It is difficult to imagine what a holiday in Mykonos, Paros or Santorini will be like in 2030, but we must weigh and evaluate what is happening today. OUR “TO” opened a file about your future Greek tourismexpecting to contribute to the public debate through their columns for broader reflection on the viability of the current model, as well as on proposed alternatives.

Cyclades in general, but especially the most touristic islands, with a worldwide reputation as places of bliss, in many cases show signs of saturation and depletion of natural resources. The violation of the natural harmony between man and the landscape has already led to uncontrolled construction, the creation of single residential complexes that have nothing to do with what can serve the idea and high value of the Cyclades. Residential development that ignores the fragile ecosystem of the islands puts pressure on natural resources, reserves and landscapes, while altering the intangible heritage of cultural heritage. OUR “K” requested the opinion of three architects: Thomas Doxiadis, Myrtos Kiurtis and Prodromos Nikiforides., opening a dialogue on a complex and capital problem that lends itself to multiple reading. In addition to describing the problem, alternative and realistic counter-proposals are also being sought, which will take into account the future of tourism, as well as the well-being of local communities. Tourism as a monoculture on many islands, already in the 60s and 70s on the most prominent of them, faces the big challenge of the next day.

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Whirlpools darken the sky

Prodromos Nikiforides

As a native of Crete, I have experienced and continue to experience repeated rapes in northern Crete and in Heraklion in particular. My first trip to the Cyclades was in 1978. Paros, Mykonos and luckily right after Amorgos. In elementary school, we went on a trip to Matala. Naxos, Ios, Sikinos, Astypalea, Tinos and Syros much later. I returned to Mykonos to visit Delos. On the way back from Delos, I didn’t recognize my favorite Cycladic landscape. He was lost. The dry and bare rock with Chora and its thick whiteness was no more. Whites spread everywhere, dominated. The rape of the place had already begun, and it was gradually losing its spirit. The pace and speed of new construction irreversibly upset the balance achieved.

The Cyclades have withstood the aggression of tourism development patterns, absorbing the wave of visitors by the scale of the place. And then came investors and promoters of architecture. Investors see differently and will always direct developments in accordance with their interests. Unique beaches, entire hillsides always with a view, and special places are being built to offer even more. At the same time, glossy architecture enthusiasts are looking for new talents that will create the perfect pool, the perfect niche, our dream patio, the pergola of earth and sky, the unrivaled view! They will create the star system of the next day: the market is beneficial for the participants.

Some say that it is an epidemic that spreads through the installation of grandiose programs characterized by gigantism. Some others will tell us about the symbiotic relationship between the body and the environment, while destroying the scale of the Cyclades, the landscape and the place. All this we will admire and envy in glossy publications, in all sorts of publications, in paid listings, in architectural awards that require registration of hundreds of euros and good public relations and support. Santorini from above shines at night, the visual gassing resembles European metropolises, the hot tubs of the Caldera darken the sky, the stars have disappeared. On Io, in protected areas, vandalism of the landscape surpasses all imagination and becomes a nightmare. The product is unique and is treated as such: a heavily exploited product.

Fortunately, local communities are taking the initiative, reacting and trying to preserve the precious elements of island architecture, that is, life, life that is lost, and the unique atmosphere of another everyday life. It’s time to explore, to discuss all of the above, to reflect as architects on the huge responsibility we have, to reject the marketing and promoters of architecture, to see clearly in the storm, to find the layers again, to go slowly. and quiet, so that the sky is lit again, even in deep darkness.

New architecture and the future

Thomas Doxiadis

The Cycladic landscapes, aesthetic, cultural and ecological treasures, are the result of the interaction between nature and man over thousands of years. It is them, both as an intrinsic value and as resources, that we must preserve and reasonably dispose of, sustainably developing tourism activities, without destroying the background on which it largely depends.

The landscape of the Cyclades is not an inexhaustible resource, but rather an exhaustible one. When developing a sustainable plan for the future of the islands, their landscape should be considered as a dynamic canvas that we are called to manage. There are three scales of this control. Spatial planning, i.e. the whole island or a large part of it, the landscape, i.e. what catches the eye from afar, and architecture, i.e. what each building. Of these three, there is still a strong lack of local scale, both institutionally and practically.

To the extent that the development of new activities is a social choice, the goal should be a symbiotic transition that brings the new without destroying the already existing value. The instrument of this transition is the bearing capacity in an ecological, socio-economic and aesthetic context. In recent years, it has become a key issue in the sustainable development debate, both within the scientific community and between the administration and the Council of Europe. On a spatial scale, it is necessary in principle to determine the capacity and formulate an overall strategy for each location. After all, it’s not in our best interest to have 50 locations trying to sell the same product to the same people, but in destinations that each have their own attractive and successful character based on their specific characteristics. directed .

At the scale of landscapes that combine environment, economy and aesthetics, they have long been under pressure from the ecosystem of the new economy and tourism, and the pressures from the new economy of energy and climate change are already beginning to rush. It is extremely important to study the vulnerability of landscapes, which will lead to the prioritization of measures and the creation of a legal framework and best practices for the development of new activities.

At the scale of architecture, the assessment of activities shaped by the sharply increased needs of the tourism market in recent years and the study of the spatial dimension of tourism development can lead to the definition of typologies with the goal of the smallest possible footprint. This issue is multifaceted, so interdisciplinary collaboration and collegiality are essential for economic, environmental and social sustainability.

What does the client want and what does God have?

Myrtos Kurtis

Who would have thought that in 1960 a group of architects could come up with a brilliant story that would convince wealthy Europeans to leave their luxurious mansions, living rooms, servants and expensive cars to spend their holidays on something modest remote island. , with houses without bathrooms, creaking doors, creaking floors, eating strange food from grandmothers in headscarves and drinking exotic drinks in the company of ruddy old men?

However, the Greek architects of the generation of the 60s reminded the Europeans that in Western civilization, the symbol of the highest pleasure is not a palace or a mansion, but paradise, i.e. a garden, a garden of Eden, where people live happily and freely, completely naked. , playing like children, banishing all the burden of civilization, even the minimal: clothing. The storytelling was so compelling that within a few years, Mykonos and Santorini went from poor islands to two of the most expensive and desirable places on the planet.

Today, having received such a treasure as an inheritance, we are afraid to dispose of it, being trapped in a false dilemma: “Should we do what the client wants and what God has, or do nothing so as not to spoil what we have?” I believe that we must overcome the apparent impasse and courageously and wisely develop what these generations have bequeathed to us. However, to do this, we must again realize that tourism is a cultural product. It’s not just about airports, buildings and swimming pools, it’s also about experience: relaxation. Holidays, however, as they say, mean “interruption” of everyday life, habits, travel to the “other” world that surprises you, changes your perspective, that is, blows you away. Thus, you come back refreshed, as we say, having seen the world with different eyes.

This is what the Cyclades offered and they fascinated because the VIPs already had mansions. They came here for other things. Now why are they coming? Of course they won’t tell us. Our job is to rethink the history of the holiday to ensure the prosperity of our country today and tomorrow. But this narrative, which will help us orient our strategy as a “shipper’s guide”, cannot be created by legislators, civil engineers, managers and contractors. This is the work of architects, who, unfortunately, after the 1960s, Greek society is constantly underestimated in the role of extras or even decorators, to the point that they themselves believed in it and act accordingly.

So if we are to unravel the riddle of the Cyclades, we need to reinvent the charming narratives of what it means to enjoy a vacation and trust those whose job it is to do so.