Perikles A. Sakellarios (September 1905 – March 1985), was one of the leading figures in Greek architecture between 1936 and 1985.
Biography
Born in
Corfu
Corfu (, ) or Kerkyra ( el, Κέρκυρα, Kérkyra, , ; ; la, Corcyra.) is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea, of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the margin of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The isl ...
on 13 September 1905, first son of Aristides Sakellarios and Thalia Mavrogianni.
Attended primary and secondary schools in Corfu and
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area, and the capi ...
. He studied at the Technical Department of the
Calvin College
Calvin University, formerly Calvin College, is a private Christian university in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Founded in 1876, Calvin University is an educational institution of the Christian Reformed Church and stands in the Reformed (Calvinist) ...
in Geneva (1920-1921) and completed his secondary education at the First Secondary School of Thessaloniki in 1923, being an excellent student at both institutions. Aged 12 years only, he won one of two of the prestigious Monteseigny Foundation scholarships. He studied Architecture at the Technical University in Graz (1924-1930) under Karl Hoffman and Friedrich Zotter.
Married to: Antigoni Petrocheilou (1932-1935), Ekaterini (Ina) Pappou (1937-1945, granddaughter of Greek Prime Minister
Dimitrios Rallis
Dimitrios Rallis (Greek: Δημήτριος Ράλλης; 1844–1921) was a Greek politician.
He was born in Athens in 1844. He was descended from an old Greek political family. Before Greek independence, his grandfather, Alexander Rallis, ...
, cousin of Greek Prime Minister
Georgios Rallis
Georgios Ioannou Rallis ( el, Γεώργιος Ιωάννου Ράλλης; 26 December 1918 – 15 March 2006), anglicised to George Rallis, was a Greek conservative politician and the 2nd Prime Minister of Greece from 1980 to 198 Ancestors i ...
), Valentina Theotoki (1947-1957), Koula Kambani (1968-1972). One daughter: Elisabeth Sakellariou-Herzog (*1939). Pericles Sakellarios died on March 5, 1985, in
Athens
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
. Today his buildings have successfully stood the test of time and are recognised as defining contribution to Post-War Greek Architecture.
Career
1931
At the beginning of his career, he worked for a short spell as an assistant to Andreas Kriezis (1887-1962). His projects include the remodeling the
Old Royal Palace
The Old Royal Palace ( el, Παλαιά Ανάκτορα ''Palaiá Anáktora'') is the first royal palace of modern Greece, completed in 1843. It has housed the Hellenic Parliament since 1934. The Old Palace is situated at the heart of modern ...
to accommodate the
Greek Parliament
The Hellenic Parliament ( el, Ελληνικό Κοινοβούλιο, Elliniko Kinovoulio; formally titled el, Βουλή των Ελλήνων, Voulí ton Ellínon, Boule of the Hellenes, label=none), also known as the Parliament of the Hel ...
and Senate.
In 1931 he moved to
Volos
Volos ( el, Βόλος ) is a coastal port city in Thessaly situated midway on the Greek mainland, about north of Athens and south of Thessaloniki. It is the sixth most populous city of Greece, and the capital of the Magnesia regional unit ...
where he worked for the Technical Service of the Township of Pagases until 1935.
In 1936 he returned to Athens where he was employed by the newly formed technical service of the
Ministry of Public Health and Welfare
Ministry may refer to:
Government
* Ministry (collective executive), the complete body of government ministers under the leadership of a prime minister
* Ministry (government department), a department of a government
Religion
* Christian mi ...
.
The period of 1936 to 1941 was the most creative periods in his life and career. During this time, in addition to numerous private commissions, he was appointed as the official architect of King
George II of Greece
George II ( el, Γεώργιος Βʹ, ''Geórgios II''; 19 July Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates">O.S.:_7_July.html" ;"title="Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="nowiki/>O.S.:_7_July">Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html"_;"title="nowiki/ ...
. He remodeled the
royal palace of Tatoi, the royal palace of
Psychiko
Psychiko ( el, Ψυχικό ) is a suburb of Athens, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Filothei-Psychiko, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit. The municipality has an area of .
Overview
Psychik ...
and
Mon Repos in Corfu.
1941-1945
During the
German-Italian Occupation he was held hostage by the
Greek People's Liberation Army
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
in December 1944, from which he was liberated by the Allied forces.
1946
Still working as a civil servant, he was chosen as the official representative of his Ministry to travel to Britain and the United States in order to visit public buildings (mainly hospitals) and meet with experts.
In late 1946 he abandoned his career as a civil servant and set up his practice as a freelance architect in Athens.
From 1955 to 1961 he formed a collaboration with Manolis Vourekas (1905-1992) and Prokopis Vassiliadis (1912-1977). Projects resulting from this collaboration include the avant-garde Astir Beach and resort facilities in
Glyfada
Glyfada ( el, Γλυφάδα, ) is a suburb in South Athens located in the Athens Riviera along the Athens coast. It is situated in the southern parts of the Athens' Urban Area. The area stretches from the foot of the Hymettus mountain to the Sar ...
