thymio papayannis and associates - tpa 14 by Thymio Papayannis and Ivy Nanopoulou etsi architects 22 by Eleni Tsigarida blp_architects 30 by Iro Bertaki, Christina Loukopoulou and Costis Paniyiris z-level architecture
by Elena Zervoudakis isv architects
by Babis Ioannou, Tasos Sotiropoulos and Alexandros Van Gilder
by Styliani Daouti, Giorgos Mitroulias and Michaeljohn Raftopoulos chadios architects 60 by Konstantinos Chadios and Theodoros Chadios pila 66 by Ilias Papageorgiou and Christina Papalexandri mete sysm
neiheiser argyros
by Ryan Neiheiser and Xristina Argyros
Tiktapanidou
architects
Christina Grympogianni and Yiannis Avlonitis
arp - architecture research practice 106 by Argyro Pouliovali gnb architects 114 by Andreas Giovanos, Nikos Paouris and Spyros Boukas a-team architects 122 by George Stamatakis and Katerina Karanikou
myrto kiourti 128 façade 134 by Aristeidis Asimakopoulos and Charis Oikonomou apk architects 140 by Alexia Anastasopoulou and Maria Kyriazi kipseli architects 146 by Circe Mariolopoulou
CONTENTS
• DESYPRI & MISIARIS ARCHITECTURE
• BUERGER KATSOTA ARCHITECTS
• TENSE ARCHITECTURE NETWORK
• EKKY STUDIO ARCHITECTS
• Α31 ARCHITECTURE
• P4ARCHITECTURE
• KIPSELI ARCHITECTS
• LAB ATHENS
• GNB ARCHITECTS
• KORDAS ARCHITECTS
• KLAB ARCHITECTURE
• REACT ARCHITECS
• MINAS KOSMIDIS ARCHITECTS
• EVRIPIOTIS ARCHITECTS
• DEZONE ARCHI+
• FAÇADE
• MKA ARCHITECTS
• VILLY ATTART
• GAVALAS ARCHITECTS
• GFRA ARCHITECTURE
• WIP ARCHITECTS
• VAROUDAKIS OFFICE
The third volume of the series "Contemporary Architecture in Greece" – MONOKATOIKIES delves into the evolution of the modern Greek single-family home, merging tradition with innovation.
It showcases 22 unique projects, from underground houses to vacation villas and urban residences, emphasizing the interplay between humans, nature, and time.
Sustainability takes center stage, highlighting the use of natural materials, energy efficiency, and landscape integration.
This book goes beyond functionality, narrating architectural stories that inspire creativity and offer visions for the future of living spaces.
Paperback: 25,0 x 27,5 (cm) Pages: 240
Greek architecture is currently experiencing a phase of creative maturity. New ideas, advanced tools, and rising quality standards shape an environment in which architectural expression continuously evolves, gaining increasing visibility both in Greece and internationally. Developments in materials, technological innovation, and modern design and construction methodologies have significantly elevated the level of architectural work in the country.
Greek architects and engineers, together with construction firms and material manufacturers, now deliver projects that meet high international standards, demonstrating the strength and potential of the Greek design and construction sector.
This year, KTIRIO proudly celebrates 40 years of uninterrupted publication, a milestone that highlights its long-standing commitment to informing and supporting the industry. This special edition, the 5th published in English, features 20 architectural office profiles from across Greece, showcasing their identity, approach, and most significant works.
The publication is distributed at selected venues –airports, hotels, consulates, major kiosks, and chambers of commerce–aiming to offer Greek and international investors a clear and comprehensive picture of contemporary Greek architecture.
We extend our warmest thanks to the participating architectural practices and material companies whose contribution was essential to the quality and completion of this edition. We wish everyone continued success and many more creative and inspiring projects.
Petros Papaioannou Publisher - Civil engineer
thymio papayannis and associates - tpa
With a trajectory spanning nearly seven decades, Thymio Papayannis and Associates - TPA, founded in Athens in 1959, holds a distinctive place in the field of spatial planning and design in Greece. Bridging architecture and landscape, urban and regional planning, environmental management, and engineering sciences, the office functions as a collaborative, interdisciplinary team with a strong sense of social responsibility and a long-term vision of balance between human presence and the natural environment.
Its identity today is shaped both by the legacy of a rich past—nurtured by distinguished partners and, above all, by its founder and guiding figure, Thymio Papayannis, architect, urban planner, and environmentalist—and by a consistent commitment to rethinking the role of the design consultant in an ever-changing world.
