Architect - Alexander Tripodakis

I.L.P.A.P. Green roof

The large roof of the building, with an area of 6000sq.m., led to the creation of distinct and recognizable entities for the organization of the project, which were however treated as parts of a complete organism.

The main unifying elements of the proposal are:

1. The longitudinal axis E.W. that transverses the project and connects it to the Sacred Rock, which terminates at the middle of the perpendicular pergola.
2. The crooked structure of the 50m long canopy-pergola which delineates the two adjacent parts of the project (treated in a totally different manner) and constitutes with the above mentioned axis, a vast T.
3. The undulating (both in plan and section) planting formations of an average width of 4m and a length of 45-50m., which stress from North to South and act symbolically as homocentric abstract ‘waves’, which materialize the distant influence of the Acropolis on the new setting.

Architect - Alexander Tripodakis

I.S.A.P. Green Roof

The proposal for the upgrading and greening of the roof of the H.S.A.P. administration building was elaborated on the basis of the following goals:

1. The creation of a friendly and pleasant environment which attracts human presence, so as to become a virtual pole of rest and social encounter for the building’s everyday life.
2. The response to the significant panoramic view towards the south and east and particularly towards the two main landmarks of the capital i.e. the Sacred Rock and Lycabetus Hill.
3. The integration of a number of pre-existing heterogeneous elements and installations which could aesthetically disturb the final intervention.
4. The organic connection of the new semi-outdoor function to the buildings internal functions and especially to the circulation core of its elevators and staircases.

Architect - Alexander Tripodakis

City Hall of Ioannina

The building, of a 6.300sq.m. total aboveground area, is L shaped thus creating an important outdoor entrance space-square which also functions  as a welcoming embrace of the wider network of public spaces of the city centre (Cultural Centre, Litharitsa, Park etc).

The square  is extended in the interior of the building, with a provision of a three-level high, glazed atrium attached to its main façade.

At the same time the longer wing of the L, which is directed to the adjacent park, ‘leans’ towards that side  through a polygonal low volume witch shelters the multi-purpose hall, the roof of which is planted  to constitute an extension of the park into the structure of the building.

Architect - Alexander Tripodakis

Synthetic principles

The integration of the building to its  immediate and wider surroundings, its projection as a social pole of the city, the response to its symbolic role and to its relation to the city’s history and  the development of a green identity .

Measures

The plan adopts  a Γ shape in order to free the SW corner of the plot  and thus link the new City Hall to the city’s main square,  Botsari square.

The character of a welcoming structure is further stressed with the organic connection of the open and semi open spaces and the proposed internal atrium which symbolizes the protecting roof that the City Hall and the Municipality must offer to its citizens.

The following elements act as symbols of the town’s historical contribution: the hovering glass prism with its double façade stands for the concept of liberty (the light coming through the atrium illuminates the building from the top (freedom) to the bottom (everyday life) ).The solid, thin, rough and “aggressive” north section, symbolizes the required fights and sacrifices for the conquest of freedom and lastly the “wall” of the conferences’ room which refers to the wall of Messolonghi and the historic Exit.

The environmental approaches, concern mainly  the design of the atrium which permits the diffusion of natural light and provides natural ventilation and cooling to the offices,  the design of the double facades of the superstructure,  the protection from the North through its compact façade and the integration of the necessary open and semi–open spaces that provide a pleasant shaded environment during the summer.

Architect - Alexander Tripodakis

The study concerns the construction of an educational building-complex consisting of two twelve- class schools (elementary, high school and lyceum) on a sloping site in the outskirts of Karpenisi.

The main goals of the project was the achievement of unity , the clear functional organization of the two schools, the maintaining of an overall low scale so as to relate the proposal to the scale of the  local traditional architecture and the development of the outdoor spaces with respect to the southern orientation and view of the site.

The two schools were organized on a common grid from North to South. The functional sections (administration, teaching rooms, lecture halls etc) were developed in perpendicular zones , while the schools were laid from East to West on two different stepped levels.

The existing church and nursery building  were included in the proposal as organic parts.