(1955–58), the public beach in
Vouliagmeni
Vouliagmeni ( el, Βουλιαγμένη, meaning "sunken") is a seaside suburb and former municipality 20 km south of Athens city centre. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Vari-Voula-Vouliagmeni, of which ...
and the Argo and Okeanis restaurants (1959–61).
In 1959 he was chosen by
Walter Gropius
Walter Adolph Georg Gropius (18 May 1883 – 5 July 1969) was a German-American architect
An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in conne ...
as an associate of the architectural firm
The Architects Collaborative
The Architects Collaborative (TAC) was an American architectural firm formed by eight architects that operated between 1945 to 1995 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The founding members were Norman C. Fletcher (1917-2007), Jean B. Fletcher (1915-196 ...
for the construction of the new
US Embassy in Athens.
In 1966 he set up his first joint practice under the name “ P.A. Sakellarios and Associates”. His partners were his daughter
Elisabeth Sakellariou-Senkowsky, her husband Hermann Senkowsky and his future wife Koula Kambani.
Sakellarios was a member of the
Technical Chamber of Greece The Technical Chamber of Greece ( el, Τεχνικό Επιμελητήριο Ελλάδας) (TEE-TCG) is the Greek professional organization that serves as the official technical advisor of the Greek state and is responsible for awarding professio ...
, the Architect's Association, the Hellenic Architectural Society. He served as a board member of the
International Union of Architects
The International Union of Architects ( French: ''Union internationale des Architectes''; UIA) is the only international non-governmental organization that represents the world's architects, now estimated to number some 3.2 million in all.
About ...
(UIA). He acted as technical advisor to the Greek National Tourism Organization and to the Psychiko Community.
In 1966 he was designated Commander of the
Royal Order of the Phoenix, an honor awarded to him for his contribution to the country's reconstruction.
In 1982, the Technical University of Graz awarded him an honorary diploma for his exceptional half-century of professional practice.
Influence on modern Greek architecture
Pericles Sakellarios was one of the leading figures in Greek architecture between 1936 and 1962.
Sakellarios' products included buildings and complexes-mainly houses that attracted the interest of the international architectural press. He designed leisure homes and open-air cinemas, theaters, motels and beach resorts.
Notable buildings
1932-1933 Apostolos Papageorgiou, Volos, private house
1936 Vassilis Goumas house, Athens
1937-1939
Lambros Eftaxias residence, Athens
1947-1949 Dallis Restaurant, Athens
1949-1950 Greek Special Forces Chapel, Kavouri, Athens
1953-1958
Corfu Palace Hotel, Corfu
1955-1958 Astir Beach and Resort Facilities, Glyfada (in collaboration)
1959-1961
Embassy of the United States in Athens
The Embassy of the United States in Athens is the embassy of the United States in Greece, in the capital city of Athens. The embassy is charged with diplomacy and Greece–United States relations. The United States Ambassador to Greece is the head ...
, Athens (project by
TAC)
1961 Corfu Harbour, Passenger Terminal
1962-1974
Municipal Theatre of Corfu
The Municipal Theatre of Corfu ( el, Δημοτικό Θέατρο Κέρκυρας) was the main theatre and opera house in Corfu
Corfu (, ) or Kerkyra ( el, Κέρκυρα, Kérkyra, , ; ; la, Corcyra.) is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea, ...
1962-1963 Architect's own summer house in Corfu
1970 The Greek Pavilion in the
Osaka World Fair
is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2 ...
1981-1982 Theodoros Angelopoulos, private house, Athens
Notes
References
*
Further reading
*''
Helen Fessas-Emmanouil Helen Fessas-Emmanouil (born 1943, in Volos) is a Greek architect specializing in theatre architecture. An assistant professor at the University of Athens, she has published a number of essays and books on modern Greek architecture.
Fessas studied ...
& E.Marmaras'', Twelve Greek Architects of the Interwar Period, ''University Publications of Crete ()''
*''Helen Fessas-Emmanouil'', Essays on Neohellenic Architecture,'' () (Privately published by E.F.)''
*''Savas Condaratos & Wilfried Wang'', 20th - Century Architecture Greece, ''Prestel Verlag (ISBN 3-7913 -2152 -8)''
*''Elisabeth Sakellariou & Helen Fessa-Emmanouil'', An Architect's Vision, ''POTAMOS Publishers ()''
External links
Sakellarios Summer House, Corfu
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sakellarios, Pericles A.
1905 births
1985 deaths
People from Corfu
Commanders of the Order of the Phoenix (Greece)
Architecture of Corfu
20th-century Greek architects
People from Thessaloniki