Architectural Counterpoints from Zachos to the Present

Neo-Classicism detached by force 'old Greece' from the pre-Revolution architectural heritage – what was mistakenly thoughtof as Ottoman. The gradual incorporation of Thessaly, Epirus,and Macedonia brought back to the forefront of attention theshared architectural past. A link in this was Aristotelis Zachos,perhaps thanks to his experiences in Macedonia as a child. Hephoto-graphed entireties or details, setting down the impression

of the city, the monument, the fountain, without artistic intent.Nev-ertheless, the result has a strange charm, since almostalways within the subject individuals, looks, behaviours, andcostumes which sketch the living conditions of the human mosaicin Greece in the inter-War years are depicted.

The publication of the photographs by the Archives ofModern Greek Architecture of the Benaki Museum has madeknown images of an architecture for ever lost, of special value for architects and historians, and equally interesting to non-specialists.

What, one wonders, does the present-day Thessalonikiresident feel when he sees images of desolation within the'Kastra', where today the 'neo-vernacular' building projects a suigeneris quasi-ideology? How many residents of Naousa wouldrecognise the centre of their city in the photograph showing the'Concord Coffee-Shop'? And do the people of Veria, as theypark in the underground municipal car park, that they areburrowing beneath the tombstone of the renowned mansion ofSior Manolakis? The people of Volos are fortunate, it wouldseem, as their city is adorned by outstanding churches designedby Zachos; but as soon as they go up Aristotelis Zachos Streettowards Pelion, they will not find the mansions which hephotographed, as he tirelessly plodded along the cobbled roads,nor will they be able to recognise even one tower, or discoverany characteristic trace to convince them that the astonishingpicture of 1806 shows neighbouring Portaria! And do theresidents of Ioannina who are crushed into the shiny multi-storeycommercial centre ask themselves of what wealth the last 'listed'members of the end of their little city – which Esat Pasha is seensurrendering in the vernacular lithograph of 1913 – are theremnants, the irritating mementos?

The urban landscape alters constantly. It is changed by humangroups of every period; they remodel it, they enjoy it or they fail to value it. At the same time, they find it difficult to be aware of the reality which themselves are shaping and theproblems they are causing. Every solution they find is succeededby new problems: a constant complaint about the country'scultural continuity – and consistency – is the standard refrain ofthe older generation.

The photographer, however, freezes time and leaves behindmaterial which permits interpretations which are distanced andlevel-headed. When he does not photograph only the works

of men, but puts these men into the shot, he makes the place and time, the cultural juncture, the social synergyintelligible. This is whatZachos did; it is for thisreason that he rewards hisinterlocutor. He does not seekout the human presencemerely to give the scale of thework of architecture; he has

more profound reasons which stem from a quest for the full range of folk culture – and first and foremost of architecture, which, hebelieved, in spite of being influenced by the conditions of life,manners, customs, or religion, "remains as if unaltered with all itsprincipal characteristics"*.

Do, then, the counterpoints of the pictures in the exhibitionvindicate him? Or have all the principal characteristics, both ofthe architecture and of the more general shaping of theenvironment of the 'globalised' society been irreversibly altered?

Yannis Kizis

ARISTOTELIS ZACHOS (1871-1939)

A scion of a Siatista family of merchants, Aristotelis Zachosstudied architecture in Germany, where he lived and worked for17 years, without ever taking a degree. He interrupted hisstudies to fight, as a volunteer, in the inglorious war of 1897. Hereturned to Greece to stay, in 1906, in order to get to know theworks of its people from end to end, to sketch and to photographthem, to graft these on to his own architecture. A distinctivefigure, he left behind outstanding works, such as the churches inVolos (St Nicholas, the Transfiguration, St Constantine – the mostelegant example of his church architecture), AngelikiHatzimichali's house, and the Zosimaia Teachers' TrainingCollege in Ioannina – which typify his ideas about a new Greekarchitecture.

* Aristotelis Zachos, '§·ï΋ ∞Ú¯ÈÙÂÎÙÔÓÈ΋ [Vernacular architecture]', Kallitechnis,issue 17, Athens 1911, pp. 185-186, reprinted in ◊ÂÈÚÔ˜ - £ÂÛÛ·Ï›· - ª·Î‰Ô-Ó›· [Epirus - Thessaly - Macedonia], publ. Benaki Museum Archives of Modern GreekArchitecture, Athens 2007, p. 23.

