ÑU-RBAN SPACES: The Kitchen-Dom (featuring Big Chill).

This summer the message is clear: unite your senses in your kitchen, the center of the habitat,  the hub connecting  to urbanity. The kitchen Kingdom is the colony of an all inclusive space , liaising our activity with our energy management.  A place for fooding, relaxing,  leisuring and documenting the world- but also the headquarters of our environmental waste disposal (grey water) and therefore our energy footprint (ex. geothermal energy recommended use for electricity supply and ventilation). 

Ñu-rban (nju?/?/??b(?)n/) Spaces: The Kitchen-Dom revolves around a new perception of the Kingdom called kitchen, with a series of objects, tools, furniture and appliances that create a fresh approach to the room’s interactivity with the individual and the outer world. The final image is attractive, welcoming and very distant to the morose feeling of a place due to cooking only. It is a universal living interior ready to serve a family in Osaka, a young professional in Madrid, a company’s team in Indianapolis, a retired couple in Athens or Krakow. Take a mind tour through  the artefacts, the design objects and the electrical appliances (inspiringly smart, ergonomic and reliable stoves and fridges by Big Chill and its Retro colour scheme), carefully chosen  to accommodate the needs of the urbanistas of the 21st century. It’s a 6m by 4m space, (with a small 1.5m x 1.5m balcony): your future kitchen. (Note: 1 meter= 3.28 feet). 

Follow the numbers in the picture bellow, to discover the A4D-D4A selection, (plus sources): 

Refrigerator and stove ( the latter available in Natural Gas NG or Propane LP) by Big Chill: 

*  https://bigchill.com/shop/refrigerators/retropolitan-big-chill-refrigerator  
   (in turquoise)


*   https://bigchill.com/shop/stoves/retro-stove-30-inch   (in turquoise)

Check Big Chill retro colour palette on:

 https://bigchill.com/shop/swatches/retro-swatch/#  

1.White tiles, vintage marble sink and grey water Hughie kitchen sink (respectively):

http://www.ceramicasantagostino.it/en/collezione/74

http://www.vemat.gr/projects_det.asp?project_id=12#!prettyPhoto[gallery]/11

http://www.hughiesink.com

2.  “Whale” wall bottle opener, AFAM, NY: 

http://shop.folkartmuseum.org/products/ship-bottle-opener 

3.  Iosif light by MiloDaMalo for Artemide: 

http://www.artemide.com/prodotti/scheda-architectural.action?data.catalogoId=0&idSubfamily=1773930

4. Pleat-Box pendant lamp by Xavier Maňosa & Mashalla for Marset: 

http://www.marset.com/en/lamps/pleat-box-suspension 

5. Alseda outdoor stool, banana fiber: 

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20033919 

6. Felt Two clock by Sebastian Herkner for Leff Amsterdam: 

http://leffamsterdam.com/product-category/felttwo-us/?lang=us 

7. Aura island ventilation hood: 

http://www.mieleusa.com/domestic/hoods-2484.htm?mat=09545730&name=DA_7000_D_Aura_AM

8.  Ceramic vase by Beatrice Wood: 

https://www.1stdibs.com/furniture/decorative-objects/vases-vessels/vases/beatricewood-foamy-blue-lava-vase/id-f_1201526 

9. Biography, ”I shock myself” by Beatrice Wood: 

http://www.beatricewood.com/gift_shop/book_i_shock_myself.html 

10. Beoplay 2  wireless speaker by Bang & Olufsen: 

http://www.beoplay.com/landingpages/collection#A2grey

11. Remo plastic chair in white by Konstantin Grcic for Plank: 

http://www.plank.it/product/remo-plastic-chair

12.  Pole table by Sebastian Herkner for Morgen Collection: 

http://www.sebastianherkner.com/index.php?article_id=345  

http://www.archiproducts.com/de/produkte/255036/pole-table-rechteckiger-tisch-ausholz-pole-table-tisch-morgen-interiors.html 

