Typologies of Feelings: Kokkinou Kourkoulas Architects & Associates

Architectural Event

The honorary event held at the bustling “Lighthouse” of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC) on December 13th, organized by ek magazine under the auspices of the Hellenic Institute of Architecture, was met with resounding success. The event was masterfully coordinated by architects Ariadne Vozani, Professor at NTUA and Editorial Director of ek magazine, and Stavros Martinos, a Member of the magazine’s Editorial Team.

Maria Kokkinou and Andreas Kourkoulas, who established their architectural practice in 1987 upon their return to Athens from London, are widely regarded as two of the most significant architects of their generation. Their extensive body of work spans nearly all building categories and scales. Renowned for introducing innovative ideas to Greek architecture, they advocate for designs that are more seamlessly integrated into the urban fabric, utilizing advanced materials and construction techniques. Their contributions have transformed Greece’s urban and suburban landscapes with exceptional public and private spaces. Notable projects include the Generali offices in Maroussi, the Benaki Museum on Piraeus Street, the Shop and Trade multi-use building in Tavros, and the Cosmote headquarters in Mesogeia.

With a dynamic trajectory spanning over 35 years as well as Andreas Kourkoulas’s tenure as a professor at the School of Architecture at NTUA, the office Kokkinou-Kourkoulas Architects and Partners continues to shape the contemporary architectural landscape of Greece with the exceptional quality of its projects. The significance of this remarkable journey, along with its lesser-known personal dimensions, was illuminated during the event by ten distinguished collaborators of the firm from both academic and professional circles.

The first speaker, Yannis Peponis, Professor of Architecture at Georgia Tech, began with a reference to Andreas Kourkoulas’s PhD thesis at UCL, using it as a foundation to explore an office design methodology that links buildings to their urban context. He illustrated this approach through three built projects in Athens, where the design of their entrances serves as a key tool for understanding a broader architectural philosophy.

Nicolas Travasaros, founder of Divercity Architects, shared his experience as a young architect working in the office of Maria Kokkinou and Andreas Kourkoulas. He reflected on the invaluable skills he acquired there, which prepared him to take on equally complex and demanding architectural projects in his own career.

Ricky Burdett, Professor at the London School of Economics, shared a personal account of Maria Kokkinou and Andreas Kourkoulas’s time in London, when they studied together under the pioneering architect Bill Hillier. He also reflected on the enduring friendship they built in the years that followed.

Elli Pagalou, landscape architect, shared her perspective on her productive collaborations with Maria Kokkinou and Andreas Kourkoulas. These partnerships, which evolved into lasting professional relationships, consistently provided opportunities for dynamic and creative exchanges.

Elias Konstantopoulos, Professor Emeritus at the Department of Architecture at the University of Patras and President of the Hellenic Institute of Architecture, contextualized the architects’ work within the broader theoretical explorations of their generation on a global scale. Drawing from Bill Hillier’s research on the social dimension of space and the general critique of modernism, he highlighted how these ideas were applied in the built and conceptual projects that Kokkinou and Kourkoulas developed upon their return to Greece.

Zisis Kotzias, Professor at the Department of Architecture at the University of Thessaly, reflected on his personal connection with the architects, posing thought-provoking questions about the design process. He examined the concepts that keep their architectural works “open,” and, in some ways, deliberately “incomplete,” allowing for ongoing interpretation and evolution.

Dimitris Andriopoulos, Managing Director of Dimand, a real estate development company with which Kokkinou and Kourkoulas have had a long-standing and successful collaboration, offered his insights into the role of all contributors in achieving projects of lasting impact and originality.

Giorgos Mitroulias, Associate Professor at the Department of Architecture at the University of Thessaly and a member of the architectural firm AREA, offered a fresh perspective on the work of Maria Kokkinou and Andreas Kourkoulas. Speaking as a younger architect, he explored his personal interpretations of their projects and highlighted the tools of creative dialogue, presenting an intriguing audio recording of one such discussion as it unfolded in real time.

Architect Dimitris Korres reflected on his long-standing relationship with Maria Kokkinou and Andreas Kourkoulas, which began during their student years at the National Technical University of Athens. He also recounted their collaborations over the years, especially when architectural ideas required the innovative problem-solving of an engineer-inventor.

The event concluded in a distinctive manner with Katerina Kourkoula, an architect at En Route Architecture and collaborator with Kokkinou Kourkoula Architects & Associates. Through her research into personal artifacts and archival material from the office, she painted a portrait of two contrasting yet complementary architectural personas who collaborated seamlessly, both professionally and in their personal lives.

Gold Sponsor: el greco gallery

Silver Sponsor: Ballian Techniki S.A.

Cocktail Event Sponsor: Alta Linea

Stage Design Sponsor: Veneta Cucine

Sponsors: Alumil, Halo Architectural Lighting, Europa, Kokotas – Haier, Luun

Supporters: Αnko Ηellas, CORE Construction, Dimand, egreen, ETEM, inmind, KEBE, Knauf, Koligas Wood Essence, MKK Techniki, Sika, StoHellas, Vimar, Xionas