ANONYMOUS ARCHITECT MAGAZINE
First Edition
ANONYMOUS ARCHITECT MAGAZINE
First Edition
Diwell now Elli Vassalou
Panos Mitsopoulos
Articles for human and space
GAUDOS, ELLI VASSALOU
December 24, 2017
We met Elli at Chalandri in a coffee shop to talk about anonymous architecture.
Elli Vasallou is an architect, multi media artist,
performer and activist.
She was born in 1983 and grew up in Athens.
She studied architecture at the university of Patras.
She was mainly concerned with urban planning, Sociology of space and art in public space.
Alongside her architectural studies, she follows seminars and film courses, video and photography.
She has been working for many years with the dance which allows her to use the human body in the whole of the figurative and architectural of the project.
From 2010 to 2013 she lives in Nisyro where she works with the natural landscape and outdoor life, the relationship of the body with the place of fantasy,
nutritional and therapeutic watch.
Since 2009 she is a member of the self organised group named snail, which designs and manufactures spaces and objects from natural materials
and aims to disseminate physical building practices.
In 2015 she is moved to Belgium where she completes her masters at the kask school of arts in ghent on autonomous design and activated space.
She plans participatory actions and socially projects.
She also works with the photo, video recording and ambulatory perphormans.
Her main interest is the partnership of space and body and that it has been influenced,by people's personal relations,
that we can get through the relationship of bodies, objects, space and social conditions.
Today she lives in Brussels. One of the ongoing project Ellie's working on is Ι DWELL NOW.
An interesting analysis of her work and what is anonymous architecture approached Ellie by saying:
From the arbitrary shacks in the Perama of Piraeus as the "stash" of the-sand in Nisyro, a collection of makeshift structures, sometimes individually.
And sometimes forming districts or communities.
A modern folk architecture, made from the bottom, made by its inhabitants.
An architecture that can make reference to marginalized slums but also to physical construction.
Fleeting, seasonal or permanent structures from cheap and easily accessible materials such as natural or recycled.
Spaces with unclear boundaries of external and internal, often without property, which may have been created by a single user or a series of successive users.
Made by the need to housing the human body and its basic needs.
This housing is sometimes imposed on weak and vulnerable parts of society and in some other choice, free will.
The purpose of this work in progress is to to them as actors of cultural, historical and collective memory.
We are thus looking at another way of approaching the building and the concept of habitation free from mnēmeiakótēta and ego and focusing on now.I live now.
" from the photo collection of Elli we focused specifically in the residence in Kedros,
an accommodation crafted in the cedar embrace essentially made of materials washed up by the sea.
This particular construction is located in Gaudos a remote island in Libyan of.
Gaudos was inhabited by the neolithic age.
The Island has been identified with Ogygia, where Calypso held Odysseas captive.
Archaeological surveys have documented that the Roman Empire had a presence on the island.
The Romans abused the island's Flora, thus causing a process of weathering that continues until today.
At the time of ottoman rule, which lasted from 1665 to 1895, Gaudos was known as Gotzo.
During this period, the population gradually decreased to 500 inhabitants in 1882.
In The 1930's the Island was a place of exile for the communists.
More than 250 people were exiled to gavdos, including some leading members of the communist party.
The urbanisation that took place in the 60's in the rest of Greece had already started since the 50's in Gaudos.
In this period, the Islanders traded their land in Gaudos with former Turkish land in Crete,
which had become available for exchange by the state.
During their visit to Crete, they formed a new community.
In Gaudos you will find other similar modules with that of the study and that,
because initially the world was not sensitized in relation to the biology and development of the Kedros.
Elli focusing her attention on laiki architecture tells us that she finds in "dying" a follow-up on what we mean folk architecture,
where a century ago the stones were used as opposed to today used car tires and other recycled materials parallel, based on A social piece of architecture,
how every man is planning his space according to the personal needs of his everyday life and his body,
the "diying", in other words, comes as opposed to what the modern architecture is designed to do, so that everything is planned according to one.
Homogenised International Model.
Here in the landscape relationship - building any such construction reflects the place in which it is located.
So you can understand from the building that it is the form of the landscape and its socio-political and topomorphikē complexion.
Elli through a group of physical building creates houses of clay and has lived the experience of not planning the space
with the academic architecture gesture but start with a peasant idea of what you want to do
and the design to organic in relation to The way the man feels in the space he's in.
With this practice it directly identifies its needs by observing anything that surrounds its residence with time to ponder
and interaction with the body-Landscape-construction relationship and thus solve very little details that cannot be understood by design on paper.
Gaudos has very specific natural wealth and most of these extraordinary dwellings are surrounded by wood washed up by the sea,
as well as the specificity of the cedar where each tree gives the sculpture form,
essentially the design of the skeleton of each construction.
Every bricklayer - architect of this building must converse and gasp the tree and at the same time respect it to shape the unique base of every home because of climate,
lack of abundant fresh water and materials provided by earth and sea , sand, clay, trees and beached wood construction is logical to show similarities.
A key indicator is that there is not too much need for protection from weather conditions as there may be for example in N. Greece.
So a structure can be developed with some pieces closed for the winter months, where they protect from rain and air,
but there are intermediate spaces that can be described as patios.
The aesthetic of every diy house implies from what materials the landscape offers and in these cases the decision is not purely human.