13. AVITAR yoga stool by Rebecca Schonherr (for the “SETZ DICH MAL  ANDERS” project, by the students of the Fakultat  Angewandte  Kunst in Schneeberg):  

http://www.sitzperspektive.com/#!bodensitze/bqy33 
  
14. Tatami mats in stone, yellow and indigo: 

http://nanimarquina.com/design-rug/tatami-natural/200:300: 

http://nanimarquina.com/design-rug/tatami-yellow/170:240: 

http://nanimarquina.com/design-rug/tatami-indigo/170:240:

Have fun 2 the max! 
A4D-D4A?-))    

ENLARGED VERSION OF THE PICTURE ABOVE FOR PARTIALLY-SIGHTED READERS:

A4D-D4A 2 YEAR ANNIVERSARY (THANK YOY ALL):-)))

A4D-D4A completed a two-year life duration. I wish to thank all the PEOPLE - readers, interviewees, companies, studios, trade organisations and institutions - from Europe, Asia, US, India and the UK (the list is long;-)) - for their SUPPORT and their encouragement. 

This blog started as a depository archive of my seminars workload, in order to support my students but soon through passion, faith and perseverance - turned to an almost full-time job. One last thing I would like to express, along with my gratitude- is that a blog is nothing else but CONTENT. 

Truth, eclecticism and relevance is what made this small, independent design gazette a secure, quality read for the design savvy and the design interested - away from frivolous yet glossy aesthetics.

With the promise to continue the effort with all my heart and means. 

Warm regards and salutations. 

Kat Mourginaki, ‪#‎Editor‬-in Chief, A4D-D4A

Some (summer) Notes on Exhibition design OR Design and Exhibitions.

Picture above : A compilation of the following two images:  

On the left half, Ole Worm’s Cabinet of curiosities (Cabinet de curiosités): the frontispiece in the book of Musei Wormiani Historia. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f5/Musei_Wormiani_Historia.jpg

On the right half: Interior, panoramic view of the Schaudepot, Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein, Germany. 
https://www.facebook.com/VitraDesignMuseum.Weil/

With the opportunity of the recent discussion at the Vitra Design Museum on the 30th of June 2016, regarding the inauguration of the Schaudepot annex -a new building designed by the Basel -based architects Herzog & de Meuron, to host the museum’s  renown collection of various design objects and furniture -a fascinating, new agenda is emerged. 
Designmuseum 2.0 – The Rennaissance of Collections was realized with the contributions of Martin Roth, Director of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London and Christoph Thun-Hohenstein, Director of the Austrian Museum for Applied Arts in Vienna -both successful in attracting millions of visitors to their outstanding international collections. Together with the Director of the Vitra Design Museum, Mateo Kries, they discussed how their collections are helping them to reinvent the design museum for the twenty-first century.

Many developments in the sector were brought to light, starting with a key-term, mentioned a few times, since it was one of the inspirational points for Vitra’s new venture, the Schaudepot: museum & collections 100% openness to the visitor/user. The education -science -technology triathlon is there not as a separate entity, but it is implemented as part of the collections’ communication process. The ultra-dynamic network of co-operations and synergies that every large, design cultural institution is establishing -gets real through a holistic strategy of multi-implementation of institutions, factors and local services in the community (“global goes local/ local goes local”). 

We are talking about design, therefore also  aesthetics, making, production, commerce, economy and work. The need to understand how we will produce in the future is a part of the design museum narrative in the following years. In a digital society, curating is not ONE specific profession of a so-called specialist per se, but it will depend a lot on the future ability to illustrate the collections on a digital platform, suitable to fully communicate their significance to the public. A curator masters many disciplines or he/she can come from various disciplines as a background as long as he /she can fulfill that task. A design museum is not a trade fair as it is not an elitist niche, reserved to a selected part of the society or to the design field professionals. The elements of creativity, fun, euphoria are fundamental to the success and sustainability of the museum space -provided the collections’ high conservational and logistical costs, two areas that also rapidly evolve. The spirit of Renaissance spreads throughout the design museum so it becomes a joyful, interesting and useful experience. 

