«Αρχιτεκτονικές Αντιστίξεις από τον Ζάχο στο σήμερα»

Architectural Counterpoints from Zachos to the Present Neo-Classicism detached by force 'old Greece' from the preRevolution architectural heritage – what was mistakenly thought of as Ottoman. The gradual incorporation of Thessaly, Epirus, and Macedonia brought back to the forefront of attention the shared architectural past. A link in this was Aristotelis Zachos, perhaps thanks to his experiences in Macedonia as a child. He photo-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 almost always within the subject individuals, looks, behaviours, and costumes which sketch the living conditions of the human mosaic in Greece in the inter-War years are depicted.

The publication of the photographs by the Archives of Modern Greek Architecture of the Benaki Museum has made known images of an architecture for ever lost, of special value for architects and historians, and equally interesting to nonspecialists.

What, one wonders, does the present-day Thessaloniki resident feel when he sees images of desolation within the 'Kastra', where today the 'neo-vernacular' building projects a sui generis quasi-ideology? How many residents of Naousa would recognise the centre of their city in the photograph showing the 'Concord Coffee-Shop'? And do the people of Veria, as they park in the underground municipal car park, that they are burrowing beneath the tombstone of the renowned mansion of Sior Manolakis? The people of Volos are fortunate, it would seem, as their city is adorned by outstanding churches designed

by Zachos; but as soon as they go up Aristotelis Zachos Street towards Pelion, they will not find the mansions which he photographed, as he tirelessly plodded along the cobbled roads, nor will they be able to recognise even one tower, or discover any characteristic trace to convince them that the astonishing picture of 1806 shows neighbouring Portaria! And do the residents of Ioannina who are crushed into the shiny multi-storey commercial centre ask themselves of what wealth the last 'listed' members of the end of their little city – which Esat Pasha is seen surrendering in the vernacular lithograph of 1913 – are the remnants, the irritating mementos?

The urban landscape alters constantly. It is changed by human groups 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 the problems they are causing. Every solution they find is succeeded by new problems: a constant complaint about the country's cultural continuity – and consistency – is the standard refrain of the older generation.

The photographer, however, freezes time and leaves behind material which permits interpretations which are distanced and level-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 synergy intelligible. This is what Zachos did; it is for this reason that he rewards his interlocutor. He does not seek out the human presence merely to give the scale of the work 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, he believed, in spite of being influenced by the conditions of life, manners, customs, or religion, "remains as if unaltered with all its principal characteristics"*.

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

Yannis Kizis ARISTOTELIS ZACHOS (1871-1939) A scion of a Siatista family of merchants, Aristotelis Zachos studied architecture in Germany, where he lived and worked for 17 years, without ever taking a degree. He interrupted his studies to fight, as a volunteer, in the inglorious war of 1897. He returned to Greece to stay, in 1906, in order to get to know the works of its people from end to end, to sketch and to photograph them, to graft these on to his own architecture. A distinctive figure, he left behind outstanding works, such as the churches in Volos (St Nicholas, the Transfiguration, St Constantine – the most elegant example of his church architecture), Angeliki Hatzimichali's house, and the Zosimaia Teachers' Training College in Ioannina – which typify his ideas about a new Greek architecture.

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

* Aristotelis

∞Ú¯ÈÙÂÎÙÔÓÈΤ˜ ·ÓÙÈÛÙ›ÍÂȘ ·fi ÙÔÓ ∑¿¯Ô ÛÙÔ Û‹ÌÂÚ·

∞Ú¯ÈÙÂÎÙÔÓÈΤ˜ ·ÓÙÈÛÙ›ÍÂȘ ·fi ÙÔv ∑¿¯Ô ÛÙÔ Û‹ÌÂÚ· √ ÓÂÔÎÏ·ÛÈÎÈÛÌfi˜ ·¤ÎÔ„Â ‚›·È· ÙËÓ «·ÏÈ¿ ∂ÏÏ¿‰·» ·fi ÙËÓ ÚÔÂ·Ó·ÛÙ·ÙÈ΋ ·Ú¯ÈÙÂÎÙÔÓÈ΋ ÎÏËÚÔÓÔÌÈ¿, ·˘Ù‹ Ô˘ Ï·Óı·Ṳ̂ӷ ıˆڋıËΠÔıˆÌ·ÓÈ΋. ∏ ÛÙ·‰È·Î‹ ÂÓۈ̿وÛË Ù˘ £ÂÛÛ·Ï›·˜, Ù˘ ∏›ÚÔ˘ Î·È Ù˘ ª·Î‰ÔÓ›·˜ Í·Ó¿ÊÂÚ ÛÙÔ ÚÔÛ΋ÓÈÔ ÙÔ ÎÔÈÓfi ·Ú¯ÈÙÂÎÙÔÓÈÎfi ·ÚÂÏıfiÓ. ™‡Ó‰ÂÛÌÔ˜ Ô ∞ÚÈÛÙÔÙ¤Ï˘ ∑¿¯Ô˜, ›Ûˆ˜ ¯¿ÚË ÛÙ· ̷ΉÔÓ›ÙÈη ·È‰Èο ÙÔ˘ ‚ÈÒÌ·Ù·. ºˆÙÔÁÚ·Ê›˙ÂÈ Û‡ÓÔÏ· ‹ ÏÂÙÔ̤ÚÂȘ, ·ÔÙ˘ÒÓÔÓÙ·˜ ÙËÓ fiÏË, ÙÔ