In Gaudos you have time to enter this detail of physical building while at the same time the whole process refers to a ritual,
because of the uniqueness of those trees that other than their form anadeúoun and a fragrance that guides you.
In addition, all this wood that comes ashore has been processed by the sea and has all a very specific aesthetic.
From a sociopolitical point of view, the inhabitants of these houses are not at risk of Raiders,
(such as the inhabitants of the islands over the past centuries),
and as creatures of the postmodern era do not need to devote their entire lives and economic activity to this place.
The residents of the Kabatzon of illustrate use as long as they choose their homes that operate more like hermitage
and places of communication with nature and self in winter and spaces of civility and common life in the summer.
​
Interview-Research: Ransom Stebe
Project dwell now-Photo File: Elli Vassalou
METAXOURGEIO, CABEZON
February 09, 2018
Metaxourgeio is an urban neighborhood with a special identity that took its name from the silk factory
'' Corporal of Greece Athanasios Douroutis & Co. '' where he settled in the area in the 19th century
and made the district as a center of central urban operations.
Until then, the Metaxourgeio area, due to being out of city planning, was slowly developing
and it was mainly a folk district where there were many workshops, crafts and steelmaking.
At that time, one in three buildings was a workshop or a shop, or at any rate the dwelling was co-located with a store on the ground floor.
One of the great advantages for the development of Metaxourgeio was the proximity to the historic Ceramics.
On the ceramic road at the border of Metaxourgeio with Ceramiki at number 110, we found ourselves in Cabezon,
there, Stelios, one of the four owners, explains that the name means "whitish" in Spanish.
The building is of the 20th century with base, trunk, tiled roof and coronation in the past
was a one-room house with large windows and wide walls.
The single-storey house with loft and basement has undergone renovation and floor changes to the roof
and the window frames have retained the central door of the entrance.
The yard does not really belong to the building's rooftop and is an addition from the adjacent plot.
The camper operates as a coffee bar restaurant in the last 4 years and the original design of Stelios,
Angelos, Christos and Thodoris was the shop to follow the café line.
The children, with the help of Maria, Nasias and Thanasis (friends of architects), cared for the interior layout
while the big yard is what you really enjoy.
Maria and Nassia chose the colors and the tiles and the boys created all the seats on the benches
and the stool of the garden from the woods of the old bar that existed before.
Inside, the kassel governs a multi culti mood as well as traditional marble coffee tables
you will see antiques and wooden chairs from Reto,
(a non-profit organization that works for the rehabilitation of people in detention).
Decorative items such as vintage rackets, scooters, typewriters, suitcases, televisions
and of course, metal signs from children's trips abroad.
So the camp has managed to gather different elements into a single spatial installation that creates in every corner
of individual relaxation foci like that under the big window, we stood apart, with ethnic furniture
which reminds us of a little Mexican style of 50 ', with nothing to be inappropriate or unnecessary.
Key details also exist in the w.c which apart from the wonderful furniture you will also see the traditional marble washbasin.
Graffiti both indoors and outdoors have been made by Oscar's (Spanish) child friend.
From afar, the vault reminds you of a neoclassical home, but as you enter, you immediately let yourself travel to places in the world.
In the vault the biggest challenge is the courtyard that creates its unique character.
Structured on two levels with trees and climbing plants, it is entirely created by the children.
Monastery tables, improvised rubber seats, flower beds, plants, hidden lights
and traditional coffee table seats make up a lively game of sensations that you are invited to enjoy in the vault.
​
Text-Research: Stevy Lytra
Photo: Katia Stantzouri
ALICE INN, PLAKA
February, 2018
Plaka is more Athens, than any other district in Athens.
It constitutes the oldest area and is delineated in the north foot of the Acropolis.
The name Plaka dates from the end of the 16th century and refers to a small part of the present district.
In particular, we refer to the section around the Lysikratos Monument.
At the intersection of Thespidos, Adrianos and Tripodas streets there was a large white plate,
which gave the name to that area and then to the whole district.
In another interpretation the name Plaka is related to the flat form of the soil
and in yet another version the name Plaka based on the analysis originates from the Arvanite word "plate" meaning old,
so "Plaka Athens" denotes Old Athens and is related to the accommodation,
in the district at the end of the 16th century Arvanites of Argonauplia, who were persecuted by the Turks
and chose the area to settle, giving her the adjective "Old".
Gradually, the characterization began to describe the neighborhood as a whole.
Plaka was the center of the city.
The first example of her bourgeois development for the time was that her thriving bourgeois class,
she preferred her to build her mansions.
There you can find buildings of all periods and all the styles.
Fewer buildings can be found from the Ottoman period.
While some newer buildings of this period, they have been influenced by neoclassicism, while retaining their folk character.
These consist of stone-built tile-roofed buildings, with their main character being the courtyard,
the open gallery on the ground floor and the loggia on the first floor.
At the same time there are buildings of neoclassical style, which aesthetically dominates the late 19th century until 1920,
eclectic rhythms, as well as newer expressions of the modern architecture of the 1930s.
So at 9 Konstantinou Tsatsou street we met John in the special hotel which maintains in May 2012, Alice inn Athens.
The building, a two-storey neoclassical building with a courtyard, is built in 1920 by a German architect who does not know its name.