Check all futher details of the discussion, (produced and published in german) on:
https://www.youtube.com/user/VitraDesignMuseum

…“ Better than promoting  the Feast of Music (FR: Fête  de la Musique) and the Museum Nights, should n’t we ought to create one night without, lights, facades and signs- one night when the city( Paris) would be in a total black-out…just to remind its inhabitants once in a while, that the sky still exists upon their heads and that they can like Dante, escape Inferno?”…(La nuit des étoiles, Été, JOURNAL ATRABILAIRE, p.187, by Jean Clair, L’un et L’autre, Gallimard). 

Warm regards 
A4D-D4A?-))  
  

SUMMER NEWS: PART A.

Picture above: Salone del Mobile.Milano 2016 Award, Best Display: Kartell

Following the traditional week in April when the eyes of the furnishing world were upon it, the Salone del Mobile.Milano has announced the names of the 8 winners of the international award that highlights the design sector’s finest innovations.
Announced last February 2016, this special award affords an opportunity for pause and reflection on the edition that ended on 17th April. Its mission is to deliver targeted recognition of the value of ideas, of creativity, of innovation and of technology. 
The Salone del Mobile.Milano Award pays just homage to people or things, whether from established designers or those newly embarking on their careers, and from products to installations. Awards recognise those that have helped to give the event its strong international flavour, creating a forum showcasing cutting-edge design trends and up-to-the minute modes of home living. 

The winners were announced at the official award ceremony on 7th June- and they were ALL selected  by the criteria of absolute excellence and merit; an exclamation mark for a choice reflecting the exact impressions of the experts, as well as those of the general public who witnessed  and examined those projects in Salone del Mobile.Milano 2016:  

Best Product/ Chairs – Upholstereds All Plastic Chair, Jasper Morrison, Vitra 

Best Product/ Furnishing System Commodore, Piero Lissoni, Glas Italia
 
Best Product/ Kitchen Section Air, Daniele Lago, Lago 

Best Product/ Bathroom Section Origami, Alberto Meda, Tubes Radiatori 

Best Display Kartell
 
Best Young Designer Giacomo Moor
 
Best Designer Konstantin Grcic 

Special Jury Award Cristina Celestino  

A special Banca Intesa Sanpaolo Award has also been granted to Simone Ciarmoli and Miguel Queda of CQS Studio for the artistic direction of Before Design: Classic – the exhibition/event on the topicality of classic Made in Italy style showcased at the Salone del Mobile.Milano 2016. 

For more information check: https://www.salonemilano.it

SuperNormal House is the megatrend developed by LivingScapes, the research carried out by the Salone del Mobile.Milano Trend Lab – the Salone del Mobile.Milano’s new research laboratory and intelligence centre – to identify the leading trends emerging at international level in the world of design, furnishing and living. (see photo bellow: the graph of the Megatrend Map)

Novel notions such as Simplexity, New Normality, Ordinariness, Low Tech,  Re-Humanisation (of design), Extra-Ordinary (design), Personal  Landscape, Considered Minimalism et al. introduced by leading designers and brands , create a mosaic of tangible solutions for living environments in societies now. 
The Salone del Mobile Trend Lab employs an ethnographic-based research methodology based on field observation, combining field (a network of international researchers/ anthropologists), desk and web sources, to identify the socio-cultural changes and evolutions taking place and the way in which they are translated, take shape and manifest themselves in the domestic space.
It also employs a panel of national and international opinion leaders, selected ad hoc both for their relevance to the research subjects (design, architecture, interior design, interior architecture) and for their ability to take a crosscutting look at design and creativity-related issues. The field of observation encompasses all the leading international markets (Europe, Russia, USA, Asia) with a focus on “emerging” countries such as China.