Architect - Alexander Tripodakis

Athens Tennis Club Regeneration

The proposal includes the creation of new tiers and protective canopies for the tennis courts and the regeneration of multiple outdoor spaces. The outdoor sheltered structures were traced from a central theoretical point  and are therefore radial in plan and section. This fact led to the creation of a sloping viewing level , which is determined from the front thin columns and the canopies  placed vertically to them and parallel to the theoretical optical radius.

The canopies were divided in suspended independent elements, which are intercepted by stripes of natural lighting so that the scale of the structure is compatible with the sensitive historic character of the setting.

The necessary differentiations between the various viewers groups (spectators, vips, invitations ) led to corresponding variations of the lower structure of the tiers made of exposed concrete, as well as to the upper one of the metallic shelters.

Architect - Alexander Tripodakis

The proposal is organized in three distinct sections:

1. The large Γ shaped, three storey offices’ block which acts as a protecting embrace towards the South.

2. The lower three prisms of the law courts with atriums in between .

3. The long transversal entrance axis E/W which in the interior of the building becomes a transparent greenhouse – like  space, for  the circulation and waiting of the public.

The simplicity of the synthesis and its functional clarity, was considered to contribute to the creation of

a law court complex of a legible though robust character, enriched with elements that render it  pleasant and friendly and not institutional or introverted.

Architect - Alexander Tripodakis

The following have considered as the main goals of the project:

1) The design of a clear unifying structure to which the existing heterogeneous and disconnected smaller areas and buildings of the site, would be attached.

The basic elements of this structure are the following:

1.  The long axis, which establishes the connection between the landmark building of the lime quarry and the peak of the crater, while delineating at the same time the proposed cable car’s course.
2. The transversal zones of 15m width, which contain a number of successive, different functions
3. A system of curves to which the two existing circular theatres as well as the lime quarry, are incorporated. The circular areas are integrated in the project through snakelike paths of cypresses.

2) The design of circulation, to strongly connect the proposal to its environment and also to  strengthen its internal cohesion.

The following have been proposed: an underground garage for 320 vehicles, a stop for  taxis and  buses, several entrances to the area for  pedestrians and various connections to the paths leading to the forest area. In the interior of the project, apart from the long axis and the snakelike paths, tracks for jogging, cycling and climbing as well as a secondary web for pedestrian circulation, with linear, crooked or curved paths, are proposed.

3) The creation of a highly varied, vivid and multiple environment of complementary uses and planting

From South to North, the following functions and themes are proposed:

A permanent exhibition area, a  shopping area of 500 m², an elevated veranda and a coffee shop of 1000 m² , a planted zone acting as a filter for the entrance, a minerals’ park, a large forest, a bar and disco, a botanic garden, a space for temporary exhibitions, a central square, a small and large theatres, a park for the arts, an ecological park, a small forest, an Attica park, a restaurant attached to the rock with a view towards the city of Athens and finally a belvedere at the highest point of the quarry.

Architect - Alexander Tripodakis

The building complex is  attached to a hill  located on the northern edge of the site. A curvilinear block that shelters all the communal facilities, is shaped along its perimeter with a starting point at it’s meeting with the external wall, at the prison’s entrance.

The detainees’ blocks unfold independently as repeated nuclei of an L plan, and they include a glazed atrium that is linked to their internal outdoor space.

Architect - Alexander Tripodakis

Tsmede Office Building

The building is treated as an enormous Π  shaped gate, which terminates the axis of Korai str. and the Hansen  trilogy across ,while extending at the same time  the public space of Klafthmonos square in its interior. The main volume of the offices is contained in a glazed structure ’ within the building’ ,with a mass that gradually decreases in the lower public floors.

The large multi-storey internal atrium houses the vertical core , the circulation spaces of the public, the cafeteria, the restaurant, the underlying antiquities and allows a through passage to  the Historic Centre. The diagonal axis of the atrium responds to the plan of the antiquities and offers a dynamic character and movement to the design. The overall space is semi-covered to act as a real extension of the city and is closed at ground level, with  light suspended perforated panels.

Architect - Alexander Tripodakis

The building complex contains 9750sq.m. of office spaces which surround an atrium of  530sq.m. A second office building of 8240sq.m for the owner of the site, is included in the proposal.

The main goals of the project were the integration of the building to its immediate (particularly the highway intersection) and wider environment, the underlining of the institutions’ social and scientific role, and the dialogue with its adjacent building for the creation of a large common outdoor entrance space between them.

