3 minute read
Dimitris Mantikas
Dimitris Mantikas: Mykonian landscape
The materials from Mykonos are the physical embodiment of a love affair, with all the turmoil and excitement that pathos usually brings along with it.
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Dimitris Mantikas is an architect who has built more than 200 houses in Myconos since 1981, is left to the inspiration brought in by the strong Meltemi wind whipping the hillside. He ponders upon the challenges of the deteriorating ground and the clusters of rocks that need to be preserved. He has to take everything into account: the strong winds, the ever-changing course of the sun, the durability of his designs, the environmental impact of the structure and, of course, the view from the finished edifice.
Architect Dimitris Mantikas was born in Istanbul in 1951. He holds a diploma from the French Government (D.P.L.G) and studied at the Ecole Nationale Superieure d’Architecture (U.P.1) in Paris. His professional career is composed, among others, of the originality and authenticity of the constructions, his participation in international architectural competitions and his thirty-year work, which mainly
includes studies on the island of Mykonos. Its architecture is emotionally intertwined with the place and the natural environment of the island. It refuses to be imposed on the space as the main concern is to create a coupling between functionality and elegance in order to house the daily moments of the owners.
Nature, pure lines and stones Key features of its architectural compositions are the stone, which by its nature, as hard and absolute tends to come in harmony with the loving wood and the rocks, which borrows them from the natural environment to place them strategically in places outside and interiors, as well as be led by them to the composition of installation and integration of the building. At the same time, the pure lines, the cube-shaped whitewashed houses, the red of cadmium in the interiors and the nobility of the Aegean white create a beautiful and special shelter.
Myconian lover His love for the Mykonos island is evident from the works he created throughout his career and they represent his special style and technique. His source of inspiration was the constant movement and dynamics of the island that can channel new conceptions and inspirations in his mind. He mentions characteristically in the documentary edited by Christos N. Karakasis for Kouinta Production: “In my office in Exarchia I always put music, something I do not do in my office in Mykonos, there I can see it.” Undoubtedly, Mykonos attracted his talent and he was left to surrender, to freely use the aura of the island, to carve it, to design it and to build it, in an effort not to go beyond the natural line of creation and to become her companion.
STYLE
SOPHIA VICTORATOU
ART LOVER SOPHIA VICTORATOU DRAWS INSPIRATION FROM MUSIC AND NATURE TO DESIGN SHOW-STOPPING, ALBEIT UTTERLY WEARABLE, SHOES FOR CONTEMPORARY GODDESSES.
Sophia Victoratou has experimented with painting on shoes since she was little. She studied architecture, fashion design, and styling, but shoe design won: “This was the only way I could freely express myself,” she says. Inspired by all things positive, Sophia’s creations make bold statements. “Shoes are capable of transforming even the dullest outfit. Make the right choice, and you get more confidence. Which is what counts.” Apart from striking and unique they are comfortable too. “I am partial to high heels, so I pay special attention to reinforcement. We don’t want the wearer to suffer!” After all, Sophia’s brand addresses dynamic women who are not afraid to stand out. “Like Julia Roberts, who I’d love to see in my shoes,” she concludes. Considering that they have already traveled to the US, it is a possibility.
