Oikos

The Acropolis manifested in the form of classical architecture has been a critical point of reference for all western civilization. Roman, Renaissance, Baroque, Neoclassical, Beaux Arts and Modern architectures, now populating most of the west’s public and private buildings, are referencing that ideal frozen moment in time of the monument’s Periclean completion. However, that was not but a moment in the Acropolis’ lifespan. During that timeline, the Athenian topos has seen a series of conquerors instead of consecutive rulers; an overlap of contrasting civilizations that create a different palimpsest to that of the west. The Acropolis, much like Athens itself, might have started as classical, but it was abruptly transformed to Roman, Byzantine, Venetian, Othoman and Neoclassical; layers of history that have seemingly vanished in the name of historical purity and validity of the western civilization. ​“​Οίκος”​ aims to investigate the Athenian palimpsest, through a typology that inherently signifies the daily life and collective memory of the city: the simple house.