TPA’s portfolio spans multiple scales and typologies, from urban and spatial strategies to public and private buildings — offices, residences, sports facilities, hotels, and open public spaces. Its body of work includes historic landmarks such as the ESSO-Pappas Pavilion at the Thessaloniki International Fair, the ERT Headquarters, and the Peace and Friendship Stadium in Athens, as well as ongoing projects nearing completion: the Aenaon Metropolitan Park in Faliron Bay, the Museum of Greek Maritime Heritage, the renovation and completion of the Athens Conservatoire and its surrounding landscape, the "Rolling Greens" ecological settlement at Costa Navarino, the Nafplia Palace and Bungalows Hotel in Acronauplia, the redesign of the Sacred Way as part of the Botanikos "Double Regeneration" plan, and the internationally awarded revitalisation of Ancient Corinth.
Today, the firm is led by Managing Partner Ivy Nanopoulou, supported by a multigenerational and multidisciplinary team dedicated to continuity, collaboration, and civic-minded practice —open, contemporary, and responsive to the challenges of our time.
Z-level is an Athens-based architectural practice founded in 1994 by Elena Zervoudakis. With architectural studies and a specialization in sustainable environmental design in Paris, and early professional experience in French studios, Elena shaped a design approach that combines conceptual clarity with Mediterranean spatial and material wisdom.
The studio engages in a wide range of projects: the rehabilitation of architectural heritage and vernacular buildings, new sustainable residences, small-scale hospitality, interior and landscape design, and museography.
Z-level values authenticity, layered spatial thinking, and human scale. Its architecture embraces balance and clarity.
Each project leads to a coherent architectural concept that responds both to the specific landscape, climate, history, and community of the site, and to the needs and experiences of its users. Projects are approached as tailor-made responses that balance practical requirements, offering architectural solutions with design integrity and a poetic sensibility that bring meaning and joy to everyday life.
Sustainability and craftsmanship are central, with frequent collaboration with local artisans and the use of natural, innovative materials rooted in traditional techniques. A hands-on and thoughtful approach characterizes each phase, from concept to construction. The team brings interdisciplinary expertise in structure and detailing, ensuring consistency and precision.
The practice’s work has received distinctions (Domes Awards, Biennale of Young Greek Architects, Piranesi Award, East Centric Arhitext). Projects have been exhibited and published internationally, with built works in Lesvos, Paros, Sifnos, Alonissos, the Mani peninsula, Athens, Florence, and Paris.
Babis Ioannou and Tasos Sotiropoulos began their collaboration in 1977, undertaking studies of complex building projects in Saudi Arabia, as well as apartment buildings and residences in Greece. In 1982, Alexandros Van Gilder joined the team, leading to the creation of the ISV group.
The core idea of ISV’s architectural philosophy is to achieve the best possible human living experience within a space—whether residential, professional, or commercial. Architectural space is shaped around these human activities in such a way that, in addition to meeting functional needs, it offers the user the joy of being within it and enhances their quality of life. Contributing elements to this are the thoughtful use of light—a vital force for every living being—and simple, recognizable geometry.
A human-centered approach, pioneering design and construction techniques, the application of fundamental principles of the modernist movement, and respect for the Greek environment and its needs have, from the very beginning, formed the main pillars of ISV’s architectural philosophy.
ISV’s work is characterized by constant experimentation with new technology materials, innovative forms, and the creation of pioneering solutions that adapt to the user’s needs and desires, as well as their aesthetic aspirations.
PILA is an international architecture studio based in Athens and New York that creates environments for culture, working, and living around the world. It believes in architecture’s enduring character to create meaningful connections between people and their environment as a counterpoint to the speed of contemporary living. By reimagining existing ideas around program and function, physical spaces can offer new ways of experiencing the world.
PILA builds lasting spaces that adapt to future transformations, while considering today’s opportunities and constraints. Drawing upon material and immaterial contexts, the studio approaches the unique parameters of each project with openness and curiosity. Through a highly collaborative and iterative process, it translates each project’s opportunities and constraints into clear design directions that are sensitive to client and contextual needs.