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ÌÓËÌ›Ô, ÙËÓ ÎÚ‹ÓË, ¯ˆÚ›˜ ηÏÏÈÙ¯ÓÈ΋ ÚfiıÂÛË. ∂ÓÙÔ‡ÙÔȘ, ÙÔ·ÔÙ¤ÏÂÛÌ· ¤¯ÂÈ ÌÈ· ·Ú¿ÍÂÓË ÁÔËÙ›·, ηıÒ˜, ۯ‰fiÓ ¿Óٷ̤۷ ÛÙÔ ı¤Ì· ·ÔÙ˘ÒÓÔÓÙ·È ÚfiÛˆ·, ‚ϤÌÌ·Ù·, Û˘ÌÂÚÈÊÔ-Ú¤˜ Î·È ÊÔÚÂÛȤ˜, Ô˘ ÛÎÈ·ÁÚ·ÊÔ‡Ó ÙȘ Û˘Óı‹Î˜ ˙ˆ‹˜ ÙÔ˘·ÓıÚÒÈÓÔ˘ ̈۷˚ÎÔ‡ ÛÙËÓ ∂ÏÏ¿‰· ÙÔ˘ ÌÂÛÔÔϤÌÔ˘.

∏ ‰ËÌÔÛ›Â˘ÛË ÙˆÓ ÊˆÙÔÁÚ·ÊÈÒÓ ·fi Ù· ∞گ›· ¡ÂÔÂÏÏËÓÈ-΋˜ ∞Ú¯ÈÙÂÎÙÔÓÈ΋˜ ÙÔ˘ ªÔ˘Û›Ԣ ªÂÓ¿ÎË ¤Î·Ó·Ó ÁÓˆÛÙ¤˜ ÂÈÎfi-Ó˜ ÌÈ·˜ ÁÈ· ¿ÓÙ· ¯·Ì¤Ó˘ ·Ú¯ÈÙÂÎÙÔÓÈ΋˜, Ì ȉȷ›ÙÂÚË ·Í›· ÁÈ·ÙÔ˘˜ ·Ú¯ÈÙ¤ÎÙÔÓ˜ Î·È ÙÔ˘˜ ÈÛÙÔÚÈÎÔ‡˜, ÂÍ ›ÛÔ˘ ÂӉȷʤÚÔ˘Û˜ ηÈÁÈ· ÙÔ˘˜ ÌË ÂȉÈÎÔ‡˜.