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∆Ô ·ÛÙÈÎfi ÙÔ›Ô Û˘Ó¯Ҙ ÌÂÙ·‚¿ÏÏÂÙ·È. ∆Ô ·ÏÏ¿˙Ô˘Ó ÔÈ ·ÓıÚÒÈÓ˜ ÔÌ¿‰Â˜ οı ÂÔ¯‹˜, ÙÔ ·Ó·Ï¿ıÔ˘Ó, ÙÔ ¯·›ÚÔÓÙ·È ‹ ÙÔ ··ÍÈÒÓÔ˘Ó. ∆ËÓ ›‰È· ÛÙÈÁÌ‹ ‰˘ÛÎÔχÔÓÙ·È Ó· Û˘ÓÂȉËÙÔÔÈ‹ÛÔ˘Ó ÙËÓ Ú·ÁÌ·ÙÈÎfiÙËÙ· Ô˘ ÔÈ ›‰È˜ ‰È·ÌÔÚÊÒÓÔ˘Ó Î·È Ù· ÚÔ‚Ï‹Ì·Ù· Ô˘ ÚÔÍÂÓÔ‡Ó. ∆ËÓ Î¿ı 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˘ ÙfiÔ˘ Â›Ó·È Ë ÛÙ·ıÂÚ‹ Âˆ‰fi˜ ÙˆÓ ·Ï·ÈfiÙÂÚˆÓ. √ ʈÙÔÁÚ¿ÊÔ˜, fï˜, ·ÁÒÓÂÈ ÙÔ ¯ÚfiÓÔ Î·È ·Ê‹ÓÂÈ ˘ÏÈÎfi Ô˘ ÂÈÙÚ¤ÂÈ ÂÚÌËÓ›˜ ·ÔÛÙ·ÛÈÔÔÈË̤Ó˜ Î·È „‡¯Ú·È̘. ŸÙ·Ó ‰ÂÓ ÊˆÙÔÁÚ·Ê›˙ÂÈ ÌfiÓÔ Ù· ¤ÚÁ· ÙˆÓ ·ÓıÚÒˆÓ, ·ÏÏ¿ ‚¿˙ÂÈ ÎÈ ·˘ÙÔ‡˜ ̤۷ ÛÙÔ Ï¿ÓÔ, οÓÂÈ Î·Ù·ÓÔËÙfi ÙÔÓ ÙfiÔ Î·È ÙÔÓ ¯ÚfiÓÔ, ÙËÓ ÔÏÈÙÈÛÌÈ΋ Û˘Á΢ڛ·, ÙËÓ ÎÔÈÓˆÓÈ΋ Û˘Ó¤ÚÁÂÈ·. ∞˘Ùfi ¤Î·ÓÂ Ô ∑¿¯Ô˜Ø ÁÈ’ ·˘Ùfi Î·È ·Ô˙ËÌÈÒÓÂÈ ÙÔÓ Û˘ÓÔÌÈÏËÙ‹ ÙÔ˘Ø ‰ÂÓ ÂÈ˙ËÙ› ÙËÓ ·ÓıÚÒÈÓË ·ÚÔ˘Û›· ·ÏÒ˜ ÁÈ· Ó· ‰ÒÛÂÈ ÙËÓ Îϛ̷η ÙÔ˘ ·Ú¯ÈÙÂÎÙÔÓÈÎÔ‡ ¤ÚÁÔ˘Ø ¤¯ÂÈ ‚·ı‡ÙÂÚÔ˘˜ 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 ÔÔ›·, fiˆ˜ ›ÛÙ¢Â, ·ÚfiÏÔ Ô˘ ÂËÚ¿˙ÂÙ·È ·fi ÙȘ Û˘Óı‹Î˜ ÙÔ˘ ‚›Ô˘, Ù· ‹ıË, Ù· ¤ıÈÌ·, ‹ ÙË ıÚËÛΛ·, «·Ú·Ì¤ÓÂÈ ÔÈÔÓ› ·ÌÂÙ¿‚ÏËÙÔ˜ Ì fiÏ· Ù· ·ÚÈ· ¯·Ú·ÎÙËÚÈÛÙÈο Ù˘»*. √È ·ÓÙÈÛÙ›ÍÂȘ ÙˆÓ ÂÈÎfiÓˆÓ Ù˘ ¤ÎıÂÛ˘ ¿Ú·Á ÙÔÓ ‰ÈηÈÒÓÔ˘Ó; ‹ ÌÂÙ·‚Ï‹ıËÎ·Ó ·ÓÂÈÛÙÚÂÙ› fiÏ· Ù· ·ÚÈ· ¯·Ú·ÎÙËÚÈÛÙÈο, ÙfiÛÔ Ù˘ ·Ú¯ÈÙÂÎÙÔÓÈ΋˜, fiÛÔ Î·È Ù˘ ÁÂÓÈÎfiÙÂÚ˘ ‰È·ÌfiÚʈÛ˘ ÙÔ˘ ÂÚÈ‚¿ÏÏÔÓÙÔ˜ Ù˘ «·ÁÎÔÛÌÈÔÔÈË̤Ó˘» ÎÔÈÓˆÓ›·˜; °È¿ÓÓ˘ ∫›˙˘ ∞ƒπ™∆√∆∂§∏™ ∑∞Ã√™ (1871-1939) °fiÓÔ˜ ‡ÔÚ˘ ™È·ÙÈÛÙÈÓ‹˜ ÔÈÎÔÁ¤ÓÂÈ·˜ ÂÌfiÚˆÓ, Ô ∞ÚÈÛÙÔÙ¤Ï˘ ∑¿¯Ô˜ ÛÔ‡‰·Û ÙËÓ ·Ú¯ÈÙÂÎÙÔÓÈ΋ ÛÙË °ÂÚÌ·Ó›·, fiÔ˘ ¤˙ËÛÂ Î·È ‰Ô‡Ï„ ‰ÂηÂÙ¿ ¯ÚfiÓÈ·, ¯ˆÚ›˜ Ó· ¿ÚÂÈ ÔÙ¤ Ù˘¯›Ô. ¢È¤ÎÔ„Â ÙȘ ÛÔ˘‰¤˜ ÙÔ˘ ÁÈ· Ó· ÔÏÂÌ‹ÛÂÈ, ˆ˜ ÂıÂÏÔÓÙ‹˜, ÛÙÔÓ ¿‰ÔÍÔ fiÏÂÌÔ ÙÔ˘ 1897. £· Í·Ó¿ÚıÂÈ ÛÙËÓ ∂ÏÏ¿‰· ÙÔ 1906 ÁÈ· Ó· Ì›ÓÂÈ, ÁÈ· Ó· ÁÓˆÚ›ÛÂÈ Ù· ¤ÚÁ· ÙˆÓ ·ÓıÚÒˆÓ Ù˘ ·’ ¿ÎÚË Û’ ¿ÎÚË, Ó· Ù· ÛÎÈÙÛ¿ÚÂÈ Î·È Ó· Ù· ʈÙÔÁÚ·Ê›ÛÂÈ, Ó· Ù· ÌÔÏÈ¿ÛÂÈ ÛÙËÓ ·Ú¯ÈÙÂÎÙÔÓÈ΋ ÙÔ˘. π‰È·›ÙÂÚË ÌÔÚÊ‹, ¿ÊËÛ ¤ÚÁ· Ô˘ ͯˆÚ›˙Ô˘Ó, fiˆ˜ ÔÈ Ó·Ô› ÛÙÔ µfiÏÔ (ÕÁÈÔ˜ ¡ÈÎfiÏ·Ô˜, ªÂÙ·ÌfiÚʈÛË, ÕÁÈÔ˜ ∫ˆÓÛÙ·ÓÙ›ÓÔ˜ – ÙÔ ÎÔÌ„fiÙÂÚÔ ‰Â›ÁÌ· Ù˘ ÂÎÎÏËÛÈ·ÛÙÈ΋˜ ·Ú¯ÈÙÂÎÙÔÓÈ΋˜ ÙÔ˘) Î·È ÛÙËÓ ∫fiÚÈÓıÔ (∞fiÛÙÔÏÔ˜ ¶·‡ÏÔ˜ – ηÈÓÔÙÔÌ›· ÛÙË Ó·Ô‰ÔÌ›· Ù˘ ÂÔ¯‹˜), ÙÔ Û›ÙÈ Ù˘ ∞ÁÁÂÏÈ΋˜ ÷Ù˙ËÌȯ¿ÏË Î·È Ë ∑ˆÛÈÌ·›· ¶·È‰·ÁˆÁÈ΋ ∞η‰ËÌ›· πˆ·ÓÓ›ÓˆÓ – ¯·Ú·ÎÙËÚÈÛÙÈο ÙˆÓ È‰ÂÒÓ ÙÔ˘ ÁÈ· ÌÈ· Ó¤· ÂÏÏËÓÈ΋ ·Ú¯ÈÙÂÎÙÔÓÈ΋. ∑¿¯Ô˘, «§·˚΋ ·Ú¯ÈÙÂÎÙÔÓÈ΋», ∫·ÏÏÈÙ¤¯Ó˘, Ù. 17, ∞ı‹Ó· 1911, Û. 185-186 ·Ó·‰ËÌÔÛ›Â˘ÛË ÛÙÔ ◊ÂÈÚÔ˜ – £ÂÛÛ·Ï›· – ª·Î‰ÔÓ›·, ÂΉ. ∞گ›· ¡ÂÔÂÏÏËÓÈ΋˜ ∞Ú¯ÈÙÂÎÙÔÓÈ΋˜ ªÔ˘Û›Ԣ ªÂÓ¿ÎË, ∞ı‹Ó· 2007, Û. 23.

* ∞ÚÈÛÙÔÙ¤ÏËØ

Architectural Counterpoints from Zachos to the Present