DESIGNBOOM VISITS KOIS ASSOCIATED ARCHITECTS’ STUDIO IN ATHENS
kois related architects is a greek structure agency based by stelios kois in 2008. the athens-based studio works throughout numerous fields of design, from architectural tasks – each non-public and public – to exhibitions, interiors and furnishings. the mirage residence in tinos, the cafe on the museum of cycladic artwork in athens, the gagosian gallery in athens, and the blurry venice set up on the 2019 biennale, which kois envisioned as creative director, are just some examples of the agency’s numerous portfolio. although morphologically very totally different, all their tasks are developed by way of a singular course of that focuses on timelessness, consideration to element, and to the encompassing context.
‘our structure doesn’t match into a selected look or model, which we merely repeat or adapt relying on the case simply to be recognizable. it’s a factor that’s born totally from its ashes,’ stelios kois tells designboom.‘we have now been blamed for this, for the truth that each work is as if it was made by a distinct particular person. they’ve mentioned it badly to us, however we have now taken it as a praise.’
situated within the coronary heart of athens, in an emblematic constructing in kolonaki that additionally homes the embassy of peru, the agency’s studio house stands as the proper bodily manifestation of its founder’s architectural rules. described by kois as a ‘monk’s cell’, the serene inside options timeless parts and supplies that coexist with up to date artistic endeavors and design. see pictures of the studio and skim our interview in full beneath.
studio pictures by anestis michalis
INTERVIEW WITH STELIOS KOIS, STUDIO FOUNDER
designboom (DB): when did you identify kois related architects?
stelios kois (SK): I began the studio by myself on the finish of 2008. I don’t know if I’d do it now, it was a bit like a sport to me then, I didn’t know the type of world I used to be getting into into. the primary workplace was situated in vassileos konstantinou and riggilis, and we left that house a couple of yr and a half in the past. the distinction with the opposite studio is that right here it’s a lot quieter, a bit like a ‘monk’s cell’, whereas within the different it was fixed panic. I perceive the attraction of the lab aesthetics, however I like every part to be a lot calmer, and to have the ability to do every part by way of a particular process. right here we have now much more house, there’s a devoted house to make fashions, house for places of work, a really giant library. we’re 20-something individuals and we work as a household, all of us eat collectively, there’s somebody who cooks right here; however nonetheless, you may see how calm it’s.
DB: what sort of tasks did you begin with?
SK: I primarily labored on residential tasks for a few years. I had a really particular philosophy for structure, so I centered on that, and I had very particular set of ethical rules, which I nonetheless do. I have no idea to what extent these may correspond to the greek market, or to what prolong they had been suitable with what they wished again then, as a result of most individuals then wished one thing very quick, they weren’t thinking about ideas and issues like ‘matter’, or ‘decay’. all that was ineffective for them, they only wished to have one thing to impress others. for me it was simply the alternative. that’s, I’m not a lot thinking about impressing somebody. if somebody sees my structure, they perceive that it’s not one that desires to make an impression. so, at first I began making homes, and the primary mission that I did ‘publicly’ was a pastry store. it had acquired lots of publicity as a result of it was one thing very particular, very totally different, after which that began to make us higher identified to the general public, whereas to date all we did was non-public, and had nothing to do with the press. we began to speak in confidence to the press once we began to work on public tasks, which their house owners had been thinking about displaying, so we entered a distinct logic. that’s about how the story began.
fashions and supplies are encased in a glass field, set on the heart of the studio
DB: what’s your architectural philosophy?
SK: for those who go to the ‘about us’ web page on our web site, we don’t actually have a resume, however we have now some movies that we made as a substitute. the way in which we arrange our web site, our picture, or the way in which we method issues is addressed to the viewers we need to have. I’m not thinking about anybody understanding about me or speaking about me. I’m within the one who will come as our shopper, to embrace the philosophy for which we work. this makes it simpler for us to have the ability to create tasks that can all the time be at a greater stage. for us, shoppers have a vital function within the mission. our structure doesn’t match into a selected look or model, which we merely repeat or adapt relying on the case simply to be recognizable. it’s a factor that’s born totally from its ashes. I typically hear or learn this phrase in interviews, after which I see the works and they’re all nearly the identical. however we have now been blamed for this, for the truth that each work is as if it was made by a distinct particular person. they’ve mentioned it badly to us however we have now taken it as a praise. for us, the proprietor or the individuals we work with in a mission play a really massive function. and our philosophy is mostly primarily based very a lot on the entire architectural construction, that’s, on all of the issues and all of the situations {that a} work is created upon. the one widespread factor that our tasks have is the method we work with. there’s nothing else in widespread, notably morphological. the way in which we work, the way in which we method one thing, or the element with which we focus is widespread in all, whether or not it’s a large-scale or small-scale mission.