∆È ·ÈÛı¿ÓÂÙ·È, ¿Ú·ÁÂ, Ô Û‡Á¯ÚÔÓÔ˜ £ÂÛÛ·ÏÔÓÈÎÈfi˜ ‚ϤÔ-ÓÙ·˜ ÂÈÎfiÓ˜ ÂÚËÌÈ¿˜ ̤۷ ÛÙ· «∫¿ÛÙÚ·», ÂΛ fiÔ˘ Û‹ÌÂÚ· Ë«ÓÂÔ·Ú·‰ÔÛȷ΋» ·ÓÔÈÎÔ‰fiÌËÛË ÚÔ‚¿ÏÏÂÈ ¤Ó· ȉÈfiÙ˘Ô È‰ÂÔ-ÏfiÁËÌ·; ¶fiÛÔÈ ¡·Ô˘Û·›ÔÈ ı’ ·Ó·ÁÓˆÚ›ÛÔ˘Ó ÙÔ Î¤ÓÙÚÔ Ù˘ fiÏ˘ÙÔ˘˜ ÛÙË ÊˆÙÔÁÚ·Ê›· Ì ÙÔ «Î·ÊÂÓ›ÔÓ Ë √ÌfiÓÔÈ·»; ∫·È ÔȵÂÚÔÈÒÙ˜ Ô˘ ·ÚοÚÔ˘Ó ÛÙÔ ˘fiÁÂÈÔ ‰ËÌÔÙÈÎfi Áηڿ˙, ˘Ô-„È¿˙ÔÓÙ·È, Ì‹ˆ˜, fiÙÈ ¯ÒÓÔÓÙ·È Î¿Ùˆ ·fi ÙËÓ Ù·ÊfiϷη ÙÔ˘ÊËÌÈṲ̂ÓÔ˘ ·Ú¯ÔÓÙfiÛÈÙÔ˘ ÙÔ˘ ÛÈÔÚ-ª·ÓˆÏ¿ÎË; ∆̆ ¯ÂÚÔ› Ê·›ÓÂ-Ù·È ˆ˜ Â›Ó·È ÔÈ µÔÏÈÒÙ˜, Ô˘ ÙËÓ fiÏË ÙÔ˘˜ ÎÔÛÌÔ‡Ó ÂÍ·ÈÚÂÙÈÎÔ›Ó·Ô› ۯ‰ȷṲ̂ÓÔÈ ·fi ÙÔÓ ∑¿¯ÔØ ÌfiÏȘ fï˜ ·ÓËÊÔÚ›ÛÔ˘Ó ÙËÓÔ‰fi ∞ÚÈÛÙÔÙ¤ÏË ∑¿¯Ô˘ ÚÔ˜ ÛÙÔ ¶‹ÏÈÔ, ‰ÂÓ ı· ‚ÚÔ˘Ó Ù· ·Ú¯Ô-ÓÙfiÛÈÙ· Ô˘ ÂΛÓÔ˜ ʈÙÔÁÚ¿ÊÈÛÂ, Ô‰ÔÈÔÚÒÓÙ·˜ ·ÎÔ‡Ú·ÛÙ·ÛÙ· ηÏÓÙÂÚ›ÌÈ·Ø Ô‡Ù ı· ÌÔÚ¤ÛÔ˘Ó Ó’ ·Ó·ÁÓˆÚ›ÛÔ˘Ó ¤ÛÙˆ ÎÈ’¤Ó· ‡ÚÁÔ, Ó· ‚ÚÔ˘Ó Î¿ÔÈÔ ÛËÌ¿‰È ¯·Ú·ÎÙËÚÈÛÙÈÎfi, Ô˘ Ó· ÙÔ˘˜Â›ıÂÈ fiÙÈ Ë Î·Ù·ÏËÎÙÈ΋ ÂÈÎfiÓ· ÙÔ˘ 1806 ‰Â›¯ÓÂÈ ÙË ÁÂÈÙÔÓÈ΋ÙÔ˘˜ ¶ÔÚÙ·ÚÈ¿! ª‹ˆ˜ ÎÈ ÔÈ °È·ÓÓÈÒÙ˜, Ô˘ ÛÚÒ¯ÓÔÓÙ·È ÛÙÔÁ˘·ÏÈÛÙÂÚfi ÔÏ˘ÒÚÔÊÔ ÂÌÔÚÈÎfi ΤÓÙÚÔ, ÛΤÊÙÔÓÙ·È Ù›ÓÔ˜ ÏÔ‡-ÙÔ˘ ·ÔÌÂÈÓ¿ÚÈ·, ÂÓÔ¯ÏËÙÈο ÂÓı˘Ì‹Ì·Ù·, Â›Ó·È Ù· ÙÂÏÂ˘Ù·›· «‰È·-ÙËÚËÙ¤·» ̤ÏË ÙÔ˘ Ù¤ÏÔ˘˜ Ù˘ ÌÈÎÚ‹˜ ÙÔ˘˜ fiÏ˘; ÂΛӢ, Ô˘·Ú·‰›‰ÂÈ Ô ∂Û¿Ù ·Û¿˜ ÛÙË Ï·˚΋ ÏÈıÔÁÚ·Ê›· ÙÔ˘ 1913;

∆Ô ·ÛÙÈÎfi ÙÔ›Ô Û˘Ó¯Ҙ ÌÂÙ·‚¿ÏÏÂÙ·È. ∆Ô ·ÏÏ¿˙Ô˘Ó ÔÈ ·ÓıÚÒ-ÈÓ˜ ÔÌ¿‰Â˜ οı ÂÔ¯‹˜, ÙÔ ·Ó·Ï¿ıÔ˘Ó, ÙÔ ¯·›ÚÔÓÙ·È ‹ ÙÔ ··-ÍÈÒÓÔ˘Ó. ∆ËÓ ›‰È· ÛÙÈÁÌ‹ ‰˘ÛÎÔχÔÓÙ·È Ó· Û˘ÓÂȉËÙÔÔÈ‹ÛÔ˘Ó ÙËÓÚ·ÁÌ·ÙÈÎfiÙËÙ· Ô˘ ÔÈ ›‰È˜ ‰È·ÌÔÚÊÒÓÔ˘Ó Î·È Ù· ÚÔ‚Ï‹Ì·Ù·Ô˘ ÚÔÍÂÓÔ‡Ó. ∆ËÓ Î¿ıÂ Â›Ï˘Û‹ ÙÔ˘˜ ‰È·‰¤¯ÔÓÙ·È Ó¤· ÚÔ‚Ï‹-Ì·Ù·Ø ÌÈ· ‰È·Ú΋˜ ÁÎÚ›ÓÈ· ÁÈ· ÙËÓ ÔÏÈÙÈÛÌÈ΋ Û˘Ó¤¯ÂÈ· – Î·È Û˘Ó¤-ÂÈ· – ÙÔ˘ ÙfiÔ˘ Â›Ó·È Ë ÛÙ·ıÂÚ‹ ˆ‰fi˜ ÙˆÓ ·Ï·ÈfiÙÂÚˆÓ.