For more information check: https://www.salonemilano.it

Leonardo Da Vinci lived during the peak of the Renaissance period, but he cannot be considered as just another artist, representative of this era. He surpassed by leaps and bounds his known world, he united methods, styles, techniques, arts and sciences, he dared to attempt everything that he considered possible…. A genius, an actual accomplisher, a man of logic but also an intellectual, a mystique and a visionary.
Italy finally dedicates a museum to his name, life and works and the architects Ico Migliore and Mara Servetto ( of studio Migliore+Servetto Architects  in Milan, IT)-
experts in exhibition design, with an impressive portfolio of numerous projects on the field, “tested” them selves in the endeavor to sign the design concept of a space  related to the absolute patron –saint of European thought  by far. A visit is highly mandatory and much better than words. 

Result of a competition launched by Consorzio A.S.T. in 2012, the permanent exhibition - held within the historical Castle of Vigevano (Vigevano city, Pavia, Lombardy, IT) - conceived by Migliore+Servetto Architects for “Leonardiana. Un museo nuovo”, develops, by advanced light tools, multimedia and environmental graphics design, a definitely innovative narration tool which leads the visitor to explore the main phases of Leonardo’s thinking during his lifetime, with the curatorship of Claudia Zevi & Partners and with the supervision of Carlo Pedretti.

“We worked on reversed relationship between vessel and content, between original piece, replica and narration, to make the exhibited subject become the thought and the action of Leonardo inside the original scene. In a rich dialogue with the historical rooms of the castle, the exhibition develops through light installations and structures that combine interactions and advanced technologies to build new narration scenarios.”
(Ico Migliore and Mara Servetto) 

For more information check:
http://architettimiglioreservetto.it/
www.leonardiana.com
info@astvigevano.it


This Thursday on the 30th of June, at 7pm in the Vitra Design Museum (Weil am Rhein, DE), the discussion/event Designmuseum 2.0 – The Renaissance of Collections / Talk (DE) will take place.

In June 2016, the Vitra Design Museum will open the Schaudepot for the presentation and study of its collection. A number of other leading design museums are also renewing their focus on their collections as a basis for their own work, but also as a vehicle for presenting and elucidating the history and future of design. Martin Roth, Director of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, and Christoph Thun-Hohenstein, Director of the Austrian Museum for Applied Arts in Vienna, have been highly successful in attracting millions of visitors to their outstanding international collections. Together with the Director of the Vitra Design Museum, Mateo Kries, they will discuss how their collections are helping them to reinvent the design museum for the twenty-first century.

The Talk will haunt our summer by illustrating  the facts in design that will shape the future of the sector- thus means the future of society. Incredibly interesting and highly recommended venue- certainly not to miss!

For more information check:

https://www.facebook.com/events/283376832014591

http://www.design-museum.de

Object of desire- Let There be Light X3!

The new Trio King Edison is now available from Mineheart, it takes Young & Battaglia's original design and turns the glam factor up to maximum.
Three gold King Edison lamps hanging from a single ceiling rose in a descending cluster (picture bellow).

To find out more information about the new products please email Danielle
on info@mineheart.com
To view the full selection of products please visit: www.mineheart.com


The Contemporary Jewelry Space/ gallery/workshop/ seminar center Syn Apeiro in Athens, GR, resumes its activities - after 9 years of service. Syn Apeiro was one of the few Contemporary and Art jewelry clusters in the Hellenic capital, with a broad spectrum of in-house exhibitions and a serious presence through its designers-jewelers  in significant contemporary jewelry fairs in Europe. Nothing it's over till it's over - we wish Syn Apeiro to re-address its many collaborations in a new network and channel its creative energy to different, exciting ventures. For more information on Syn Apeiro past and current exhibitions, artists and events please contact:

www.synapeiro.gr
www.kalliopiandrikopoulou.com

(picture bellow from Syn Apeiro Annual exhibition & Final Show 2016):

The second round of design news and latest updates, later in the summer - so please stay in touch. Until then, enjoy life to the maximum!
A4D-D4A;-))

SUMMER 2016 DESIGN TITLES: THE TOP TEN.

