Information Centre for Lake Pamvotis, Nissi, Ioannina

The Information Centre for Lake Pamvotis opened last May in the Nissi village on the sole island of the lake, near Ioannina in Greece. It is housed in a traditional old building that was renovated for the purpose. The Centre is providing visitors with information about the lake and the surrounding area. Its design, the museological and museographic planning is by Tetragon Ltd. (the company I work for). Official contractors for this project are Tetragon Ltd, OIKOM Environmental Studies and OIKOS Nature Management, with the invaluable cooperation of the Management Authority of Lake Pamvotis.

When going through the main entrance, one can see the reception area while on the right is the room dedicated to traditional fishing. The permanent exhibition about the lake is located on the first floor. Going up the stairs and exactly opposite them is a segment that has extensive information about lake Pamvotis - the environment, the area in which it lies, its long geological history. On the left you can see a large model of the lake that attracts the attention of visitors. Near it, and following from the previous section, the visitor can discover, through text and a smaller model, information about how the system of the lake operates: the origin of the water, how it was created and the movement of water into the lake.

 

On the far left wall are three bright diagrams showing the shape of the lake in its long life. The large and impressive model of the lake reflects its current form. Pressing the buttons light up lights for points of interest. Right next to the window is a table shaped like a water-lilly leave with a pair of headphones. Wearing them, the visitor can hear various myths and old stories about the lake and the surrounding area (the voice doing the English narrative is by yours truly). And right after this is the section dedicated to the lake ecosystems. Here the influence of water on vegetation in the area is examined. The section continues to the other side of the stairs, where plexiglass lecterns emerge from brightly lit blue floor. Each of these provides information about the main lake plants, reeds and water lilies, but also how they form peatlands. Above the desks and at eye level is a large screen, which displays a slideshow about Pamvotis. It is extremely interesting and does not last long (I made this!). 

 

To the left of the screen and into the blue lit floor that resembles the water of the lake, visitors can see the types of fish that live in it. Carp, Eels, butterfly fish, cut in natural size, are "swimming" in the blue-green "water," while on the back plate you can read more about them. On the floor, you can see the grypos fishing tool and hung from the ceiling is another one named pezovolos: two traditional ways of fishing here. At the back of the room, one can observe different species of birds and animals that live in the lake and around it. The impressive composition suspended from the roof, makes it easy to identify the characteristics of the local fauna species: crayfish, ducks, egrets, frogs etc.

 

At the end of the hall there is a large section informing the visitor about the human impact on the lake and the ecosystem. Also you can see how locals live from the Ioannina lake - fishermen, craftsmen, merchants and all people are affected directly or indirectly from it, while in turn they affect it too. Towards the end of the exhibition, the visitor can read the corresponding panels about how the lake has been a refuge since prehistoric times for humans and animals, something that continues to the present day. The lake was also a natural crossroads for shepherds, armies, merchants.

 

In the last section you read that the future of the lake is in our hands and how its management affects the surrounding area. Just before the staircase is a beautiful structure with a screen where you can see suggested routes for small excursions, to get a more complete picture of the lake and its surrounding area. If you happen to visit Ioannina, do not miss it!

Information Centre for Lake Pamvotis in Greece panorama by Kostas Vassis

Photos by Dinos Michail, courtesy of Tetragon Ltd except the last one by Alexios Pissaridis.

Thessaloniki Metro stand at 76th International Fair, by Tetragon Ltd.

This is the third time Tetragon design the stand of Thessaloniki Metro. Winning the tender of the particular competition is not easy, as all major competitor companies from Greece vie for it. The reason is not only the relatively high budget of the project, but mainly the chance to deliver a modern, sophisticated design with elements usually not found in other exhibits featured in Thessaloniki International Fair.

This time the concept was more ambitious then before: first of all there is a clear separation of the stand space, by colour blocking, into two distinct areas: the reception and media area, in anthracite grey and the display area, all in white. All these are framed by a hanging L-shaped ceiling element, with recessed lighting. The result is surprisingly minimal but imposing.

