Alexandros Tombazis may have entered his eighth decade but, as we showed in our September issue, the Greek architect and eco-pioneer shows no signs of slowing down. He heads a 60-strong office in Athens and leads about 20 realised and conceptual projects per year. With more than 800 projects under his belt - about 300 of them built - and at least 110 prizes gained in competitions, he is one of Greece's most prominent and successful living architects. Less known about Tombazis, however, are his skills as an artist. As he travels the globe, he is continually sketching, painting and taking photographs. Here he shows us a series of his energetic architectural drawings.
The Church of the Holy Trinity at the Sanctuary of Fatima, Portugal
A photograph of the completed interior, filled with pilgrims
Sketches of varying views of the exterior
A photograph of the completed exterior
A plan of the building’s layout and axis of symmetry
A photograph of the completed courtyard filled with thousands of pilgrims
Helios 1, Greece
A sketch of Tombazis 1970s Peloponnese retreat - the first house in Greece to use active solar technology. Set on a steep slope, the L-shaped house, with an open plan kitchen, living and dining area, and children’s bedrooms accessible by a set of playful wooden ladders, was designed around the north-facing views. The brick structure, half set into the slope, has a wooden frame and partial lead cladding.
Helios 4, Greece
A sketch of Tombazis’ more recent house for his daughter’s family, also on the Peloponnese plot. Although it adheres to similar eco-friendly principles to the first – with solar panels and a solar chimney that forms part of a natural air circulation system – it follows a markedly different aesthetic. The exposed concrete, geometric composition is dominated by cascading, planted roofs. An advocate of a bespoke, site-specific design approach, Tombazis explains: ‘I don’t think an architect should design instantly recognisable projects. Every work needs to start from a blank page.’
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