Picture above (background): Vintage card by the E.L.I.A Archives (eng.: Hellenic Literary and Historical Archives), supported by M.I.E.T, Greece (: National Bank Educational Foundation) Publications. For more info on M.I.E.T and E.L.I.A actions, initiatives, schemes and shops please follow:
www.miet.gr
http://www.elia.org.gr

The A4D-D4A exciting choice of 10 best design and crafts publications, for the summer!
Read and think:

1. www.prestel.com FASHION/ ECOLOGY (English, 2016)

 Fashion Made Fair by Ellen Kohrer and Magdalena Schaffrin

Is green the new black? This beautifully illustrated book pays tribute to contemporary designers whose creations are at once fashion-forward as well as sustainable, responsible, and humanely produced.

2. www.arnoldsche.com JEWELLERY (English, available from Mid-September 2016)

BARBARA CARTLIDGE AND ELECTRUM GALLERY - A Passion for Jewellery
by Beatriz Chadour-Sampson and Janice Hosegood

The life and career of contemporary jewellery's patron saint: Barbara Cartlidge and her legendary gallery/boutique Electrum in 21,South Molton str., London - finally thoroughly presented and illustrated. A rare study dedicated to an exquisite woman, artist, designer, entrepreneur, activist and pilar of the contemporary jewellery and crafts movement, as recorded from the 70's and beyond.

3. www.arnoldsche.com DESIGN/ FURNITURE (English- Norwegian)

EKSTRØM EXTREME. Norwegian Furniture and Industrial Design :by Denise Hagströmer(ed)

The phenomenal and unique creativity of pioneer furniture designer Terje Ekstrøm (1944-2013) whose work contributed a new vitality and independence to the Norwegian design scene of the 1970s and 80s. Challenging the ideals of the golden age of Scandinavian design, his practice was characterized by an eclectic search for originality.

4. www.dardanos.net  GUTENBERG PUBLISHERS, Athens HISTORY/ INDUSTRIAL DESIGN (Greek, 1st edition: December 2015 available from Jan 2016)
 
Μια Ιστορία για τα Ελληνικά Μηχανήματα του Μηχανουργείου Κούππα (1882-1940), Ευγενία Κρεμμυδά
(:A History of Greek Machinery: The Kouppas Factory of Industrial Machinery (1822-1940) by Eugenia Kremmyda)

A concise history of Greek Industrial machinery through the analysis of the Kouppas factory, in Piraeus, Greece- the biggest industrial unit in the field, on Hellenic ground. The book is far more than a discovery of the company's archives, it contributes immensely to the actual understanding of greek industrial heritage and engineering - by also giving a perspective on the sectors rebirth.

5. www.routledge.com  SOCIAL SCIENCE/ DESIGN (english, 2015)

The Routledge Companion to Design Research. Edited by Paul Rodgers, Joyce Yee

The Routledge Companion to Design Research offers a comprehensive examination of design research, celebrating the plurality of design research and the wide range of conceptual, methodological, technological and theoretical approaches evident in contemporary design research.

6. www.tezukuritown.com (manufacturer name  : NIHON VOGUE) CRAFTS (Japanese,
2016)

COS costume Making Book

Basic instructions For Cosplay costume production, fabric and sewing recommendations, such as Tsukekata  paper arrangements and patterns, commentated in detail. Beautiful dresses and flared skirts, body suits, Manabu orchid-garments, swallowtail jackets....FUN! S ~ L size for women. CD ROM included!

7. www.tezukuritown.com (manufacturer name  : NIHON VOGUE) CRAFTS (Japanese,
2016)

Fully -used Bags

Introduction to semicircle bag, purse, round pochette, tetra pouch, triangle bag, Azuma bag, cube bag, collage bag, etc. In addition to the basics of sewing, a three-step work process on photos, to make  beginners confident with the book content. Work it, you will be a fanatic!