The map of the main Metro line, as well as the future expansions, is always the main display of the stand. This year it was put on a reclining table, emerging from the floor as if being peeled away, revealing the ground below it, a direct reference to the excavations of the Metro taking place throughout the city. Lava pellets were used instead of soil, giving a brilliant earthen colour. Through it, three 17" screens emerge, projecting slide-shows of ancient artefacts discovered in the excavations. The map itself is printed on backlit canvas. On its left a literature holder contains the company's brochure.

The main attraction of the stand is the display behind the map. A geometric simulation of the two distinct tunnels of the main line (one for each direction) becomes a double back projection of a film made in the real tunnels (footage was shot by me, the editing done by Icon 4D), giving a chance to the public to catch a glimpse of what is going on under their feet. One can see the TBM at work as well, an imposing spectacle indeed (and one of the best experiences this work has ever given me). The "tunnels" are set on a wall featuring inclined white beams, with a printed soil section photo set between them, giving a sense of them being actually underground.

To complete the media onslaught, a set of 2X2 seamless LED screens feature a small video showing footage with various works in three different stations of the main line, Railway Station, University Station and Euclides Station. I was lucky enough to visit all three and film footage for the video there. In this area, the reception is located, right across the stand from the screens, with a display featuring the lava pellets and the miniature safety helmets of the Metro workers, given as a memento at the stand.

The graphics are simple: there is a huge print of the city's grid plan in black and white that starts from the front of the stand and goes on covering part of the back walls. On this plan, another map, a simple geometric layout of the main line and expansions is featured, as well as a sign with the parent company's (Attiko Metro) name on it. A similar background is used for the back side canvas cover, made at the last minute, when we found out that it would remain empty as no other stand would be erected behind it. Three backlit columns frame the right side of the stand, featuring photos at various work-sites of the Thessaloniki Metro. I designed these, making a jagged line to separate the photos, alluding to the letter "M" of the Metro but also giving a hint of a pulse sign, alluding to the activity of the sites. 

The stand was designed by architect Ilias Papadopoulos, one of the three Tetragon Ltd. partners. The stand was constructed by Tetragon Ltd. Film footage for the stand media, slideshow production and graphics by Stratos Bacalis for Tetragon Ltd. Video editing and production by Icon 4D. Audiovisual equipment by M-Spirit. Graphics printed and placed by Whale Graphics. Stand photos courtesy of Stratos Bacalis.

Historical Museum of Alexandroupolis

Alexandroupolis is one of the newest cities of Greece. Created in late 19th century from the settlements of French and Turks employees of their respective railroad companies. It was first known as Dedeagatch based on a local tradition of a wise dervish having spent much of his time in the shade of a local tree and being eventually buried beside it.

The city went through a varied and tumultuous history, renamed Alexandroupolis in honour of King Alexander I of Greece in 1920 (not Alexander the Great of course). A port and the last Greek city before the Turkish borders, situated near the Evros river delta, it is a city filled with life. Tetragon has special ties to it, having already had lots of projects done there (the Natural History Museum in the delta, the Lighthouse square) and was picked to design and construct the city's history museum, established through a local association of history buffs and collectors. 

The Historical Museum of Alexandroupolis' permanent exhibit takes up a whole floor of the building in which the museum is housed. It guides the visitor through the area's and city's history, from ancient times till now. With the help of interactive displays, audiovisual equipment and the incredible archive it houses, it helps one learn many things about the city and its history, particularly learn about its people.

The museum is situated on the city's main street, right across the city hall. I am proud to have taken part into making its main exhibit a reality. (Photos courtesy of Stratos Bacalis)

Tetragon brochure in Russian

My first real brochure design for Tetragon is one in Russian, made to be distributed in an exhibition in Moscow. It is a fourfold and was printed in 200 gr velvet paper. 

