Modernist Greek Architect Dimitris Pikionis Celebrated in Skiathos Island Exhibition

The Benaki Museum, in collaboration with the Cultural Association ‘Skiathos’, is organizing an exhibition titled “Dimitris Pikionis: Shape and Form” at the Holy Monastery of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary on Skiathos island (on view until October 15). The exhibition offers a concise overview of the work and personality of Dimitris Pikionis, whose archive was donated to the Benaki Museum by the Pikionis family in 2001. A distinctive figure of Greek Modernism, Pikionis profoundly influenced the architectural consciousness of Greece and continues to shape it to this day (Cover photo: Landscaping of the Acropolis–Philopappou Hill by D. Pikionis, 1954–57, Benaki Museum, Exhibition Catalogue).

Another major exhibition on Pikionis’s legacy, titled “Dimitris Pikionis: An aesthetic topography” – named after one of his theoretical writings – will be presented at the Benaki Museum in Athens from October 23, 2025, to January 25, 2026. This exhibition will focus on his renowned landscape design for the entrances to the Acropolis of Athens.

D. Pikionis photographed at Delphi (Source: Benaki Museum)

Dimitris Pikionis (1887-1968) was born in Piraeus to parents of Chian descent. In 1906, while studying civil engineering at the National Technical University of Athens (from which he graduated in 1908), he became the first student of the distinguished Greek painter Konstantinos Parthenis. A friend of the painter Giorgio De Chirico, continued his studies in architecture in Munich and later pursued fine arts at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. There, he encountered modern painting—particularly the work of Cézanne and Paul Klee—as well as the sculpture of Rodin. Upon returning to Greece, he rediscovered his architectural calling without abandoning painting, and eventually taught at the National Technical University of Athens. During this period, he also collaborated with a group of artists to co-edit the influential magazine To Trito Mati (“The Third Eye”) alongside his close friend, the painter Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghikas. The publication played a key role in introducing the European avant-garde to Greece.

Although a contemporary of Le Corbusier and Mies van der Rohe, Pikionis developed a unique architectural language that sought to integrate tradition with modern abstraction. His work aimed to synthesize formal innovation with a deep sensitivity to cultural identity—an effort to reconcile modernity with the spirit of place and heritage. (Source: Benaki Museum)

D. Pikionis, from the “Attica” series (Benaki Museum, Exhibition Catalogue). In Pikionis’s work, the typology of modern architecture opens up to vernacular inspirations, to the part-ancient, part-mythical past, and to the natural environment—from which all cultural forms originate and to which they will be ultimately returned. (Source: Kassel Dokumenta 14)

The landscaping project for the Acropolis and Philopappos Hill, on which he worked between 1954 and 1958, is considered Pikionis’s foremost and most unique achievement (Benaki Museum, Exhibition Catalogue)

“Pikionis’s landscaping for the Acropolis and Philopappos Hill took the form of a system of footpaths, individually paved with stones, antique spolia and modern urban rubble, that followed and extended the existing paths on the two hills that had been walked upon, often for centuries. This landscaping is groundbreaking and radical—precisely because it is ultimately modest and thoroughly in situ—a piece of architecture learning from its context. Working collectively with his students and local stonemasons, Pikionis practiced the careful and laborious technique of paving using salvaged debris from the violently developing capital of Greece. His landscape design, created in opposition to both industrial and archaeological transformations of land, remains the only urban-scale project ever to take place on the slopes surrounding the Acropolis” (Source: Kassel Dokumenta 14)

Acropolis-Philopappou hill landscaping by D. PIkionis, 1954-57, photographs by Helen Binet (Benaki Museum)

Acropolis-Philopappou hill landscaping by D. PIkionis, 1954-57 (Benaki Museum)

Kenneth Frampton, the prominent British architect, critic, and historian, has written extensively about Dimitris Pikionis, recognizing him as a pivotal figure in 20th-century architecture: “When I first visited the Acropolis in 1959 I found myself walking virtually by accident on the adjacent landscape of Philopappou Hill and there I felt, with surprise, the almost literal movement of the ground as my frame was drawn by the tactile resistance of the paving, up and down the undulating labyrinth of the terrain; a site designed so as to be experienced as much by the body as by the eyes. Equally surprising were the stone-paved terraces and benches and, above all, the wood-framed temenos and tea pavilion, built adjacent to the reconstructed Loumbardiaris church. These last seemed as though they had been drawn from Japan over eons of time via the cultural sieve of Byzantium. I did not realize at the time that this staging ground was not quite finished and that the seventy-two-year-old architect was still supervising the work” (excerpt from a text first appeared in Dimitris Pikionis, Architect 1887–1968: A Sentimental Topography, London: Architectural Association, 1989, Source: Kassel Dokumenta 14).