The rhythm of the façade, the room ratios as well as the plaster on the facade have been preserved
while the supporting body was replaced and reinforced with reinforced concrete.
Alice in her previous use was a hotel again, and before she was home.
Its most recent renovation was in '89, so no building work was required
for the re-use of the addition of bathroom new colors and decoration.
John is Greek-Irish and has studied architecture,
he has a diploma in photography and master in the real estate sector despite having spoken to us during the friendly chat
in Alice, the creation of the lodgings was a dream for years ever since he was a student
and worked in his father's hostel in the 80's.
The hotel was named after his grandmother John Alice, who wanted to build a guesthouse,
but she never managed to satisfy her desire. So John gave her name after her death in 2010 at the hotel.
"It was a family affair," he told us jokingly.
Alice was created with the help of friends, and in the first year John had taken over all the hotel's posts.
So there you will find a friendly, familiar family environment that will leave you full of positive emotions,
having the impression that you were at your friend's home.
That's exactly what the customer is looking for.
This hotel covers on the one hand the traditional hospitality requirements
and on the other hand it satisfies people who are looking for hospitality in a different way, a more empirical way to say.
John succeeded in gaining this privilege when he realized that the same customer should feel,
to be able to come to the position of a modern traveler.
This is why we have met him with the fact that his specialty is in fact a professional.
He himself noted that as an architect he felt embarrassed at the fact that he must operate under the requirements of the delegates
and only when he made the decision to create Alice Inn freed himself.
That was the key to success!
Alice is created primarily from John's personal items and others he has collected or given to him by friends.
The ground floor has a living room, a kitchen-dining area and a quiet garden where you can relax,
read from library books and meet other visitors.
The kitchen can be used by all tenants if they want it.
The rooms as a whole are 4 and the top floor "Harry Balafonte" overlooks the Acropolis.
This beautiful suite includes a living room with a fireplace, a kitchenette, a bedroom with a double bed and a bathroom.
Features exclusive access to the 35m2 terrace. with roof garden.
In the bedroom there is a super-comfortable double bed and a sofa bed in the living room for one additional guest.
The room is decorated with taste and with the objects from the owner's personal collection.
On the first floor there are 2 rooms: "Mighty Aphrodite" and "Antony Quinn". The first is a large room with romantic style.
The marble floors and its high ceilings connect perfectly with the past of the building.
The abundant natural light highlights all the details of the area.
The balcony overlooks the quiet street overlooking the Anglenan church of Filellinon.
The second room is a small apartment and consists of 2 bedrooms:
a master bedroom (with a double bed) and a smaller bedroom with a single bed. Both have a large bathroom.
The suite overlooks a quiet street full of trees, while the coffee and tea maker, and a mini fridge are included.
Finally on the ground floor is the studio "betty boop" is a semi-basement that keeps its cool in the summer.
It has a private entrance on the street on its façade side and a small private patio.
The room is decorated in elegant vintage style.
There is a comfortable fridge bed, a microwave and a private bathroom inspired by the punk style.
​
Text-research: Lytra Stevy
Photo: Katia Stantzouri
THISEOS, HOMY
February, 2018
Thiseos-Homy
On the Thisseos pedestrian street at number 18 amongst the many shops,
you distinguish Homy for the characteristic "delicate season aroma" that exudes.
A building with Art deco elements from those of modern Athens post-war architecture that is at the heart of the city center.
The three-storey building of reinforced concrete, simple geometric volumes, flat roof, ornate railings
and semi-hexagonal protrusions on the front looked as a home shop and later on as a silverware workshop.
Approaching the entrance just in front of the mosaic plane is written in capital letters: I.G.KONTOLEON 1928.
Iro and Peter are the owners and have literally done everything in Homy that counts 5 years of life as a cafe cocktail bar.
"When you do something from the beginning the space has a lot to tell you on its own," they told us.
The children with collective work did not intervene significantly in the building respecting its original status and after difficult work
to remove the additions (from the previous owners) and to repair the damage, preserved the space in its original form.
So much of the floor in a red-and-white and black-and-white checker pattern with meandering ends is authentic.
The ladder of the store has been preserved and the w.c. remains in its original position.
Behind the bar there is a stone-built wall with elaborate stone masonry and over the bar are suspended asymmetrically
two beams of remains of building materials with decorative use now.
The construction of the bar and benches has been made by Peter and has used light wood
which together with the use of other decorative objects brings us close to the idea of ​​Scandinavian style with
a tendency to mix & much.
The combination of rough surfaces with different decorative objects, lighting fixtures, furniture of decades
and angles dedicated to art make this shop a living organism that constantly changes.
This is also the philosophy of Peter and Iros.
On the ground floor there is generally a sweet atmosphere created by the candles and the aroma of jasmine,
while the decorative element we particularly like is the association of seating and furniture from different seasons.
At Homy you will also see floor lampshades and hand-made lamps made by Peter that make you
to feel like you are at home and not in a cafeteria. Impressive is also the Art deco door and the "harmonic"
which secures the showcase. Finally the loft, which together with the basement obviously once was a storage space,
has been designed to be able to enjoy your drink or coffee at any angle you want from those that are made up
such as D.I.Y. the lounge of your best friend with mixed antiques and a wonderful colorful glass on the glass.