Dictatorship 1967-1974: the print resistance

The exhibition of documents titled "Dictatorship 1967-1974: the print resistance", organized by the Cultural Foundation of Journalists' Union of Macedonia and Thrace Daily Newspapers  is being transferred to Athens. In collaboration with the National Bank of Greece Cultural Foundation (ΜΙΕΤ) the more than 120 publications printed during the Junta period and circulated in illegal or nearly so circumstances, within Greece and abroad, along with the complete visual environment that was installed last year in  the Cultural Foundation of Journalists' Union of Macedonia and Thrace Daily Newspapers, will be hosted from the 16th of December 2010 until the 30th of January 2011 at  the National Bank of Greece Cultural Foundation - Eynard Mansion, in Athens (20 Agiou Konstantinou St.).

It is the first time such a big number of printed documents of anti-dictatorship action has been gathered in an effort to systematically document this material and representatively reflect its big dispersion geographically and the wide political spectrum they represent. 

 A volume of the same name as the exhibition will be published at the same time with it's opening. In it,  the Cultural Foundation of Journalists' Union of Macedonia and Thrace Daily Newspapers has gathered all the informational and visual material of the exhibition along with the minutes of the workshop organized last February with the same theme. 

The full list of the exhibition contributors and the archives from which the exhibits come from is as follows: 

Co-organized by

National Bank of Greece Cultural Foundation (MIET)

Cultural Foundation of Journalists' Union of Macedonia and Thrace Daily Newspapers (ESIEMTH)

Organizing Committee ,

Christos Zaphiris, Ilias Koutsoukos, 

Dimitra Kehagia, Giannis Kotsifos, 

Scientific Editor - Texts

Vaggelis Karamanolakis (Historian, University of Athens)

Graphic Design 

Thanassis Georgiou

Overseer - Co-ordinator 

Christos Zaphiris

Museological and Museographical Design and Construction 

TETRAGON Ltd.:  Eleni Vretzaki

The documents and objects exhibited are from the archives and collections of the following organizations and persons:  

Archives of Contemporary Social History 

Company of Rescuing Historical Archives 1940-1974 Central And Western Macedonia 

Greek Literary Historical Archive 

Greek Parliament's Library 

Association of Imprisoned and Exiled Resistance Members 1967-1974

Company for Studyind the History of Left Youth 

Christos Zaphiris

Manolis Kandylakis

Vasileios Nikolitsios

Kostas Pyrzas

Photographed by Dinos Michail in 2009 at the first  exhibition in Thessaloniki.

Thessaloniki International Book Fair is opening tomorrow!

A grand celebration... an established meeting place... a unique experience... every May… in Thessaloniki... the 6th Thessaloniki International Book Fair.

The 6th Thessaloniki International Book Fair is awaiting the arrival of thousands of visitors with much and great anticipation. The wealth of books published in Greece… the presence of Greek and foreign writers and professionals… hundreds of events for children and adults… tantamount to a very special event, to be held at HELEXPO’s facilities, which cover an area of 10,000 sq. m. There will be more than 500 publishers from 40 different countries (China and India will be represented at the Fair for the very first time), 70 of the biggest names in writing, and of course, thousands of books for every preference…

Thessaloniki Book Fair (TBF) takes place from the 28th until the 31st of May at HELEXPO Exhibition Centre (Halls 13 and 15). It offers visitors an opportunity to get acquainted with the latest releases of publishers from all over the world.

* Take your time to roam around the publishers’ stands.

* Choose from a varied programme of cultural events.

* Join in discussions with writers from Greece and abroad, and ask them to sign their books for you.

This year’s Fair will have:

1. A thematic exhibition, entitled “Books and History”, featuring books on all the different periods of Greek history (11 units), visual material, rare publications and manuscripts, documentaries, presentations and various events organized by cultural bodies and organizations;

Poster from the Balkan War era.

2. Germany, the guest of honour, with its impressive pavilion and some of the country’s most important cultural figures;

3. A Children’s Corner, for the younger visitors, offering a series of events featuring their beloved writers and illustrators;

4. A Magazine Stand, featuring literary and commentary journals;

5. A Literary Cafe (Hall 13), a meeting point and a place of relaxation for both visitors and professionals, where they can enjoy a free cup of coffee (kindly sponsored by Domingo).

