Patroclus Karantinos
Patroklos Karantinos ( Greek Πάτροκλος Καραντινός , * 1903 in Constantinople ; † December 4, 1976 in Athens ) was a Greek architect of classical modernism .
Life
Karantinos studied architecture in Athens. After completing his studies, he went to France and worked in Paris for Auguste Perret . He saw architecture as a holistic social responsibility. His works are therefore primarily public buildings. The archaeological museums Heraklion (1933) and Thessaloniki (1960) should be emphasized . Light plays a special role in his works. He had been friends with the later sculptor George Zongolopoulos since his military service , and they also worked together.
In 1928, under the government of Venizelos , the Greek Ministry of Education launched the large-scale school building program ( Greek Πρόγραμμα Σχολικών Κτιρίων ) with the aim of planning and building school buildings based on new knowledge. Karantinos has been appointed director of the commission. All buildings were executed in the formal language of classical modernism. They are characterized by a geometric shape and long continuous ribbon windows. As a commitment to progress, the school buildings became the architectural flagship of the country, they were also shown at many exhibitions.
In 1933 he took part in the CIAM Congress as a representative of Greece and was instrumental in drafting the Athens Charter .
In conflict with the dictatorial government of Ioannis Metaxas (which was opposed to his architecture), Karantinos dissolved the school building program commission in 1936. In 1937 the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) made him an honorary member.
After the war, Karantinos accepted a professorship at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki from 1959 to 1968 , where he worked with his students on a reorganization of the university campus and the construction of numerous new buildings. In 1960 he built the city's archaeological museum. After the coup of the military junta in 1967, Karantinos publicly opposed the new rulers, so that he was suspended from service a year later. With the fall of the junta, Karantinos was rehabilitated in 1974, but he did not take up his office because he wanted to retire.
Works (selection)
- Buildings of the school building program 1928–1936, for example:
- Elementary school at 138 Kalisperi Street in Athens, 1931
- 3. Primary school in Ermoupolis on Syros
- Heraklion Archaeological Museum , 1933
- old building of the Acropolis Museum , 1937
- Epigraphic Museum (on the side of the National Archaeological Museum), Athens 1953
- Museum of Kefalonia (today: Kefalonia Archaeological Museum ), 1955–1957
- Ithaca High School, 1954–1957
- Zogolopoulos monument, 1956
- Monument to the railway workers, 1957
- Atelier of the artist Spyros Vassiliou (now a museum), Athens 1957
- Extension of the Zosimaia School, Ioanina 1957
- University of Thessaloniki
- Thessaloniki Archaeological Museum , 1960
- Olympia Archaeological Museum , 1966
Works today
The quality of Karantinos' work varies widely. Buildings such as the Archaeological Museum in Thessaloniki or the primary school in Ermoupolis on Syros were ahead of their time and are still widely recognized today. The buildings of the school program are also looked after and valued (not least because of the prominence of the architect). In contrast, there are some late works. Although the (vacant) Ministry of Education on Mitropoleos Street in Athens is under monument protection, it is just as average as some museums that have either already been rebuilt ( Archaeological Museum Delphi ) or abandoned ( Acropolis Museum , after the inauguration of the new building by Bernard Tschumi ).
Web links
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Karantinos, Patroclus |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Greek architect |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1903 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Constantinople |
| DATE OF DEATH | 4th December 1976 |
| Place of death | Athens |