​
Research-Text: Stevy Lytra
Photo: Katia Stantiouri
Editing: Simos Hatzis
MONASTIRAKI, COULEUR LOCALE
February, 2018
Monastiraki is a neighborhood of Athens around Monastiraki Square, which extends to the south side of Ermou Street,
from the height of Mitropoleos Square to Thiseio Square. Its name comes from the old church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary,
located on the square.
In Monastiraki Square dominates the old Tzistarakis Mosque, which today houses an annex of the Folk Art Museum.
Recently renovated, the Square was laid with mosaic blocks of marble, stone and carved cast iron,
which symbolize the "flows" and the diversity of the peoples of the Mediterranean.
Parallel to all of Jason's knowledge is Normanou Street, which was named after the German general Philhellene Norman Erenfeld.
In the gallery at number 3, amongst the shops with old furniture is the "couleur locale".
Moving through the gallery, the first thing we met was the open kitchen and immediately after one of the two bars.
A little further back the exceptional corner that together with a composition of exotic plants, wooden,
dividing panels and made-to-order couches travels to the Caribbean of the 20s.
The ground floor is impressive in itself and exacerbates our curiosity about the rooftop.
Despite the fact that a lift with blue gleam gives you the opportunity to climb
and look out we preferred the stairwell to form a better view of space.
The French "couleur locale" means a local color for persons or things that have characteristic features of their origin.
So we too were in this "hidden" bar with the space management team to talk about this particular place
which in addition to the best view of Athens has best applied its name.
The building was built before the 1960s and originally there was a tavern in the arcade.
The owner in 2012 discovered the abandoned terrace at random and the idea was born immediately, but it was a vision of years.
The combination of the main features of Greek culture: Philoxenia, View, Focus.
Space is created by people engaged in business of sanitary interest
and the placement of benches, bars and seats is an empirical result,
while decorative elements are inspired by the particular area.
So the colors and materials selected by the "couleur locale" team are a variety of varieties that you can meet in Monastiraki.
Vintages ceramic tiles for lining tables, wooden bar, cement and iron details
for the walls and floors, decorative plants and flowers that remind of an old Athenian yard like jasmine!
The aim of the team is to offer deep relaxation to the privacy and thus have confirmed to us that the use of natural materials for the design,
whether someone prefers a more classical environment or prefers something else, is absolutely accomplished.
Text - Survey: Stevy Lytra
Editing - Photo: Simo Hatzi
VURONAS, DESIGNER'S HOME
February, 2018
Vyronas-Designer's Home
In Vyronas, on the pedestrian street of Paradise, for five years now I keep my design office.
Today's Byron region, was a community and in 1934 became a municipality.
At East, Hymettus and its forest are located.
Originally, the area consisted of pastures and fields, which began to be urbanized after the 1920's and 30's
mainly from refugees from Asia Minor.
In this Athenian quarter, built primarily with the consideration system.
The area of ​​the building is outside the center of the district, leaving many three-storey structures,
usually residences of one or two families.
The discontinuity in height due to the change in the provisions of the General Building Regulation,
creates a mosaic of typologies and constructions in the area mainly using the dwelling.
The block of flats is in 1974.
The facade is dominated by dark brown blinds and white frames and although it is a concrete building
which always gave me the impression of communal urban civilization internally the apartment is comfortable
and with particularly embellished decorative features.
The Greek post-war architecture, centered on the period 1950-1970, has given general signs a striking point.
Although this period is by many the principle of the capital's unrealistic and leveling development, we must overlook
that the post-war architectural period is a piece of cultural heritage that can be recognized
less than most of the Greeks, but is familiar and recognizable by the eyes of foreign visitors.
But enough with the introduction for the middle residential apartment building.
The apartment is renovated but retains its frames and floors.
It is on the second floor and this fact, gives it the privilege to be able to maintain
thermal comfort at a good level throughout the year.
More generally, in front of the entrance and just opposite the anteroom there is a drawing room that was a former storage space.
In the background is the kitchen, the two bedrooms, which are now used as storage rooms and the wc.
On the right is the living room separated from the rest of the bedrooms by a glass sliding door.
(The feature of these decades is the many partitions in the rooms, the half floors, the marble sinks).
Virtually the biggest interventions that have been made are of a decorative nature because I did not intend to alter the features.
The philosophy of composition of the interior definitely follows me because of temperament, but the truth is
that the work is gradual.
Even now that we are talking a lot of things have not been completed,
that is, as I had them from the beginning in my mind.
My plan for a space that will host me temporarily, but it will also be a space that I study
and I want to be in the abstract reality as I say it.
Sometimes a friend asked me if i'm in favor of the minimal, because he noticed my tendency to get rid of the space constantly.
The answer is that i do not cover the minimal just when you are dealing with shaping other people's places the only thing you want
from your own space is simplicity and relaxation.
So, in my space, you will find my favorite projects in the corners of the apartment,
some modern furniture and other processed, antique books and discs.
Most things I have created my monastery,
I have bought a little because I am not in favor of mass consumption and this fact makes me feel the absolute sovereignty in space.
Here I have to admit that my training has affected my way.
And the trend I adopt for simplicity combined with cover for modern needs makes me turn my mind back
in the developing theories of the '60s for an intangible architecture that will eventually conquer the future.