8. http://store.nardinieditore.it/   INTERIOR DESIGN/ CONSERVATION/ RESTORATION (Italian)

Colore. Colorimetria: sistema di colore Carlieri-Bianco (: Colour. Colorimetry: the Carlieri-Bianco system)

The classic manual on color science and technology, now on E-Book!!! Essential. You can read it on your Kindle device, PC, mobile, tablet.

9. http://www.nardinibookstore.it  ARCHITECTURE/ URBANISM (Italian)

APE – Guida al nuovo Attestato di Prestazione Energetica (:APE - Guide to the new Energy Performance Certificate)

III Edition (on call from 26 June 2015): Energy performance , prescriptions and minimum requirements . Project technical report . Adaptation of national guidelines for energy certification. If you are an architect, with a practice in Europe, is worth having a look on the new, updated laws applied to energy certificates for buildings in Italy- it is a very complete list of rules, useful to adopt in other countries. The Italians do it better....?

10. http://pepinpress.com WEB DESIGN/ ON-LINE MEDIA DESIGN (German, English, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Chinese, 2016,)

Web Design Index by Content 05

Would you like an overview of the state of the art in web design in a specific field? this book provides exactly that: every year, 500 new designs are selected and grouped in more than 20 categories, such as architecture, art, fashion, food, IT, music, photography, product catalogues, etc.
Two pages from each site are included: an opening page and a page representative of the nature of the site. This is the fifth in a series  of titles, which has become the industry standard in tracking trends in web design. This year has seen an emphasis on large images, typographic innovations and a more hand-made or hand-drawn feel in web design. The websites featured in this book are organized by subject and provide an invaluable reference for web designers.The enclosed CD contains previews of and a link to each of the featured websites. TOP!

Enjoy and get the most out of it. (Design) Books are TREASURES.
A4D-D4A?-)


 

POWER REVOLUTION, ENERGY'S FINAL FRONTIER.

"Home Is where your Laptop Is" . The mantra of the Z generation of young, urban creatives (Yuccies: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuccie) will thrive only under one vital predicament: sufficient ENERGY warranty. In an era where the planet is suffering by the over-use of fossil fuels and the rigidity to fully convert to renewable resources - under the constant threat of continuous wars over the control of coil, gas and oil- even drilling to other planets came as a law in countries of the western world ex. USA (in a state of panic fearing earth deposits deficiency in the near future). Cars, computers, heating, housing will go through major changes in their very DNA, in their actual MAKING and that means they won't be even listed under their usual categories. (ex. Cars will not be considered as Vehicles but as part of the Internet of Things. Houses and other MADE constructions and products, will be delivered with a Passport of Materials, used in the making process of responsible design).

Batteries as an important technology, about to re-born- will also overcome important transformations and become the essential TOOL for survival and creative dynamics. In a quick search the meta-Lithium developments on the actual material, guarantee impressive results-despite the fact its biodegradability being questioned, as an issue and a challenge. With the big mobile/PC/electronics companies already working extensively on the area- it seems that the Battery of the Future, functioning on light beam detectors and air reaction- will make its first appearance probably until 2030.
Until then have a quick glimpse in those enlightening sites bellow:

http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/plugged-in/beyond-the-hype-what-s-the-future-of-batteries/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/11475219/What-is-the-future-of-battery-technology.html

https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/batteries-%E2%80%93-guide-future

http://www.techrepublic.com/article/the-future-of-electric-cars-why-the-battery-race-will-define-it-and-musk-is-a-genius/

http://www.forbes.com/sites/thelabbench/2015/04/30/ensuring-tesla-doesnt-crowd-out-the-batteries-of-the-future/#1cef40be402a

http://www.triplepundit.com/2015/08/biodegradable-batteries-real/

https://waste-management-world.com/a/1-the-lithium-battery-recycling-challenge

www.360inspiration.nl

Happy reading and thinking?-))
A4D-D4A

ESCAPE as a Living Strategy*: an architecture crash course 4All, featuring ARCH POINTS.

