Patroklos Karantinos

Patroclus Karantinos (Greek Πάτροκλος Καραντινός, * 1903 in Constantine Opel, † December 4, 1976 in Athens ) was a Greek architect of classical modernism.

Life

Karantinos studied architecture in Athens. After graduating, he went to France and worked in Paris for Auguste Perret. He saw the architecture in a holistic social responsibility. His works are therefore especially public buildings. These are the Archaeological Museum Heraklion ( 1933) and Thessaloniki ( 1960). Plays a special role in his works on the light.

In 1928, the Greek Ministry of Education under the government of Venizelos, the large-scale school construction program (Greek Πρόγραμμα Σχολικών Κτιρίων ) was launched with the aim of school buildings to plan for new knowledge and build. Karantinos was appointed Director of the Commission. All buildings were designed in the form of classical modernism. They are characterized by a geometric shape and long continuous strip windows. As a commitment to the progress of the school buildings were the architectural showpiece of the country, they have also been shown in many exhibitions.

In 1933, he participated as a representative of Greece at the CIAM Congress and was instrumental in the drafting of the Charter of Athens.

In conflict with the dictatorial government of Ioannis Metaxas ( the opposite of its architecture was negative ), dissolved Karantinos 1936, the Commission of the school construction program on. 1937 he was appointed the Royal Institute of British Architects ( RIBA ) an honorary member.

After the war Karantinos attended from 1959 to 1968 as a professor at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, where he worked with his students to a reorganization of the university campus and the construction of many new buildings. In 1960 he built the Archaeological Museum of the city. After the coup, the military junta in 1967 Karantinos publicly opposed the new regime, so that he was suspended a year later by the service. With the fall of the junta Karantinos was rehabilitated in 1974, but he no longer came to his offices because he wanted to sit down to rest.

Works (selection)

• Buildings of the school construction program, 1928-1936, for example: Primary school Kalisperi Street 138 in Athens, 1931
• 3 Primary School in Syros Syros

Works today

The quality of the work of Karantinos is very different. Buildings such as the Archaeological Museum in Thessaloniki or the elementary school in Syros Syros were ahead of their time and are respected to this day much. The buildings of the school program are maintained and estimated (not least because of the prominence of the architects ). In contrast, there are some late works. Thus, although is the ( empty ) Ministry of Education in Mitropoleos Street in Athens under a preservation order, but is just as average as some museums, that have either been rebuilt ( Delphi Archaeological Museum ) or were abandoned ( Acropolis Museum, after the inauguration of the new building Bernard Tschumi ).