6. A Foreign Language Bookstore

Also, the Hellenic Ministry of Culture has dedicated the year 2009 to the poet Giannis Ritsos (“Giannis Ritsos 2009 – 100 years since his birth”). EKEBI has therefore planned a special ode to Giannis Ritsos, featuring the mobile exhibition on the poet’s life and work, spotlighting both the originals and translations of his work. On Saturday 30 May (20:00), a concert will be held in the main square of the Fair, with a great festive atmosphere and songs by Mikis Theodorakis, Thanos Mikroutsikos, Christos Leontis and Panagiotis Bousalis.

The Fair is organized by the National Book Centre of Greece (ΕΚΕΒΙ), in co-operation with the Greek Ministry of Culture, HELEXPO and the Pan-Hellenic Federation of Publishers and Booksellers (PΟΕΒ). The Fair is a project co-financed by the European Union (ERDF) and the Hellenic Ministry of Culture (EU Culture Program).

The opening ceremony of the Book Fair 2009 will take place on Thursday, 28 May 2009, at 7:00 p.m. (see invitation above)

Admission is free.

Check the program here! (Greek only I'm afraid). EKEBI has a blog too, so check that out as well!

As every year since it began, the company I work for, Tetragon, has designed and built all the stand that are related to EKEBI: their own, the thematic exhibition stand (Books and History), the Children's Corner and the Literary Cafe. Photographs and more on the next days! See you there!

Exhibition about the Press in German occupied Greece

On November 15th, at the exhibitional space of the Educational Institute of the Union of Daily Newspapers of Macedonia-Thrace Editors (1 Morgenthau Str., Thessaloniki), the exhibition of documents titled "National Resistance 1941-1944, Illegal Press in Northern Greece" was inaugurated.

During the extraordinary conditions of the triple occupation (German, Italian and Bulgarian), the resistance newspapers were set up under absolute secrecy and plotting. Underground spaces were turned into secret printing shops and within the most impossible circumstances, reporters and typographers worked endangering their lives. With spare materials and improvised machinery, they produced varied resistance material like leaflets, brochures and declarations.

The distributors were important too, thinking of every possible method to avoid discovery. The information for the news content of the publications were derived from voice radio and foreign radio broadcasts and the articles aimed at improving the people's morale and reporting the criminal activity of the occupation forces. Two of the most important newspapers of the era in Macedonia were "Eleftheria" (Freedom) and "Laiki Foni" (Popular Voice), and many were the personalities that contributed to the resistance press.

The visitor of this exhibition is transported not only in the era but also the conditions into which the people of illegal printing shops worked. An underground atmosphere, small and under-lit spaces, separated with improvised structures, and in a corner, under the lamp light, an illegal printing press continuous its work in silence.

On the ground, a table set up with printing tools, the worn out shoes and a newspaper hidden in the jacket of a distributor. The colours red, black and brown, rough and worn materials, raw pictures and words. On the opposite side of the resistance press stands the other side: the Nazi-friendly press. And all this taking place under the shadow of the conqueror...

The show will stay open for two months. And you know what? It is free!!! So do not miss it! I had a small part in all of this: One of the displays is about Manolis Anagnostakis, the famous Greek poet, as he played a part in the resistance and particularly the press. So I had to watch an interview he gave to Greek National Television many years ago, find the parts of it relevant to the exhibition and supervise the final video, which is looped on the only screen on display:

Contributors:
Organizing committee: Christos Zafiris, Elias Koutsoukos, Dimitris Dozis, Yiannis Kotsifos
Design and execution: Tetragon Ltd. - Supervisor: Eleni Vretzaki
Graphic Design: Thanassis Georgiou
Texts: Christos Zafiris


The text above was originally written by architect Zoi Evangelopoulou and translated by me.

All photos by the wonderful Dinos Mihail.

Tetragon stands at T.I.F. reap awards!