√ ʈÙÔÁÚ¿ÊÔ˜, fï˜, ·ÁÒÓÂÈ ÙÔ ¯ÚfiÓÔ Î·È ·Ê‹ÓÂÈ ˘ÏÈÎfiÔ˘ ÂÈÙÚ¤ÂÈ ÂÚÌËÓ›˜ ·ÔÛÙ·ÛÈÔÔÈË̤Ó˜ Î·È „‡¯Ú·È̘. ŸÙ·Ó‰ÂÓ ÊˆÙÔÁÚ·Ê›˙ÂÈ ÌfiÓÔ Ù· ¤ÚÁ· ÙˆÓ ·ÓıÚÒˆÓ, ·ÏÏ¿ ‚¿˙ÂÈ ÎÈ·˘ÙÔ‡˜ ̤۷ ÛÙÔ Ï¿ÓÔ, οÓÂÈ Î·Ù·ÓÔËÙfi ÙÔÓ ÙfiÔ Î·È ÙÔÓ ¯ÚfiÓÔ,

ÙËÓ ÔÏÈÙÈÛÌÈ΋ Û˘Á΢ڛ·, ÙËÓÎÔÈÓˆÓÈ΋ Û˘Ó¤ÚÁÂÈ·. ∞˘Ùfi¤Î·ÓÂ Ô ∑¿¯Ô˜Ø ÁÈ’ ·˘Ùfi ηȷÔ˙ËÌÈÒÓÂÈ ÙÔÓ Û˘ÓÔÌÈÏËÙ‹ÙÔ˘Ø ‰ÂÓ ÂÈ˙ËÙ› ÙËÓ ·ÓıÚÒÈ-ÓË ·ÚÔ˘Û›· ·ÏÒ˜ ÁÈ· Ó·‰ÒÛÂÈ ÙËÓ Îϛ̷η ÙÔ˘ ·Ú¯ÈÙÂ-ÎÙÔÓÈÎÔ‡ ¤ÚÁÔ˘Ø ¤¯ÂÈ ‚·ı‡ÙÂ-ÚÔ˘˜ ÏfiÁÔ˘˜, Ô˘ ËÁ¿˙Ô˘Ó·fi ÙËÓ ·Ó·˙‹ÙËÛË ÙÔ˘ Ï‹-ÚÔ˘˜ Ê¿ÛÌ·ÙÔ˜ ÙÔ˘ Ï·˚ÎÔ‡ÔÏÈÙÈÛÌÔ‡. ∫·È ÚˆÙ›ÛÙˆ˜ Ù˘·Ú¯ÈÙÂÎÙÔÓÈ΋˜, Ë ÔÔ›·, fiˆ˜

›ÛÙ¢Â, ·ÚfiÏÔ Ô˘ ÂËÚ¿˙ÂÙ·È ·fi ÙȘ Û˘Óı‹Î˜ ÙÔ˘ ‚›Ô˘, Ù·‹ıË, Ù· ¤ıÈÌ·, ‹ ÙË ıÚËÛΛ·, «·Ú·Ì¤ÓÂÈ ÔÈÔÓ› ·ÌÂÙ¿‚ÏËÙÔ˜ ÌÂfiÏ· Ù· ·ÚÈ· ¯·Ú·ÎÙËÚÈÛÙÈο Ù˘»*.

√È ·ÓÙÈÛÙ›ÍÂȘ ÙˆÓ ÂÈÎfiÓˆÓ Ù˘ ¤ÎıÂÛ˘ ¿Ú·Á ÙÔÓ ‰ÈηÈÒ-ÓÔ˘Ó; ‹ ÌÂÙ·‚Ï‹ıËÎ·Ó ·ÓÂÈÛÙÚÂÙ› fiÏ· Ù· ·ÚÈ· ¯·Ú·ÎÙËÚÈÛÙÈο,ÙfiÛÔ Ù˘ ·Ú¯ÈÙÂÎÙÔÓÈ΋˜, fiÛÔ Î·È Ù˘ ÁÂÓÈÎfiÙÂÚ˘ ‰È·ÌfiÚʈÛ˘ÙÔ˘ ÂÚÈ‚¿ÏÏÔÓÙÔ˜ Ù˘ «·ÁÎÔÛÌÈÔÔÈË̤Ó˘» ÎÔÈÓˆÓ›·˜;

°È¿ÓÓ˘ ∫›˙˘

∞ƒπ™∆√∆∂§∏™ ∑∞Ã√™ (1871-1939)