A favorite place is the kitchen where it is and where it has the most intense touch.
​
Research-Text: Stevy Lytra
Photo: Katia Stantiouri
Editing: Simos Hatzis
ANDROMACHI, DODONI
February, 2018
Between the south-west slope of the plateau of Ioannina and Mount Thomas, a small plateau
located at a higher level than that of Epirus and is known by the name Lakas or Dodoni Valley.
About two kilometers from the villages of Dodonoupolis and Dodoni, next to the ancient theater, we met Thodoris at the Andromachi hostel.
The building, a one-storey building with basement of the 1950s, brick-built with a courtyard and a balcony, with a dining area and five rooms to let.
It is one of the few in the area offering rest and enjoying raccola and local dishes.
Arriving at Andromachi, the first time that attracted our attention was the Vivaldi's four seasons playing the guest's external speakers.
Together with the peaceful winter landscape, we formed the view that we are somewhere in the Alps ....
By approaching and leaving the landscape behind what is surely the look of the look is the brick-built atrium of the entrance that is
a vestibule essentially ending on a glass ceiling that allows the light to diffuse and flood the space.
At the entrance we were greeted by Thodoris the owner.
In the entry hall, the Rustic element is dominated by a more Pop mood and immediately arouses attention.
Straight from the main entrance is the traditional saffron, a low round dining table of oriental origin and our right an old Masina,
cast iron stove, for cooking and warmth.
Moving to the central area we discover the Shala that surrounds the other areas such as the kitchen, the attic next to the fireplace and the w.c.
which has two entrances, one on the underside in the courtyard and one on the hall. All the furnishings and fixtures available to Andromachi
is a traditional type, but the combination of the younger colors and decorative objects and artworks selected
clearly give a more artistic breath. Thodoris confessed to hosting us there that his original vision
was to settle in the surrounding villages in order to decentralize and engage with Tourism and the products of the Epirus land,
while much later came the idea of ​​Andromachis and the hostel.
The rooms, and more generally the dining area, are slowly being perfected without being raped as Thodoris told us,
and that makes Andromachi completely have her own styling. Andromahi would rather be a mix and much,
a styling that never leaves us indifferent as it mates many different objects and decorative elements
such as that of traditional Yannian weavers that are divided into subcategories in order to cover all the needs of the dwellings at that time.
Carpets, blankets, flocks, wall tiles, fireplace and bass, pillows, beads, rugs
and hand-made towels had their honor. One of the most characteristic points in the hall is the loft with traditional bastards,
a cut and raised side next to the brick-built fireplace built with wood up to the half of the wall that closes with wooden rails.
The continuation of the wooden log is the traditional basta, a kind of sofa whose back is integral with the wall.
The furniture of Andromachis, on top of it, was made of furniture of a different decade and they were in contrast
with modern digital printing tables and small, hand-painted glass panes painted with glass color.
​
Research-text: Stevy Lytra
Photo: Simos Hatzi
AGISTRI, TABOO
February, 2018
Agistri is the smallest island of the Saronic Gulf.
It is an hour away from Piraeus and only ten minutes from Aegina.
The combination of dark green pine trees with the unbelievable shades of pure turquoise of the clear sea and the blue sky,
is truly enchanting. It is the ideal place for a holiday for anyone seeking relaxation and tranquility on a Greek island.
Of course, there are many restaurants, cafes and shops, while the night life is intense in the summer.
Nevertheless, Agistri is one of the few Greek islands that still hold their own identity!
Excavations have shown that Agistri was inhabited 2500 years ago.
Together with the surrounding islands of the Saronic Gulf, they formed the kingdom of Aegina with King the mythical Ajaccio.
Various areas of Agistri are of archaeological interest such as Megaritissa, Aponisos and Kontari.
Ruins from the pre-Christian period can be found on the West Coast near the surface of the sea.
Agistri has not been inhabited continuously over the centuries since he was very small and vulnerable to pirate attacks.
In ancient texts as Pliny and other ancient historians, such as Thucydides and Diodorus,
Agistri was called Kekryfiguria meaning "decorated head". So there, in Skala,
we met Yannis who hosted us at Taboo for the needs of the article.
The building is his property, as he told us and the company is thirty years since John received his father
and he has been working the last seven. The style of the shop is an island, and that's why John chose to add items
which he obtained from the islands of the Cyclades where he worked in the previous years. The materials he used for the construction are local
such as the woods and the stone of the island, where combined with the white color make the shop very special.
Giannis's goal is to offer the visitor a deep relaxation by reminding him that you are on an island away from the stress of Athens.
Giannis personally dealt with the composition of the interior of the Taboo. In addition to working with wood
and the decoration has been edited by the electrical and sound installations while the details of the styles,
such as cement mortars and rounds in the built sofas, was taken over by a native craftsman craftsman.
With the characteristic white island, stone slabs and dark blue details you feel that Agistri
it does not have to envy any of the other destinations.
Besides, it is not a few who have just visited it once they turn to it every summer.
​
Research-texts: Stevy Lytra
Photo: Simo Hatzi
AMFISSA, BOHO
February, 2018
The capital of the prefecture of Phocis, Amfissa, is a picturesque town, built amphitheatrically at the foot of Elatos Mountain,
on the edge of a vast olive grove.
