, PNM Construction, Rouchotas, VIEW Frames

Hospitality Sponsor: Electra Rhythm Athens

Wine Sponsor: Zacharias Wine

Media Sponsor: News24|7

Photos: Aleko Syntelis for ek Magazine