PILA just completed the multi-award-winning "Piraeus Tower" and is currently engaged in the rejuvenation of "B’ Plaz Voulas", a mixed-use masterplan in Limassol, in the interior design of various spaces at the "Arsakeio Megaron", an office building on Kifisias Avenue in Athens, a hospitality project in Milos, the design of a university building on the "Anatolia" campus in Thessaloniki, a high-rise residential project, and various residential projects in Athens and the Greek islands. www.pila.studio / T +30 210 3248489
NEIHEISER ARGYROS is a multidisciplinary architecture studio with offices in London and Athens. Founded in 2015 by Ryan Neiheiser and Xristina Argyros, the studio is not defined by a specific project type, but by a spirit of intellectual curiosity, artistic rigor, and a commitment to creating environments and objects with lasting cultural resonance.
The studio unites architects, master planners, and landscape specialists in a holistic approach that marries innovative design with deep technical expertise. NEIHEISER ARGYROS creates sustainable, functional, and visually expressive spaces, offering a comprehensive range of services from feasibility studies and conceptual design to construction administration. With completed projects across Europe, the United Kingdom, and the United States, each project embodies a global perspective, carefully adapted to the unique context and needs of its users.
Principal Ryan Neiheiser earned his Master of Architecture from the Princeton University School of Architecture in 2008, after completing a dual Bachelor of Arts in Engineering and Art at Swarthmore College in 2001. He has worked at several award-winning offices in Europe and the United States, including the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) in Rotterdam and Diller Scofidio + Renfro in New York City. He has taught master’s-level thesis at Princeton University, design studios at the Architectural Association from 2014-2024, and at Harvard University in 2024.
Principal Xristina Argyros received her Master of Architecture from the Yale School of Architecture in 2013, after earning her Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from Princeton University in 2009. She has worked at multiple award-winning offices in Europe and the United States, including WORKac and OMA in New York City, and Ateliers Jean Nouvel in Paris. She has previously taught at Cardiff University, the Architectural Association from 2016 - 2024, and at Harvard University in 2024. She is a licensed architect in Greece.
The project is located in the small village of Portes, on Aegina Island. The need to combine two private residences and avoid existing natural obstacles defined the strong concept of the curve in the form of an exaggeration (Hyperbolic in Greek). The simplicity of functionality, along with fluid spaces and unobstructed sea views, were the key points of the design.
Architects must understand and adapt to human behavior, know the nature of materials and construction techniques, and be able to combine all of the above in living spaces that are primarily characterized by excellent ergonomics, functionality, and original aesthetics. The firm was established in 1977 and has completed a multitude of projects of varying scale throughout Greece. It specializes in urban and rural private residences, luxury hotels, and apartment buildings. The team consists of between 25 and 35 engineers from different professional backgrounds, who work together on the design, licensing, coordination between specialties, and precise construction of buildings. There is expertise and extensive experience in bioclimatic design, applying its fundamental principles wherever possible, not only with a view to energy classification but for the substantial improvement of living conditions for end users. Pursuing architecture as a lifelong profession requires passion and constant dedication. Our motto is: "Seize the day".
www.gavalasarchitects.gr / Τ +30 210 364 1024
"Hyperbolic"
"Lynx Mountain Resort and Casino"
Architectural design: De-Ar Architects
Structural engineer: Fotis Psomas
Mechanical engineer: ΤΕΑΜ Μ-Η, Dimitris Mantas, TECHNICOM SA
Interior Design: THINGK
Landscape design: ΤΟPΙΟ 7
Construction: CREST CONSTRUCTION EE-MT ΑΤΕ
Location: Florina, Northern Greece
Year: 2020 - completed
Photo credits: Yorgos Kordakis
The Lynx Mountain Resort and Casino 4* occupies a fully renovated three-storey building on a 6,577 m² plot on Agios Panteleimonas hill in Florina, formerly the site of the "Xenia Florina" hotel. Originally built in the 1960s, later extensions disrupted its architectural unity. The 4,650 m² renovation created a modern, aesthetically appealing tourist facility. The hotel won a gold award (Tourism Awards 2024) and was featured by National Geographic in "Lakes & Mountains 2024". recognized among the world’s best hotels.
de-ar architects
De-Ar Architects studio was founded in 1989 in Athens by Christina Grympogianni & Yiannis Avlonitis. In 2023, two younger architects of the staff, Evita Lazou and Panagiotis Raptis, joined the studio as partners.
Since 1989, the firm has been engaged in the design of a wide range of projects in the private sector – residential, commercial and industrial buildings, offices, hotels, restaurants, medical centers, interiors and outdoor spaces, among others.
The projects include new buildings, renovations and additions to existing structures, restoration of historic buildings, interior and landscape design. A wide range of completed projects has been published in reputable magazines.
