The unveiling of the bust donated to the Municipality of Athens by the daughter of the late architect, Agni Pikionis, took place in the presence of the Minister of Culture
With a big event, in the presence of a large number of people, they were celebrated yesterday Tuesday at Ano Patisia the unveiling of the bust of Dimitris Pikionis, as well as the completion of the renovation of the homonymous park implemented by then Municipality of Athens, through the “Adopt Your City” program and courtesy of Visa.
The park, at the end of Saubert Street, named after the leading Greek architect Dimitris Pikionis (1887-1968), was inaugurated by the Mayor of Athens, Kostas Bakoyannis, in the presence of the Minister of Culture Linas Mendonis, as well as Agnis Pikionis, daughter of the late academic.
On the occasion of the opening of the modern park, whose appearance was radically renewed after the interventions, the unveiling of the bust of Dimitris Pikionis took place. The portrait of the architect was sculpted by the sculptor Frosso Efthymiadis-Menegaki (1911-1955) in 1941, initially in terracotta, as she used to in her works at that time, and later in bronze. It is a donation of the architect’s daughter, Agnis Pikionis, to the Municipality of Athens, while the initiative for its placement comes from the “Renaissance” Association of the Kypriado area.
The Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni, in her greeting, among other things, pointed out that in the area, “the inspiring architect, visual artist, poet, intellectual philosopher and academic teacher Dimitrios Pikionis lived and worked for a large part of his life”. Ms. Mendoni described Pikionis as “a pioneering intellectual creator with deep inner theoretical searches and at the same time with a special personal perspective and aesthetic approach, which was praised by others and criticized by others”. He emphasized that his work “On the one hand, seeks to consolidate the Greekness, harmony and scale that distinguish the ancient Greek tradition and the Greek landscape, and on the other hand, seeks the selective coupling with international contemporary and modern elements”. The Minister of Culture closed her greeting by underlining that “the adherence of all of us to the principles and values ​​that Dimitrios Pikionis advocated and relentlessly sought to implement and pass on, are the most appropriate way of recognizing the importance of his work”.
The Mayor of Athens, Kostas Bakoyannis, in his speech, emphasized: “Athens owes a lot to Pikionis – the architect, the painter, the thinker. We honor him because he dedicated himself to uniting the local with the universal, the traditional with the innovative and succeeded with his works in giving continuity, evolution and timelessness to the capital. We sincerely thank his daughter, Agni, for her touching donation to the municipality, but also for her presence here today. Warm thanks also to Visa who, with its kind sponsorship, gave us the opportunity to radically reform another green space in the city, expanding the list of upgraded parks in the neighborhoods of Athens.”
For her part, Agni Pikionis, among others, reported: “Dimitris Pikionis in 1920, now having his own family, chose the Kypriadou district as his place of residence. Kypriadou was then a “hive” of artists and intellectuals, such as Spyros Papaloukas, Fotis Kontoglou, Antiochos Evagelatos, Eleni Vakalos, Umbertos Argyros, Yiannis Spyropoulos, Spyros Marinatos, Dimitris Glinos. The sculptor Frosso Efthymiadis-Menegaki also chose to settle in the Kypriadou District, in the house-studio created for her by Pikionis and which exists to this day. The bust of Pikionis that the family decided to donate to the Municipality of Athens is her work. It is fortunate that thanks to the care of the Municipality of Athens and especially the Mayor Mr. Bakoyannis, this park, now renewed and well-kept, commemorates the people who once lived here. I owe warm thanks to Alexandros Pappas, to the always worthy Zetta Antonopoulou, to the indefatigable Mary Giannakopoulou, president of the Kypriadou Renaissance Association and to the members of AMKE Dimitris Pikionis”.
Georgios Mademochoritis, Vice-President of the Association of Diplomatic Schools of Architecture – Panhellenic Union of Architects, emphasized: “It has been written that the great architectural work of Pikionis combines artistic creation and contemplation. But Pikionis aimed deeper. His whole life was a struggle for integration and the combination of the spirit of the times with the spirit of Greece. But above all, Pikionis was a Sensitive Man!”
The event, on behalf of Visa, was attended by Sevi Vassileva, the company’s General Manager for Greece, Cyprus, Malta and Israel, as well as the Country Manager in Greece, Nikos Petrakis.
Ms. Vassileva, in her statement, emphasized: “We are proud to have participated in the regeneration of this urban park and the neighboring square. Visa’s purpose is to improve the lives of everyone, everywhere, and we firmly believe that interventions of this type in the public space not only directly and visibly improve the lives of residents, but also strengthen the sense of community, bringing multiple benefits to the daily lives of citizens and businesses. We are sure that these spaces can be a new point of reference for the historical district of Kypriados and will strengthen, even more, its very special character. Through the Visa for Athens initiative, together with the Municipality of Athens, we will continue to create modern and sustainable spaces that offer citizens upgraded socializing points, emphasize the beauty of the Greek capital and invite visitors to explore it further.”
The main interventions during the regeneration of the park
The redevelopment project focused on restoring the infrastructure, as well as enriching and upgrading the greenery, creating a sustainable and functional public space. As part of the reform, the following interventions were carried out:
– 1,500 new plants were planted (tall, medium and low native shrubs), with a careful selection of characteristic species from the flora of Attica.
– Pruning and maintenance of the existing trees and bushes was done.
– A fully automated irrigation network was installed.
– The rainwater management project was completed with the installation of collection grates to deal with the large flow of water from the rains in the park, which had caused erosion.
– The curbs were rebuilt and raised.
– Water permeable materials were used (trodden earth, recycled plastic cube, mosaic) to pave and shield the main axis within the park.
– The existing seating areas were maintained and new seating benches were created.
– Gymnastic equipment was added to the southwest part of the park, on a certified mosaic surface.
– Delineated internal paths were carved and created from rammed earth.
– The planting surfaces were enriched with compost.
– Added useful equipment such as bird feeders and nests, dog waterers, botanical signs.
Wider interventions
At the same time, as part of the effort to revitalize the wider area, in Nikolopoulou square adjacent to the Dimitris Pikioni park, the existing vegetation was maintained, the soil was strengthened, 350 new plants were added and a new automated irrigation system was installed. The specific interventions were also implemented through the “Adopt your city” program, with the kind sponsorship of Visa.
Source: Skai
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