Demetri Porphyrios
Encyclopedia
Demetri Porphyrios is a Greek
architect and author who currently practises architecture in London
as principal of the firm Porphyrios Associates. In addition to practice and writing, Porphyrios has held a number of teaching positions in the United States, the United Kingdom and Greece. He is currently a visiting professor at the Yale School of Architecture
.
Most of his buildings resemble traditional high architecture such as Gothic
and Greco-Roman Classical
buildings. In 2002, he was commissioned to design a residential college (Whitman College
) at Princeton University
in the neo-Gothic style.
Porphyrios's PhD thesis from Princeton on the Finnish architect Alvar Aalto
was later published as the book: Sources of Modern Eclecticism (Academy Editions, London, 1983). To this day, it is regarded as the most astute theoretical analysis of Aalto's architecture ever made, being concerned not so much with formal analysis or historical chronology but rather with a structuralist
analysis (and in this regard he gives reference to philosophers Michel Foucault
and Louis Althusser
) of Aalto's works in terms of the themes that can be said to have generated them; such as typology, urbanism and nature. What he ended up arguing is that Aalto was in many ways the end of the line for modernist architecture. Such a viewpoint is then carried through in Porphyrios's other writings (and most evident in his own architecture) where he has argued for a 'classicism without style', what he has also referred to as Doricism. Ironically, it was a similar style that dominated Scandinavia
in the early decades of the 20th century, so-called Nordic Classicism
, epitomised by the work of Kay Fisker
in Denmark
, Gunnar Asplund
in Sweden
, and the early work of Alvar Aalto
in Finland
.
Demetri Porphyrios was a regular contributor to the journal Architectural Design
during the 1980s, championing classical and vernacular architecture
under the reasoning of a rational architecture.
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
architect and author who currently practises architecture in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
as principal of the firm Porphyrios Associates. In addition to practice and writing, Porphyrios has held a number of teaching positions in the United States, the United Kingdom and Greece. He is currently a visiting professor at the Yale School of Architecture
Yale School of Architecture
The Yale School of Architecture is one of the constituent professional schools of Yale University. It is generally considered to be one of the most prestigious architecture schools in the world.- History :...
.
Most of his buildings resemble traditional high architecture such as Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
and Greco-Roman Classical
Classical architecture
Classical architecture is a mode of architecture employing vocabulary derived in part from the Greek and Roman architecture of classical antiquity, enriched by classicizing architectural practice in Europe since the Renaissance...
buildings. In 2002, he was commissioned to design a residential college (Whitman College
Whitman College, Princeton University
Whitman College is one of the six residential colleges at Princeton University, New Jersey, United States. The college is named after Meg Whitman, former CEO of eBay, following her $30 million donation to build the college. The structure was designed by architect Demetri Porphyrios...
) at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
in the neo-Gothic style.
Porphyrios's PhD thesis from Princeton on the Finnish architect Alvar Aalto
Alvar Aalto
Hugo Alvar Henrik Aalto was a Finnish architect and designer. His work includes architecture, furniture, textiles and glassware...
was later published as the book: Sources of Modern Eclecticism (Academy Editions, London, 1983). To this day, it is regarded as the most astute theoretical analysis of Aalto's architecture ever made, being concerned not so much with formal analysis or historical chronology but rather with a structuralist
Structuralism
Structuralism originated in the structural linguistics of Ferdinand de Saussure and the subsequent Prague and Moscow schools of linguistics. Just as structural linguistics was facing serious challenges from the likes of Noam Chomsky and thus fading in importance in linguistics, structuralism...
analysis (and in this regard he gives reference to philosophers Michel Foucault
Michel Foucault
Michel Foucault , born Paul-Michel Foucault , was a French philosopher, social theorist and historian of ideas...
and Louis Althusser
Louis Althusser
Louis Pierre Althusser was a French Marxist philosopher. He was born in Algeria and studied at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris, where he eventually became Professor of Philosophy....
) of Aalto's works in terms of the themes that can be said to have generated them; such as typology, urbanism and nature. What he ended up arguing is that Aalto was in many ways the end of the line for modernist architecture. Such a viewpoint is then carried through in Porphyrios's other writings (and most evident in his own architecture) where he has argued for a 'classicism without style', what he has also referred to as Doricism. Ironically, it was a similar style that dominated Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
in the early decades of the 20th century, so-called Nordic Classicism
Nordic Classicism
Nordic Classicism was a style of architecture that briefly blossomed in the Nordic countries between 1910 and 1930....
, epitomised by the work of Kay Fisker
Kay Fisker
Kay Otto Fisker was a Danish architect, designer and educator. He is most known for his many housing projects, mainly in the Copenhagen area, and is considered a leading exponent of the Danish Functionalism....
in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, Gunnar Asplund
Gunnar Asplund
Erik Gunnar Asplund was a Swedish architect, mostly known as a key representative of Nordic Classicism of the 1920s, and during the last decade of his life as a major proponent of the modernist style which made its breakthrough in Sweden at the Stockholm International Exhibition...
in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, and the early work of Alvar Aalto
Alvar Aalto
Hugo Alvar Henrik Aalto was a Finnish architect and designer. His work includes architecture, furniture, textiles and glassware...
in Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
.
Demetri Porphyrios was a regular contributor to the journal Architectural Design
Architectural Design
Architectural Design, also known as AD, is a UK-based architectural journal first launched in 1930.In its early days it was more concerned with the British scene, but gradually became more international. It also moved away from presenting mostly news towards theme-based issues...
during the 1980s, championing classical and vernacular architecture
Vernacular architecture
Vernacular architecture is a term used to categorize methods of construction which use locally available resources and traditions to address local needs and circumstances. Vernacular architecture tends to evolve over time to reflect the environmental, cultural and historical context in which it...
under the reasoning of a rational architecture.