Architect - Alexander Tripodakis

The proposal includes a variety of exhibition spaces, a cultural centre, administration offices, a library, a hotel, the integration of an old mansion and outdoor spaces of 17.000sq.m.

The main exhibition halls surround a linear atrium which functions as a main energy-saving element, enhancing natural lighting and ventilation and reducing energy consumption through the passive and active design of its roof.

Architect - Alexander Tripodakis

‘Athens 5000 Years of history’

The exhibition took place in the interior of a large old water-tower, of which the four storeys and its surrounding outdoor space were recently refurbished. The exhibits were presented on white surfaces which, in the exterior space created a sequence of large cubic elements, pergolas, seating  areas etc, for « publicising» the event to the wider environment of the cultural park.

The  5000 year long history of the city was presented consecutively from the ground floor to the floors above:

1. In the open air ground floor of the building, the section “Athens-Living outdoors” was presented as an introduction to the exhibition, while in the three upper floors respective sections, from 3000B.C. up to the 20^th century, were exhibited.
2. On the highest level of the water tank a presentation of the municipal interventions for the city of Athens was organized. In the interior of the building and in the centre of the tall atrium of its staircase ( 8x8x20m.), an opaque column, internally lit and 15m high was suspended, which bore the names of great Athenian men and women from the ancient times to the 2^nd World War. The column stood above an independent inclined podium, on which a nocturnal view of the city was projected, as a welcoming element for the visitors.

On the four sides of the water tower, large posters were suspended, addressing the different periods of the city’s history (Ancient, Byzantine, Neoclassical and Contemporary).  The exhibition was combined with audiovisual projections and sound installation and the presentation of various statues and models of the city.

Architect - Alexander Tripodakis

Avis Office Building

The building was shaped as a long prism with a slightly angled main façade, parallel to the site’s road, a fact which led to a stronger visual presence  from the adjacent Kifisias Avenue. Its’ seven-storey massive volume contains  a glass prism  (building within a building), which reveals itself clearly in the three storey ‘arcade’ of the lower floors, to gradually disappear in the upper floors and finally reemerge on the top floor.

Some materials of the study (mainly glass panes and marbles) and various details were not applied, while several elements of the façade were omitted during construction.

Architect - Alexander Tripodakis

Kili Acropolis Museum

The museum is developed smoothly as a “bridge” between the two low hilly prominences of Kili, thus acquiring also the character of a gate from the peripheral road of Filopappos Hill to the interior of the archaeological area.

A diagonal axis that penetrates the composition, extends in its internal organisation the existing pedestrian road that connects it to the Sacred Rock. The lower exhibition spaces are organized around an atrium, of which the southern are set on pilotis above the rocks and carvings of the ancient settlement. The ‘Fidias’ sculptures wing is placed at the highest level, as a self-standing oblong coronation and acts as the spine of the proposal.

Architect - Alexander Tripodakis

In Toula, the existing unfinished hotel has been surrounded by various additional thermal therapeutic facilities, athletic installations and cultural and congress facilities.

In St Kirikos, the main issue was the design of a hotel and thermal complex in functional and aesthetic accordance to the existing old Government House of the settlement. To this end the new section was divided in smaller parts of successively reduced volumes as the distance from the old building increased which thus became the head of the composition.

The curved formation of the thermal facilities links and unifies the former two parts.

In the  Therma complex, the final proposal as it was shaped after its assignment, maintained the cellular structure of the  preliminary drawings developed on the rocky sloped site ,while separating the sections of the hotel from the thermal spa in independent units, connected with the proposed landmark of the elevator shaft.

Architect - Alexander Tripodakis

Attikon Theater Renovation

The refurbishment of the old vast theatre hall, aimed at emphasizing the various elements and details of the internal skin of a historic indoor space of the city, while respecting its robust character and its rich three- dimensional organization.

In order to integrate the balconies as important viewing spaces, the seating arrangement was completely altered with the use of armchairs, while in the ground floor the old traditional seats were renovated.

To improve the overall sound insulation the lateral two-storey heigh niches were carpeted, thus extending the ‘warm’ materials of the stage curtain and  the seats, to the metaphorically ‘external’ shelter of the hall.

