ek magazine 303 | December 2025

Architecture’s Critique

In one of Hans Christian Andersen’s most popular fairy tales, The Emperor’s New Clothes, it takes a child for the truth -what everyone sees but no one dares to say- to be spoken aloud: the emperor is naked. The “magnificent” garments, “as light as a spider’s web,” admired by all, simply do not exist. Yet the crowd, afraid of being considered “out of fashion” or of poor aesthetic judgment, praises their… absence.
In an age when the flood of, primarily, digital publications featuring uneven and heterogeneous architectural works is relentless, no time remains to separate “the wheat from the chaff.” Time to understand whether, in the images of often similar works that inundate us, we are recognizing the art of architecture or the absence of it. At the same time, the articulation of a valid critical discourse on architecture, one that presupposes method and knowledge, free from ideological fixations or, at times, self-serving bias, is rare, if not entirely missing.
It is a fact that architectural criticism constitutes a distinct category, as its subject, unlike other arts, is not solely the result of the creator’s talent and skill. It is also shaped by numerous factors: from the client’s requirements and financial capacity to the institutional framework that sets the rules for its realization. Without overlooking these parameters, fruitful criticism -transcending “-isms” and trends- helps illuminate the significance and impact of architecture on the city, society, and the environment. On the importance of spatial design in our lives, on the meaning it is capable of carrying. From this perspective, criticism may concern less the specific work under review and more the future works that will follow. The absence of a substantial critical dialogue, which ultimately leads to the devaluation of architecture’s role and leaves us exposed to the fleeting impressions shaped by “reactions” on social media, is crucial to address.
These reflections indirectly relate both to our editorial team’s assessment of the most noteworthy works published in our magazine in 2025, and to the honorary event “Nikos Ktenas – Topologies” to be held at the SNFCC’s Lighthouse on December 12. Thus, in this issue, within the Best of section, we highlight works that, among those realized this year, we believe stimulate critical thought and inspire optimism for the trajectory of contemporary Greek and Cypriot architecture.
The year 2025 concludes with an event dedicated to the work of the late and significant architect Nikos Ktenas, featuring presentations by invited speakers who will attempt to shed light on the distinct qualities and values of his oeuvre. The event will be accompanied by a publication of the same title, which we hope will contribute to a deeper appreciation of his work and its importance for architecture, both in Greece and internationally.

Ariadni Vozani