D. Pikionis, Acropolis-Philopappou landscaping, Resting place and Church of Agios Dimitrios Loumbardiaris, 1954-54 (Benaki Museum, Catalogue of the exhibition)

The exhibition “Dimitris Pikionis: Shape and Form” is a concise and comprehensive presentation of Pikionis’s work, through reproductions of archival material and includes: the Moraitis House (1923), the Karamanos House (1925), the Lycabettus Primary School (1932), the Kotopouli Summer Theatre (1933), the plans for the Delphi Centre (1934), the Thessaloniki Experimental School (1935), the Apartment Block at Heyden Street (1936), the Residence / workshop for sculptress Froso Efthymiadou-Menegaki (1949), the Potamianos Residence in Filothei (1953-1955), the Xenia Hotel in Delphi (1951-1956), the Forest Village in Pertouli (1953), the Pouris Residence (1953-1955), the plans for the settlement of Aixoni (1950-1957), the landscaping of the area around the Acropolis and the hill of Filopappou (1954-1958) and the Children’s Garden in Filothei (1961-1964).

D. Pikionis, Children’s Play-Garden, Filothei, 1961-64 (Benaki Museum, Exhibition Catalogue)

Elementary school, Pefkakia, Lycabettus, 1932 (left), Thessaloniki Experimental School, 1935 (right). Pikionis states: “The Lycabettus School was built in 1933, but as soon as it was completed, I found it did not satisfy me. It occurred to me then that the universal spirit had to be coupled with the spirit of nationhood; and this led me to make buildings like the Experimental School in Thessaloniki (1935)…” (Benaki Museum, Exhibition Catalogue)

In the exhibition catalogue, George Manginis, Academic Director of the Benaki Museum, writes “among the greats of Greek modernism, Dimitris Pikionis stands out for his championing of the humanist ideal: the belief that humankind constitutes the ultimate measure of things. His approach to materials combined a deep knowledge of their limitations more expected from a traditional craftsperson, with an acumen more akin to a historian of art and architecture; his sense of proportion opted for minor scale and quiet emotion, but embraced the monumental as a mechanism of remembrance, sometimes even nostalgia; and his universal vision for the vocation of the architect was founded on both an open perception of society and a personal, nearly mystical approach to the concept of place”.

Painting works by D. Pikionis presented at the exhibition: From the “Paris” series, “The Three Graces”, 1914 (upper left), From the “Nature” series, “House in the Sacred Way” (upper right), From the “Vernacular” series, untitled (lower left), From the “Vernacular” series, “Elpis” (“Hope”) (lower right) (Benaki Museum, Exhibition Catalogue)

D. PIkionis, Sketch for Aixoni Settlement, Glyfada, 1953-55 (not realized) (Benaki Museum, Exhibition Catalogue)

The Monastery of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary – commonly known as Evangelistria by the locals – is hosting the exhibition and is located in the northeast of Skiathos island, approximately 5 km from the main town, at an altitude of about 200 meters. Among the oldest Monasteries in Greece, Evangelistria is the only “active” monastic community on Skiathos today. It was founded by Kollyvades monks from Mount Athos, with construction beginning in 1794 and completed in 1806. The monastery was known for its strict adherence to Athonite monastic rules, including a historical ban on the entry of women. Evangelistria played a crucial role in the national awakening and revolutionary movements of the time, offering both moral and material support. In 1807, it became the site where the first Greek flag—featuring a white cross on a sky-blue background—was designed, made, blessed, and raised for the first time. Today, the monastery houses a library and a folklore museum, showcasing sacred relics and historical exhibits that reflect its spiritual and national significance. (Source: skiathos.gr, Photo: monastiria.gr)

Skiathos, the most cosmopolitan island in the Northern Sporades, is a true paradise on earth, —blessed with lush pine forests, picturesque landscapes, and crystal-clear azure waters. Unspoiled and naturally beautiful, the island boasts more than 60 stunning beaches, each with its own charm and pristine waters.

The town of Skiathos – both the island’s only settlement and its capital – is located on the southeast part of the island, nestled along a tranquil bay that is divided by the small peninsula of Bourtzi. . It is a relatively new settlement, founded in 1829–1830 on the site of the island’s ancient town, which dates back to 800 B.C., and is built across two seaside hills. The local architecture of Skiathos reflects a unique blend: traditional island style mixed with elements of Pelion village design, enriched by neoclassical influences (Source: skiathos.gr)

Koukounaries is the most famous beach on Skiathos and one of the best-known in Europe, frequently featured in international rankings of the world’s top beaches (skiathos.gr)

Lalaria is located on the northeastern coast of Skiathos and is accessible only by sea—and strictly on days of dead calm—via daily boats departing from the port of Skiathos. It is considered one of the most beautiful beaches in Greece, with its iconic images having travelled the world and helped put Skiathos on the global map. For millennia, the fierce northern winds have sculpted the steep white cliffs that rise dramatically from the sea, shaping the smooth white pebbles known as lalaria, which give the beach its name (skiathos.gr, Photo: visitgreece.gr)