‘time/allusions’, a part of the ‘about us’ movies
DB: nevertheless, there are some parts that, I discover, create a sure hyperlink between a few of your tasks. the mixture of latest, or futuristic, parts with extra classical ones, evident, for instance, within the museum of cycladic artwork right here in athens.
SK: it’s the course of that’s widespread. the museum of cycladic artwork was executed as follows: they referred to as us, they defined the issues that the constructing had, and so they defined that it shouldn’t be demolished. we recognized the principle drawback, which was that the museum of cycladic artwork was by no means recognizable. sooner or later everybody misses it. I don’t imply the constructing of ernst ziller, I imply the museum of cycladic artwork at 4 neophytou douka avenue. the ziller constructing is granted by the state as an auxiliary, however it’s not the precise museum of cycladic artwork. we tried to offer the very best answer in any respect ranges, and the date that the mission was designed additionally issues, as a result of it was designed in the course of the disaster. we couldn’t tear it down, the gathering couldn’t go away the museum, and our answer had to have the ability to be in-built phases. in the meanwhile, some elements have been realized however not the whole proposal.
so, having the issue that this museum ‘disappears’ and isn’t simply acknowledged, we tried to deliver out its character in its exterior picture. the prevailing constructing was designed by architect ioannis vikelas, who, on the time, was placing up all these mirrored glass surfaces, and it was across the interval that he had already established his architectural id. the museum was constructed round 1980-85. the road has buildings on either side, that are nearly an identical. this sort of façade, although not extraordinarily spectacular in form, makes use of a fabric that has such a formidable impact in reflecting the buildings reverse to it. subsequently, to the viewer, it seems as a steady floor, and if somebody doesn’t by chance see it, it’s nearly not possible to note.
the museum of cycladic artwork in athens | visualization by MIR | see extra on designboom right here
(SK continues): what we did was create a visible ‘pause’ on this façade, and permit the museum’s character to come back out by way of that pause. we made this floor of thick vertical parts and positioned it above the glazing, and we additionally opened up the doorway. on the time, to ensure that the constructing to hold a sure status, vikelas had added a marble entrance. now, historical past has proven that museums should be open and alluring to the general public. so the second transfer we made was to take out this marble entrance, releasing the bottom stage utterly and increasing the lobby to the pavement, whereas on the facade we created this blind to cease the mirroring and, instantly the quantity of the museum popped out.
on prime of this new façade, and in an effort to give the museum a extra distinct id, we created the define of an early cycladic marble head figurine (extra on designboom right here). however as a result of we didn’t need it to be one thing very graphic, we did it by way of a play between kind and light-weight. as a result of, what are the cyclades all about? shadow and light-weight. so we used these two ideas to have the ability to go away a powerful mark within the metropolis. it’s by no means our intention to do one thing that’s modern or new, the answer all the time comes from dialogue. whilst a public constructing, which wanted an id, what we did was to take away all of the pointless data, which in our opinion was all that, and to shine its character, which is that it represents the cycladic tradition.
DB: are you able to inform me extra about ‘mirage’ and ‘shimmer’, two tasks that each use reflection as a spatial characteristic?
SK: the way in which they use reflection is totally different. ‘mirage’ (extra concerning the mission right here), the home with the pool, makes use of the water as a liquid reflection to ‘disappear’ into the panorama. ‘shimmer’ (extra concerning the mission right here), the restaurant that we made within the forest, primarily incorporates part of the forest. that’s, the forest continues to be contained in the restaurant, we simply positioned a cover the place the lined a part of the restaurant is situated and we use reflection merely for this cover to not have a presence.
DB: I perceive that your method can be very a lot concerning the parts that exist already in every location.
SK: we’re all the time within the present house. to inform you the reality, if we made the home in tinos many instances, I’d most likely not should work anymore! it’s one thing everybody wished. quite the opposite, it was a mission that made me panic when it received all that publicity again then. I perceive its energy, and I perceive it even now, after about 9 years. this mission grew to become widespread as a result of a journalist noticed it on our web site and requested for it, and we had been joyful to supply materials. from that second onwards it was chaos!
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