(*As a reference to Discretion as Survival Strategy inscription in the Umberto Riva – Proposition for a Bolt Hole  installation at STANZE exhibition, XXI Triennale, Milan 2016.)  

Image above: Summer house in Ilia prefecture , West Peloponnese . Architects: Betty Tsaousi (YAW ARCHITECTURE, btsaousi@gmail.com ) and Despina Sotiriou. Escape signifies the return to a comfortable rurality or a remote, extreme countryside(?). Itinerary no1 (stop no4 ) throughout Athens City, (the core of the commercial center): “Athens City Center: a transitional point. From investors’ high end expectations to working class rematch.” ARCH POINTS  architectural tours, 14th of May 2016. 

A three-day  event, ARCH POINTS is a series of 5 guided tours in the city of Athens, showcasing its architecture and the young professional architects living and working, within the Greek capital ravaged by the economic crisis. ESCAPE is the focal point-theme, triggering the creative ideas, plans, constructions and finished products of seventeen studios- proposing an entire re-invention  and re-mediation of the architectural discipline, also essential for the sector’s survival. At the same time, the guided  tours in the multilayered city of Athens-full of old and new wonders or/and “sins” in terms of architectural planning- reveal many unknown aspects of the heart of the town, through a contemporary approach to the Athenian urban  landscape.  

A4D-D4A followed three of the five itineraries , dedicated to different issues , revolving around the notion of Escape and the city today. A.The Athens City - the Commercial Center Transformation of Real Estate, b.the Evolution of the Athenian Apartment block and the c.Relativity to the Sea frontier- exposed  three routes respectively, where one discovers the participants architects’ offices situated on each of them –but also natural and architectural milestones, defining the city’s (new) character.

See bellow, from top to bottom: 
Athens China Town- The upper-middle class lofts in the old Silk Factory working class quarters (Metaxourgeio)- 1950’s residential apartments in Heraklitou str, Kolonaki- Graffiti (“ I am tortured (gr.:"βασανίζομαι“)  near Athens Stock market.- The wild flora of the National Garden , next to the Parliament, near the ancient Ilissos river stream. 

The business of architecture evokes many new challenges, given the circumstances of the economic and environmental crisis. In times like this, the architect becomes a restorer and renovator, more than a strict builder or maker, crossing the platforms of other fields in applied arts and techniques. Extroversy , flexibility , escape from immobility, decentralization of services, co-operability, adaptation of art narratives and intelligent technology (supported by the architects toolkit) : those are the attributes of the new architect in the city of Athens, exploring  a wide range of solutions in order to attain professional sustainability. The cheerful disposition of all the architects presenting projects on ESCAPE by ARCH POINTS was overwhelming – nevertheless here follow some of the highlights  in the three itineraries mentioned earlier. 

From top to bottom: 

Vasileios Ntovros, Pittaki str. quarters light installation, "Imagine the City"-        

4k architects, Escape mapping game-

Diofantou6, outdoor sunshade constructions- VM Architects, Hidden Landscapes (3D printouts, spooled out algorithmically generated diagrams of intangible spaces). 

www.ntovrosvasileios.gr 

http://cargocollective.com/imaginethecity/Syn-oikia (photo)

www.tesserakappa.gr 

diofantou6.tumblr.com 

www.vmarchitects.gr 

You can also visit: 

www.neararchitecture.com 

www.theathensproject.wordpress.com 

www.micromega.gr 

www.cadu.gr 

www.a-u-d-o.com 

www.thanassismanis.com 

www.harisbiskos.com 

ARCH POINTS official website: www.archpoints.gr 

Special thanks to: the architects-guides of the tours, Eleni Patatouka, Anastasia Koutoumanou, Aggeliki Latani and Fanis Kafantaris and the Press officer of ARCH POINTS (all mighty) Christina  Zafeirouli. We are so looking forward for next year's edition ARCH POINTS 2017!

Warm regards;-)) 

A4D-D4A