It is the commercial and economic center of the prefecture, preserving its traditional color.
According to Aristotle, who mentions that Amfissa was named for the ointment contained,
the name of Amfissa comes from the verb amyennymi, meaning "surround", because the city is surrounded by mountains (Giona and Parnassos).
According to mythology, the city owes its name to Amfissa, daughter of Makaros and lover of god Apollo.
At the beginning of the 13th century and with the opening of the Frankish domination in Greece, Amfissa was renamed by the Franks to La Sole
and in the Greek Salon. There are different versions of the origin of this name.
One of them claims that the name is a corruption of the word Salonika and was given to Amfissa by the Franc "King of Thessaloniki"
Bonifacio, who had become the owner of Amfissa.
According to another version, the name derives from the coexistence through alonia, with which the inhabitants were mentioned in an area of ​​Amfissa,
which is perplexed in "esalona" and "salon".
Finally, there is the view that the new name of the city is derived from the word "shalom" meaning "jolt"
due to the many earthquakes that occurred in the area. The castle of Amfissa, which historically is best known as the Salonian castle
or the castle of Oria, is situated on a rocky hill 225 m high above the modern city of Amfissa, in the place of an important ancient citadel.
Later the acropolis was transformed into a Byzantine fortress. There, almost under the castle at Athanasopoulou street
we met Katerina in her home where we drank coffee on the patio of the house and talked about the special style that characterizes her home.
Katerina is a lawyer with a highly artistic personality and in her spare time she makes tales for young and old children
and fake decorations. As we headed home from the view we realized it was a very interesting residence.
The house with a rectangular view, ground floor, two floors and attic, is a privately owned.
Built around 1980, it incorporates into the modern style of the era and some traditional elements of the old architecture of the area
such as gravel jaws. Of course, the rotation rate is not omitted
and complete framed by a long, single balcony that reminds us of the parapet.
Internally the apartment in the living room is a single space unnecessary partitions and so the movement becomes rock.
Although the original plans proposed the apartment for two separate residences with a narrow terrace around,
as architects used to create in the 80s, Katerina, who was planning to live in Amfissa permanently, did not want it at all
and thus created a large comfortable space by pulling one room more in order to create the wonderful patio
which in my opinion is also a special part of the apartment.
The patio is so crafted that while you sit out is like sitting in and while you sit inside it is like sitting outside
with amazing views of the Amphissian landscape.
In 1993, when the apartment was eventually inhabited by herself and her husband Dimitris,
the two of them chose furniture as their family's estate.
This choice of antique furniture was not just an emotionally charged move,
but also contributed to the creation of the boho style that we will discuss below.
So at Katerina you will see wonderful and rare pieces like the old ice cooler processed in furniture for the living room,
iron beds with ornate railings, jambs, shelves and more.
The dwelling is made operational by the use of many embedded furniture to save space.
The fireplace, another remarkable point, emerged from the sketches of a child friend and its construction was undertaken by a craftsman of the area
who apart from Jacks was also a sculptor. As Katerina told us the space that surrounds us,
whether personal or professional, is what we have within us and is capable of keeping us emotionally and psychologically secure.
The elements that make the space boho decoration are the loose style, the many colors tangled with each other, the floral and accessories.
On her balcony, Katerina easily adopted the boho in two ways: many plants, many cobweb cages
and enhanced decor with colorful cushions and loose decor.
In the corridor he hung small frames, creating a gallery, and in the bedroom he laid the bed with coverings with dynamic colors,
but also pillows with intense patterns. Also hung old vintage.
In the lounge, colorful vases, drawer lamps, mats, vintage and ethnic furniture, paintings with color and carelessness complete the atmosphere.
In the bathroom flowers, candles and carelessly décor bring the right result.
Boho style in decoration we like, because although it is not at all minimal, it manages the main purpose we are looking for in every home.
It gives you liveliness, optimism and it makes you feel good and happy.
​
Research-texts: Lytra Stevy
Photos: Dimitris Andreou
KORINTHIAKOS KOLPOS, PANOS MITSOPOULOS
February, 2018
The Corinthian Gulf is the marine environment that begins in June and ends in the Isthmus.
With a length of 127 km it is surrounded by some of the most important ports.
Itea, one of them, is a city of intense cultural activity.
That's where we met Pano where he guided us in his art exhibition "Passing the Mediterranean" and "Pleasant Cages".
Panos Mitsopoulos, originally from Itea, went to 33 for his Netherlands to study at the Riertvelt Academy
and to realize his dream: the visual expression through the personal presentation of paintings, sculptures and interactive works.
We met Pano at the opening of the exhibition and we decided to make an interview a bit more interactive ...
In particular, we recorded what spontaneously said to the attendees.
The collection of projects on Passage to the Mediterranean is the result of Panou's work over the last decade
where he focused his interest on the Mediterranean towns and cities in search of an intercultural dialogue
between countries sharing the same sea.
The artwork of Panos has been exhibited in the ports of Naples, Alexandria, Constantinople,
Trieste, Tunis, Mytilini, Catalonia and Chania.
The colors that dominate are yellow and blue while its algae reflect brittleness as a state of doubt.
Panos in each job presentation lived for at least a month in the city for the purpose of mixing and contacting
with the culture of the locals. Another purpose was, of course, workshops with children and schools.