Contrarily a ‘cold‘impression was intended for the main interior skin of the hall through a selection of white and light grey-blue colors for its great dome and the lateral arches and columns.

As a connecting element between the two color families, ochre was used on clearly delineated surfaces. For the seats and the great stage curtain, a pompeian red was proposed which  completed  the suggested color palette convincingly.

Architect - Alexander Tripodakis

The strategy of the proposal is summarized in the following:

1. Integration to the built environment of the university campus

The main axes of the master plan influenced the plan of the proposed buildings.The existing tracings and selected construction details were taken into account and  reinterpreted in order to ensure the dialectic relation between the new center and the existing buildings (circular students’ center – circular amphitheatre, gallery of  teacher’ s club –  government house, comb- shaped restaurant – comb- shaped sector of natural sciences, trilogy bars-residential bars).

2. Emphasis on the complexes role as a social center

The square of activities and events, plays a leading role for the achievement of the latter intention through the establishment of a dynamic relation with its surrounding buildings via galleries, semi- open spaces, balconies, bridges etc. The sliding shades, ensure the multifunctional character of the square offering the opportunity for a variety of events. Finally, a two level pedestrian circulation system, links all the functions.

The varied character of the center results from the combination of two overlapping grids  and expresses the spirit of the campus’ activities. The first is parallel to the street plan as it appears on the master plan and the second is related to the site’s topography and the opposite hill of Aron.

3. Environmental aspect

Natural ventilation is achieved in all the buildings with suitable openings, atriums, ventilation stacks    etc. For  sun protection, horizontal movable external blinds to the East and South and vertical to the   West are added to the buildings. The highest is usually stable and enables the sunlight’s penetration in  the interior, as well as its reflection and diffusion. The large covering space frame carries photovoltaic and solar panels and provides  water heating and a portion of the complexes need for electrical energy.

Architect - Alexander Tripodakis

Argos Agricultural Bank

The new building of  the ATE Bank was divided in two sections of a compatible scale to that of the city, but mainly to the one of the landmark mansion of H. Trikoupis. The first smaller section , related in plan and elevation to the neoclassical building, shelters the foyer of the complex and the administration wing, while the second larger one  contains the main transaction area, combined with waiting and document-filling spaces, as well as the employees’ offices in two levels. A secondary entrance and  an emergency exit  is also provided at the ‘articulation’ of the main staircase.

Architect - Alexander Tripodakis

Shooting Ground Park

The proposal concerns the refurbishment and upgrading of the historic spaces  and buildings of the shooting ground, while adding a number of new facilities (cultural, commercial, entertainment etc) as well as the development of the vast open space of the adjacent hill, with the provision of a monumental setting and belvedere-restaurant at the top and a series of thematic parks, playgrounds, athletic fields, seating corners, open amphitheatres, greenhouses etc. dispersed in its forested area.

Architect - Alexander Tripodakis

The project includes an athletic hall for 3000 spectators for Basketball, Volleyball and Handball games, with the possibility of subdivision into three training rooms, an outdoor swimming pool (25m x 12.5 m),a gymnasium for heavy sports and gymnastics, locker rooms, a massage room, sauna, etc and the development of the outdoor area with athletic fields, landscaping and parking spaces.

Architect - Alexander Tripodakis

Pallini Residence

The residence is placed at the NW corner of an inclined plot with a strong view to the sea and was organized in two parts which are connected with a two storey glazed “bridge”.

The first unit, contains the living and dinning room on ground floor and  is broken to smaller spaces in the shape of α fan, towards the curvilinear balcony and the view. It also contains a mezzanine, where the entrance lobby and the office are located.

The second unit houses the bedrooms on the first floor and a guest room and a playroom on the ground floor.

In the intermediate ‘bridge’ which connects the two units, the kitchen and the dinning corner were placed on the ground floor.

The relative placement of the two units, led to the creation of a wind protected pergola and courtyard, where the swimming pool was located. The house is integrated to the topography of the site, partly underground on its northern side while revealing its’ two-storey volume towards the south.

Architect - Alexander Tripodakis

One of the main goals of the study was the development of a central, cohesive and multifunctional pole for the settlement, a suburban “dormitory” without  public  infrastructure and  an overall lack of centrality and vitality in its few public open spaces.

