THE ARCHITECTURE OF IANNIS XENAKIS

Iannis Xenakis’s contribution to architecture is interwoven with the work of Le Corbusier and their musical pursuits, but it has a special dimension. It is experimental. It combines morphogenesis with structural design and construction. It is created, not born, but maintains a cosmic relationship with the earth. Starting his civil engineering studies in Athens, he will develop a practical mathematical thinking that will fertilize Le Corbusier’s morphological quests and give them an unprecedented material and spiritual dimension in buildings that are now landmarks and are part of the world cultural heritage. Xenakis’s subsequent autonomous architectural quest is a small but special chapter in the borders of his musical creation, which highlights the thoughtful and highly personal character of his thought and work.

Panagiotis Tournikiotis is a professor of the theory of architecture at the National Technical University of Athens. He studied architecture, urban planning, geography and philosophy in Athens and Paris. His research focuses on critical theory and history, and how understanding the past contributes to the interdisciplinary formation of design strategies in architecture and urban planning. He has published and edited books, including: Adolf Loos, The Parthenon and its Radiance in Modern Times, The Historiography of Modern Architecture, Architecture in Modern Times, and The Diagonal of Le Corbusier. He has organized many architectural events and actively participates in institutional councils and committees. Le Corbusier’s relationship with Greece and his collaboration with Greek architects and engineers who left for Paris, is an open chapter of his most recent research.