The trip started from Naples and continued around all the Mediterranean cities.
In our question about the common parts of the peoples around the Mediterranean, he smiled
that apart from the flavors of music and smiles is also the inconvenience and nervousness of people.
Influenced by the events sketching and commenting ...
"I started making things that were related to the crisis because I could not stay undecided"
As a central exhibit there was a collection of cartoons that comment on the news.
If you notice better, you will see the hologram of a blatant bull that Panos explains,
that it symbolizes the anger of the wounded world you meet today. All the collage sticks with a pattern inspired by the fences in the states
which while originally in seven cities now have grown. I still have a project where our attention is drawn to the next room
the sculpted window in the Mediterranean where it was inspired in Catalonia and was constructed on the occasion of
the ground plan of the archaeological site
where he placed it on the side of the sea.
The work is a sculpture on a Gothic window design made of Czech glass in blue.
Blue is one of the colors that if you use in your space offers deep relaxation and relaxation.
A sculpture in general, a three-dimensional work of art is able to make you think and add to the space glow and tranquility.
More generally it is an original choice. Pleasant cages are the second part of the show
and the subject materializes essentially the everyday life of man by paralleling him with the canary
as a symbol of the limitation of the freedom of the modern person.
Thus the color of the bird was also the basic coloring choice in the artist's works.
The yellow as bright, warm and material color signifies understanding, wisdom and youthfulness and is a color that impresses and inspires.
Several of the paintings applied the yellow color and can easily be a decorative dynamic
in an interior space, creating a funky mood.
RAFINA, KOKOKO
February, 2018
Rafina-Kokoko
Rafina is the port of Mesogeia on the coasts of Eastern Attica.
It is a historic municipality that has been inhabited since prehistoric times.
3200 e.g. the prehistoric settlement of Asketari was built on the homonymous small rocky peninsula
just south of the site which is now the Marikes beach.
In the place where the main harbor is located, the central settlement of Rafina or Araphne was created.
The municipality of Arafina or the municipality of Arafina was one of the municipalities of ancient Athens.
This name was taken by its first governor, Araphina, who was one of the mythical heroes of Attica.
During the Asia Minor Catastrophe of 1922,
Greeks from the parallels, settled in Rafina and formed a refugee settlement called "Nea Triglia", but it did not prevail.
On Prousis street we met Elias, a professional pottery artist, in his workshop where he talked about his work and space.
Kokoko clay design is a professional ceramic construction site built at the bottom of a detached house.
The laboratory has been operating since 1992 and previously it was also the cohesive of the house where it housed rooms.
The Kokoko brand is a family "moto" explaining to us laughing and is an expression that for years used
with Mary his companion to describe something they loved a lot! Elias has many memories from the place
as the home was the cottage of his family where he spent time in the summer as a child.
The permanent establishment of Elias in Rafina was the ideal solution since the building is suitable for the use of professional
space and residence.
Since 1992 it has been internally modified at least three times It has been internally demolished to consolidate space
and is suitably configured with a kitchenette, desk, work area for the stoves,
storerooms and shelves for inventory objects and bathrooms, while its next drawings are the creation of a room for ceramic courses.
Outside there is a garden that besides the trees and plants is decorated with impressive plaster figures created
by Elias while attending the Fine Arts of Thessaloniki.
To the right of the entrance there is a built-in wood-burning oven of large dimensions,
where it existed in the courtyard of the house twenty years ago for home use.
This oven was the reason for Elijah to launch the golden household designer utensils and, in fact, the occasion
for the beginning of Kokoko.
Elias, apart from the fine arts of Thessaloniki, has finished one of the best pottery schools in Athens,
has participated in symposia abroad and has worked extensively with foreign artists.
She has been making decorative sculptures for seven years and has been working with homeware for the last year and a half.
His work is hosted at the shop of the Museum of Folk Art of Athens.
​
Research-Text: Stevy Lytra
Photo: Katia Stantiouri
Editing: Simos Hatzis
GAZI, FLAMME ROUGE
February, 2018
By the 80's Gazi had been the heart of the Industrial Area of ​​Athens, as its buildings testify.
It is now one of the liveliest districts.
This is the case in recent years with the massive reuse of old factories and industrial sites in places of culture and entertainment.
At Tripotlemou Street 26 we met Vaso, a professional cyclist and one of the two owners of the bike friendly café bar, flame rouge.
The store has been operating for the past four years and is gathering an "alternative" world.
"Flamme Rouge" is the flag of finishing the first kilometer in cycling races in France, says Vasso.
The previous use of Flamme Rouge was a restaurant, and now, besides the café and the drink in the area, you will find a special menu for athletes
and various services such as bike service, bike shop, bicycle tour every Monday and bicycle seminars.
Girls arranged the layout themselves based on the industrial stile and of course the "bicycle ideas".
The industrial or otherwise industrial style was adopted at the end of 2000 and is the trend that wants the internal architecture to get data
from factory and industrial sites leaving exposed building materials such as reinforced concrete, bricks and pipes.
Raw wood is also the most commonly used material.
So this style incorporates raw materials to create an unfinished feel.