The studio provides the entire range of design and construction supervision services and uses the latest design and data technologies, which are regularly updated.
Our firm is comprised of design groups organized around specific projects and focused on the specialized needs and requirements of each project. We collaborate with experienced engineers, providing all the services necessary to complete the projects assigned to us. The studio’s work is known for its customized approach in design, as well as for a sensitivity to culture, micro-environment, the specific conditions of the site, and the specific needs of the client. Our work is based on the belief that a quality environment – friendly, with care to every detail and aesthetically pleasing to live in – enhances life itself.
We pay equal attention to the design of a large complex as we do to the detail of a door handle.
Responsible and sustainable design, as well as cost and energy efficiency, are among our priority objectives.
www.de-ar.gr / T +30 210 67 78 178
research practice
arparchitecture
ARP is a multidisciplinary architecture and design studio based in Athens, founded in 2014 by Argyro Pouliovali. Working across scales and project types, ARP undertakes residential and hospitality projects, as well as custom furniture and objects, spanning from greenfield sites to thoughtful renovations.
At its core, ARP is about enabling people to live well and in tune with their surroundings.
The studio’s approach is intrinsically Greek, focused on creating spaces using the essentials: light, flow, and proportion.
Rooted in genius loci – the spirit of place – ARP’s designs begin with site studies and evolve into clear, precise architectural forms that resonate with their context.
Argyro Pouliovali is a Greek architect, designer, and writer. She founded ARP in 2014, and her work has received distinctions including the Greek Architecture Awards and Dezeen, while ARP was listed in Wallpaper’s Architects’ Directory in 2022. In 2023, Argyro was named a Europe 40 Under 40 winner.
Before founding ARP, she worked with Meili Peter Architekten in Zurich and decaARCHITECTURE in Athens, contributing to a range of international projects. She studied architecture at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and attended ETH Zurich as a visiting scholar.
As a sole female founder, she supports women in design.
A - team Architects is a team of architects, engineers, and designers, whose purpose is to undertake, prepare, implement, and execute specialized designs and studies, supervision, and construction of all types of technical and building projects, including the construction, renovation, and architectural or aesthetic design of exterior and interior spaces such as offices, residences, shops, professional, and exhibition spaces. The company also undertakes the implementation of studies, the issuance of building permits, consulting services on structural aesthetics, as well as the supervision, full support, and coordination of construction works. All of the above are undertaken either by the company itself or in a joint venture or collaboration with other individuals or companies of the relevant specialties and technicians who support the architectural study that has been prepared.
The architectural supervision of the project, with particular emphasis on detailed interior design, is supported by related areas such as lighting design, signage, graphic and visual interventions, furniture selection, and special constructions. Our many years of experience, constant awareness of international trends, knowledge of the market, research into new building materials, and understanding of the correct application of construction details create the conditions for the preparation of comprehensive architectural studies. Larger building projects can gain added value through our expertise in design and implementation processes based on international standards and certification regulations, such as LEED and WELL.
The purpose of A - team Architects is to enhance aesthetics through architectural intervention in all types of residential, professional, commercial, or other properties to achieve full functional and commercial exploitation for individuals or businesses.
Myrto Kiourti graduated from the School of Architecture at the National Technical University of Athens. She holds a master’s degree in Advanced Architectural Design from Columbia University in New York, supported by a Fulbright Scholarship, and a PhD from the School of Architecture at the National Technical University of Athens, funded by the Onassis Foundation.
She has developed an architectural approach called "Emotional Functionalism", which integrates architecture with social studies, psychoanalysis, and contemporary art —particularly performative installations.
She has been running her architectural firm in Athens since 2002.
Her project, "The Flying Box", was recently awarded third place in the 2018-2022 Best Architectural Projects competition by the Hellenic Institute of Architecture.
Her work has been widely published in architectural journals and magazines such as "Architectural Research Quarterly" (Cambridge University Press), DOMES, and Architizer. It has also been featured in numerous institutions, including the National Museum of Contemporary Art Athens, Benaki Museum, Onassis STEGI, and the Acropolis Museum.
Myrto frequently discusses the social impact of contemporary architecture in Athens in the Greek press (Kathimerini, Athens Voice, Lifo), and on national media (Vouli TV, ERT, STAR TV).
She has taught architectural design at the School of Architecture at the University of Patras (2014–2022) and in the Master’s degree program at the School of Architecture at the National Technical University of Athens (2016–2022).
www.myrtokiourti.eu / T +302112155470, +306977013756