The proposal has two different sections:

1)  The circular, of the park – lake, around which the majority of the public facilities of the settlement is developed (Town Hall, police, primary school, bank etc) as well as meeting, recreational, residential and offices’ functions. Attached to the park is the triangular- shaped indoor swimming pool for recreation and sports games.

2)  The linear, which links the park with the forested area adjacent to the  site and includes the main commercial center  of the settlement, divided in four distinct units.

The perimeter of the units is formed by two storey residential – commercial buildings , delineating the large internal public spaces. The existing church is appropriately integrated in the composition and at the end of the axis a botanic garden allows for a smooth  transition from the built to the natural environment.

The resulting income from the commercial and residential facilities  acts as a funding source for the complex, as is proven by the feasibility study,.

Architect - Alexander Tripodakis

The main goals of the proposal were the treatment of the building as a transparent cultural pole, the “projection” of its internal life and function on its elevations, the emphasis on its role as a landmark for the municipality by its strategic placing along the main road ant its adjustment to the surrounding urban grid, though the site is autonomous.

To these ends, the plan of the building was organised in a triangular shape in order to respond to  the surrounding roads , its main elevation of the foyers seems “suspended” from the transparent prismatic “pillars” of the vertical cores and  its  side elevations  were designed in accordance to the internal function of the auditoriums and halls they envelop.

The building’s volume is simple and dynamic, including a variety of open and semi-open spaces in its three sides which establish an overall welcoming and familiar character.

Architect - Alexander Tripodakis

The proposal included cultural, recreational, entertainment, commercial facilities etc. and a variety of open – public spaces, combined so as to achieve the economic viability of the project.

It took into account the metropolitan importance of the site for the city of Athens but also the need for its organic integration to the neighboring residential environment and  the response to important local needs, as well as its crucial relation to the coastal zone of the Phaliron bay.

The complex was organized amphitheatrically around an artificial lake, which introduced the element of water in the center of the project. The following functions were developed along the perimeter:

1) The cultural complex consisting of six centers of contemporary arts of metropolitan scale, functioning as autonomous flexible units while sharing the same spectacles’, congresses’, seminars’ halls, auditoriums etc.

2)  The commercial, office and entertainment center, which includes a covered central square, the “Agora”, where innovative avant garde events could take place, a three storey longitudinal structure of offices and shops  and an entertainment center ( restaurant,  cafeteria,  bowling   place,  night club etc.) which were all placed along a main commercial road.

3) The recreational activities which consist of:

1.  A children’s center and a large “interactive” playground
2.  A multipurpose area (roller skating, performances, circus etc)
3.  An indoor leisure pool
4.  An aquarium
5.  A naval museum
6.  An open theater
7.  A restaurant complex

The accompanying feasibility report proved the economic viability of the proposed mixture of functions. In 1999, a study for the relocation of some of the Olympic facilities proposed for the site, along with an updating of the initial awarded project so as to allow for its intermediate Olympic use, was assigned to our office.

Architect - Alexander Tripodakis

Vouliagmeni Apartment Building

The building was divided in 4 four–storey units of see-through apartments, so as to achieve a friendlier character of a reduced scale as opposed to the homogenized aspect of most large apartment buildings.

To the same end, the units were attached in pairs serviced by a distinct vertical core each, which was left open as an extension of the garden.

The effort to achieve an apartment  scale, was completed with the design of the facades through the differentiation of the treatment of their different levels.

Thus the ground floor was connected to the garden with small courts which allow for the structure to “meet” the ground, the first floor was treated as an intermediate “joint” and the two upper ones, unified with vertical thin columns and incorporated flowerbeds, as protruding prisms between the side walls.

Architect - Alexander Tripodakis

The building complex has an above-ground volume of 140.000 c. m. and underground auxiliary and parking spaces of 23.000 c. m. It includes office spaces, libraries, amphitheaters, training rooms, study rooms, cafeterias, a lecture hall and circulation areas .