Flamme Rouge, after many work, was made from scratch and, as we were told, the girls faced many difficulties
to the finest. Initially, all items and parts of old bicycles from ironmongers, antique shops
and old bikes and created lighting fixtures, tables, stools and stands. The first one that draws your attention at the entrance
is the interior showcase with antique items such as cups, racing jerseys, medallions and collectible bicycle accessories.
Above the bar hung the handmade construction - a light made of iron bicycle mounts.
Stands and tables with bases of whole bicycles, wheel fixtures, floating bicycles, cement mortar on the floors, brick walls,
gray color combinations perfectly combined with chesterfield sofas and the famous eiffel chair, perfectly fit the industrial style at Flamme Rouge.
In w.c. the washbasin made of rubber and the mirror created by a collectible carob wheel on a background of white tiles.
The overall goal of the girls was to create a space devoted to the bike, but not only for sports enthusiasts.
Gazi is the area that starts all the walks and ends up again here.
The cyclist and not only can rest in the garden located on the back of the shop entrance, enjoying his drink
while next to his bicycle.
The garden, set with low
backpacks, hammocks, trees, plants, is an addition from the opposite plot,
while it is the point of the Flamme Rouge that you must definitely visit.
​
Research: Simo Hadzi
Text: Stevy Lytra
PAVLIANI, VASILIKIA
February, 2018
At an altitude of 1.040 on the slopes of Oiti we found ourselves in Pavliani, one of the most famous mountainous villages of Fthiotida.
The region, in contrast and with a strong geomorphological relief, is one of the oldest national parks.
As we drive up the colors of the mountain and the sky are as if they were driving us to the point through a magic process.
Pavliani is said to have taken its name from its first inhabitants, who were the first,
who believed in the teachings of Apostle Paul. The village was originally built in a location below,
there, around the village of Oiti.
Pavliani, however, as a location, has been known since antiquity.
Near the present village and at an altitude of 1,800 meters, there are ruins from the ancient temple dedicated to the mythical hero Hercules.
This is the place where Heracles was redeemed by the tyrannical chiton of the Deejaner on the fire and became half-goddessed with the intervention of Zeus.
Approaching the king's farm from the back we left the car and continued the uphill walk
to meet Stavros and Christopher who welcomed us with a warm smile.
We first headed for the restaurant to let our stuff and start touring the place
and accommodation.
The truth is that the first thing you notice in Vassiliki is that its influences are clearly based on the North American ranch.
The farm was created by the family of Stavros as their personal shelter, to escape the everyday life of the capital.
Their origin from mountainous, mainly forage, villages of Macedonia played a decisive role in the selection of the area,
so that they are closer to a natural environment that had common elements with those that awakened memories of family traditions.
The name of the farm, Vassilikia, comes from a virgin beech forest from the origin of the breeder's owner,
who also chose his location at the entrance of Pavliani in 1984.
Since then, the farm has undergone several stages of expansion and development to reach its current form.
Family members, over the last 30 years, have found on the farm the ideal field of creation that has allowed them to carry
pictures of places they traveled and inspired, mainly from North America, as well as Central and Northern Europe, as well as Greece,
with an eclectic approach to architecture, layout of exterior and interior spaces, as well as decorative
which are a collection of special items from around the world.
The first accommodation we visited was a brand new Airstream 28 'International Signature Series, manufactured in the US.
and designed by Christopher C. Deam, where it is positioned to offer the exciting experience of a bohemian stay
in the closest possible contact with nature. Airstream is not just a caravan.
They are a legend, an object of desire for artists, rock stars and collectors not only in America but also around the world.
They are the absolute symbols of freedom and tranquility, travel and adventure that symbolize a distinct lifestyle.
They have written and continue to write history.
The glossy aluminum, riveting reminiscent of vintage airplane fuselage, their characteristic curves of shape,
the hand-crafted construction with the unique finishing, the comforts and the functionality of every centimeter of their interior space,
carry the dream of enjoying the beauty of nature in conditions of unique luxury.
The next one was the Bear Lake Lodge is the most unexpected touch between the farmhouses,
with influences from Lake Big Bear Lake, the most famous holiday destination for 4 seasons in Southern California.
The distinctive features of the Bear Lake Lodge, its exterior appearance with its distinctive color and its simple terraces,
the façade with the windows that zoom out to the fir forest, the surprise bath,
the layout that fluidises the no-no-door interiors, forms the idyllic image of a Cabin Lodge,
where they find shelter for forest break modern, busy people in the city.
Cottage Becky impressed us with its architecture. A king-size bed in a separate bedroom,
inside of which is a staircase leading to a baby bunk.
It also has an attic with two king-size beds, a kitchen, a bathroom with shower and a fireplace.
The back door of the house leads to an open, spacious wooden terrace in the center of the farm, protected by a pergola with climbing plants,
ideal for relaxing, reading. The Country House looks like a farmhouse that has sprung up from the English countryside.
With English green shades and tweed and prince de gall curtains.
Sofas and armchairs with vintage wallpapers, fireplace with chimney decorated with ethnic elements.
Painting oil paintings on wood with traditional English cars and the flower bedroom seen in the made-in-England greenhouse,
the classical bedroom with collectible etchings and the attic with gaucho elements,
the Country House exudes a sophisticated eclectic atmosphere that stimulates companionship and meditation.
The whole farm is built by Stavros and apart from the wonderful lodges it has a barn,
lake residences for animals and a watchtower facing the sea.
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