Another Thessaloniki International Fair is behind us (thank God!) and I must say this one was the most subdued and quiet of the ten I have been through as a designer of stands. This year was a big one for the company I work for, Tetragon Ltd., as we had many and prestigious stands designed and constructed. Our efforts were rewarded with the awards and accolades received from the organizer, HELEXPO. But the real award for me is the reactions of our clients and visitors, and they were most excited to see the finished results. Let us see then what we did this year.

And first of all the Attikon Metro (Athens Underground) stand. Of course it was centred around the Thessaloniki Underground line that has just started construction (wonder when it will finish). It was the first time we did their stand. They always have one of the best stands in the fair, so we were up to a challenge. My colleague Ioanna Papadopoulou did an excellent job and I think it was the best stand we had in the fair. Sleek, minimal lines, delineating speed and class. Few colours (mainly white and grey) with the addition of blue, which was originally lime green but changed after a firm "request" came from the Ministry for the Environment, Physical Planning & Public Works. The mirror at the far wall of the stand (where you can see me taking the picture!) combined with the glass wall with the plasma screens enclosed produced a stunning effect.It got an award for best design for indoor stands.

The stand for the Organization for Labour Care was designed by me. I also designed all the graphics that were in it apart from the wave background at the far wall of the stand (the one behind the plexiglass columns and the old ladies). They wanted a seaside feel (graphics - plexiglass mock sails - colours) combined with elements of a playground (colourful "children' furniture) and culture (the plexiglass columns). I think I managed to combine all of them without making it look clumsy and overstuffed. The ceiling has white fabric with back light, to create a nice atmosphere at the TV area, without glare, making it easier to watch the projections. The glass floor you can see was filled with sand, pebbles and sea-shells.

The Institution for Social Security stand was again designed by me (I had done their stand last year too). It was a happy collaboration, with both us and the client very happy throughout. Graphics were designed by my colleague Natasha Masadi. The original colour of the blue wall was lime green (and the floor orange) but the powers that be decided on using blue. The slanted element at the facade is covered with aluminium panels.

The National Telecommunications Organisation stand was a big attraction. Designed by Ilias Papadopoulos, a senior partner in Tetragon, it had an indoors as well as an outdoors stand. The main element was "trees" made of metal and gypsum board, each one designating an area of particular interest i.e. home telecommunications, business solutions, environmental solutions etc. With numerous PC terminals and loads of plasma screens flashing messages to visitors, the stand was teeming with people from day one (you see it empty here as the photos were taken before the opening). It got an award for best design for an outdoor stand.

The Ministry of Education & Religions was designed by my colleague Ioanna Papadopoulou and me (it was a combination of separate designs each one of us made for it) with graphics designed by a collaborator of the Ministry. We tried to take advantage of the positioning of the stand and used the overhang above it to maximum effect (for signage). The 2D globe you see at the last photograph is the new logo of the ministry - the plexiglass disc had a diameter of almost two meters! The orange floor worked well with the white - its reflection on the ceiling made an unexpected effect. It won an accolade.

The Organisation for School Buildings stand was designed by Xenophon Destefanos but built by Tetragon Ltd. They always make conceptual stands and this year was no exception. The main concept of the stand was recycling - the stand looked like a giant used juice carton, with drinking straw, juice and cap complete. Metal statues of children (two kids playing, a biker and a rapper) completed the look, while Pegasus seemed to emerge from the black granite floor. This stand also got an award for design for indoor stand.

The Greek Petroleum-EKO stand is a permanent building within the Fair grounds. This year we got to renovate it from scratch. The result, designed by Ilias Papadopoulos, was a more streamlined and dynamic stand space, equally shared by the two companies. With the right use of graphics it will be able to change look for each future fair. This stand also got an accolade from the organizer.

Greek Sugar Industry stand was designed by another Tetragon senior partner, Eleni Vretzaki. The colours reflect the ones from the sugar packages familiar to all Greeks while the general look of the stand is minimal and organic, fitting to the client. One of the main decorative elements was an oversize reproduction of a sugar beet plant in plexiglass, with real ones placed on the grass around it! This stand got also an accolade from the organizer.