The basic goals of the proposal were:

1. The development of an environment of an intensely social character and not strictly educational, mostly through the treatment of the circulation and its social zones.
2. The achievement of an overall functional adaptability and the possibility for extension.
3. The clarity of the composition and ease of orientation for its users.
4. The ensuring of abundant natural lighting and ventilation and the protection from the sun of all teaching and working spaces.
5. The adaptation of the building complex to the sloping topography of the site, while generally maintaining low building heights.

Architect - Alexnader Tripodakis

The proposal is based on the following principles:

1) Integration to the surrounding area

The large volume of the building-complex is subdivided in sections of distinct functions (Supreme Court, Assembly Hall, Court of appeal, Court of first instance, Police-court, County court).The smaller facilities are located on the side of Alexandras Avenue and are interrelated so as to create a welcoming southern atrium entrance.

The height of the main part of the composition was kept low, so that it is harmonized with the existing surrounding building blocks, with the exception of the rear wing of the Police court and County court which are  heigher, as they are placed at a greater distance from the opposite buildings. A large percentage of the office spaces were located in a long multi-storey wing, witch stands in the middle and above the rest of the structure.

2) Simplicity and clarity of functional organization

The building complex is structured on a main 25m wide axis of circulation and waiting of the public, aside of which the courtrooms are located.

The latter are naturally lit through lateral courts. The circulation network of the judges and detainees is separate and independent from the public spaces. The vertical office wing covers a 15m wide main axis in the ground floor, on which its vertical cores are located.

The result of the competition led to an appeal to the Supreme Court, because of the significant distance between the finally selected project from the present (with respect to the above criteria), which had severe consequences on the functionality and the cost of the complex, eventually constructed.

At the same time, the fact that the selected project (1^st prize) was voted by six representatives of the juridical sector and only one of the seven architect-members of the jury, as opposed to the six architects’ votes for the 2nd prize, was considered to be provocative. The appeal was accompanied by a meticulous comparative analysis of the functional, volumetric and economic features of the two proposals, which   proved  the former claims beyond any doubt. It was however rejected.

Architect - Dimitri Tripodakis

The building complex contains a total surface of 42.000sq.m and a 800 c. garage for 460 employees and 650 visitors.

Architect - Dimitri Tripodakis

The project concerns a B’ Class Hotel of 400 b. It includes an independent meeting hall on the upper floor and a garage in the basement.

Architect - Dimitri Tripodakis

Patsi Square Apartment Building

Architect - Dimitri Tripodakis

Bensi & Ravine Apartment Building

Architect - Dimitri Tripodakis

Ippokratous Office Building

Architect - Dimitri Tripodakis

Vasilissis Sofias Apartment Building

Architect - Dimitri Tripodakis

Syntagma Square Office Building

Architect - Dimitri Tripodakis

Church in Spilia – Crete

Architect - Dimitri Tripodakis

VEI Offices & Conference Centre

Architect - Dimitri Tripodakis

Military Headquarters

Architect - Dimitri Tripodakis

Ministry of Work

Architect - Dimitri Tripodakis

Heavy Indystry Pavillion

Architect - Dimitri Tripodakis

Anavrita School Complex

Architect - Dimitri Tripodakis

Palace of the Nations

Architect - Dimitri Tripodakis

Architect - Dimitri Tripodakis

Architect - Alexander Tripodakis

The main objectives of the proposal and the adopted strategies are described as follows:

1.The functional and synthetic connection of the park to its wider environment, through the openness of the park from end to end along the N/S axis , the penetration of the surrounding urban grid through a system of pedestrian  pathways and the response of the overall layout to the view of mountain Imitos, of the Saronikos bay, and  the Acropolis.

2. The integration of the existing track to the proposed arrangement  with  the placement of the indoor gymnasium’s   balancing volume on its side and the reshaping of the track’s perimeter with stands, small hills, a metal panoramic platform etc.

3. The creation of a vivid and multifunctional open space, through the interpenetration of four different circulation webs ( orthogonal, circular, cellular and parallel) and the use of different planting systems ( forest coverage, snake-like and linear alleys of trees, linear formations, independent themes etc) aswell as through the selection of the parks functions (gym, roller skating and skateboard , jogging path, bike path, green theatre, botanical garden, exhibitions’  pavilion, cafeteria, lake, gardens, entrance pavilions, centre for the elderly , nursery, offices’ and commercial buildings etc)