°fiÓÔ˜ ‡ÔÚ˘ ™È·ÙÈÛÙÈÓ‹˜ ÔÈÎÔÁ¤ÓÂÈ·˜ ÂÌfiÚˆÓ, Ô ∞ÚÈÛÙÔÙ¤Ï˘∑¿¯Ô˜ ÛÔ‡‰·Û ÙËÓ ·Ú¯ÈÙÂÎÙÔÓÈ΋ ÛÙË °ÂÚÌ·Ó›·, fiÔ˘ ¤˙ËÛ ηȉԇÏ„ ‰ÂηÂÙ¿ ¯ÚfiÓÈ·, ¯ˆÚ›˜ Ó· ¿ÚÂÈ ÔÙ¤ Ù˘¯›Ô. ¢È¤ÎÔ„ÂÙȘ ÛÔ˘‰¤˜ ÙÔ˘ ÁÈ· Ó· ÔÏÂÌ‹ÛÂÈ, ̂ ˜ ÂıÂÏÔÓÙ‹˜, ÛÙÔÓ ¿‰ÔÍÔ fiÏÂ-ÌÔ ÙÔ˘ 1897. £· Í·Ó¿ÚıÂÈ ÛÙËÓ ∂ÏÏ¿‰· ÙÔ 1906 ÁÈ· Ó· Ì›ÓÂÈ,ÁÈ· Ó· ÁÓˆÚ›ÛÂÈ Ù· ¤ÚÁ· ÙˆÓ ·ÓıÚÒˆÓ Ù˘ ·’ ¿ÎÚË Û’ ¿ÎÚË, Ó·Ù· ÛÎÈÙÛ¿ÚÂÈ Î·È Ó· Ù· ʈÙÔÁÚ·Ê›ÛÂÈ, Ó· Ù· ÌÔÏÈ¿ÛÂÈ ÛÙËÓ ·Ú¯È-ÙÂÎÙÔÓÈ΋ ÙÔ˘. π‰È·›ÙÂÚË ÌÔÚÊ‹, ¿ÊËÛ ¤ÚÁ· Ô˘ ͯˆÚ›˙Ô˘Ó,fiˆ˜ ÔÈ Ó·Ô› ÛÙÔ µfiÏÔ (ÕÁÈÔ˜ ¡ÈÎfiÏ·Ô˜, ªÂÙ·ÌfiÚʈÛË, ÕÁÈÔ˜∫ˆÓÛÙ·ÓÙ›ÓÔ˜ – ÙÔ ÎÔÌ„fiÙÂÚÔ ‰Â›ÁÌ· Ù˘ ÂÎÎÏËÛÈ·ÛÙÈ΋˜ ·Ú¯ÈÙÂ-ÎÙÔÓÈ΋˜ ÙÔ˘) Î·È ÛÙËÓ ∫fiÚÈÓıÔ (∞fiÛÙÔÏÔ˜ ¶·‡ÏÔ˜ – ηÈÓÔÙÔÌ›·ÛÙË Ó·Ô‰ÔÌ›· Ù˘ ÂÔ¯‹˜), ÙÔ Û›ÙÈ Ù˘ ∞ÁÁÂÏÈ΋˜ ÷Ù˙ËÌȯ¿ÏË Î·ÈË ∑ˆÛÈÌ·›· ¶·È‰·ÁˆÁÈ΋ ∞η‰ËÌ›· πˆ·ÓÓ›ÓˆÓ – ¯·Ú·ÎÙËÚÈÛÙÈÎ¿ÙˆÓ È‰ÂÒÓ ÙÔ˘ ÁÈ· ÌÈ· Ó¤· ÂÏÏËÓÈ΋ ·Ú¯ÈÙÂÎÙÔÓÈ΋.

* ∞ÚÈÛÙÔÙ¤ÏË ∑¿¯Ô˘, «§·˚΋ ·Ú¯ÈÙÂÎÙÔÓÈ΋», ∫·ÏÏÈÙ¤¯Ó˘, Ù. 17, ∞ı‹Ó· 1911, Û. 185-186Ø ·Ó·‰ËÌÔÛ›Â˘ÛË ÛÙÔ ◊ÂÈÚÔ˜ – £ÂÛÛ·Ï›· – ª·Î‰ÔÓ›·, ÂΉ. ∞گ›·¡ÂÔÂÏÏËÓÈ΋˜ ∞Ú¯ÈÙÂÎÙÔÓÈ΋˜ ªÔ˘Û›Ԣ ªÂÓ¿ÎË, ∞ı‹Ó· 2007, Û. 23.

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