March 5-8, 2020

Speaker: Alexandros Samaras
President & Managing Director, Alexandros C. Samaras & Associates SA

The world is experiencing change at a speed and intensity that is unprecedented. Countries, institutions and policy makers across the globe find themselves constantly challenged by the consequences of these changes. Comprehending and responding to this ongoing and dynamic process requires careful pacing of reforms and policy consistency.

Delphi Economic Forum is a member driven organization, committed to deliver and promote innovative ideas for sustainable and competitive growth for Greece and the wider region.

Our mission is to monitor and improve the performance of the organization and ensure that it brings value to its members through its annual meetings, policy papers and knowledge platforms. The Foundation Board decides on strategy issues, is responsible for the dissemination of the results, appointing new members and managing its activities and budgets.

Η Αρχιτεκτονική ως Γέφυρα των Παραδόσεων, αναδεικνύεται μέσα από το έργο του αρχιτέκτονα Αλέξανδρου Κ. Σαμαρά στο νέο βιβλίο «Bridging Traditions", που κυκλοφορεί τον Νοέμβριο από τις εκδόσεις Architectural Editions.

Το βιβλίο "Bridging Traditions", έκδοση των Architectural Editions, θα παρουσιασθεί την Πέμπτη, 7 Νοεμβρίου 2019, στις 6.30 μμ, στη Γεννάδειο Βιβλιοθήκη.

Προλογίζεται από τον Καθηγητή και πρώην Κοσμήτορα της Μεταπτυχιακής Σχολής Σχεδιασμού του Πανεπιστημίου Χάρβαρντ Peter G. Rowe και τον Καθηγητή και Πρόεδρο της Αρχιτεκτονικής Σχολής του Πανεπιστημίου Πατρών Γεώργιο Α. Πανέτσο.
Τα έσοδα από την πώλησή του θα διατεθούν στο Πρόγραμμα Υποτροφιών του Ελληνικού Ιδρύματος Χάρβαρντ.

Μέσα από μια αυτοβιογραφική διάθεση, ο αρχιτέκτων Αλέξανδρος Σαμαράς αισθάνθηκε την ανάγκη να ανακεφαλαιώσει τη μακρά αρχιτεκτονική διαδρομή του και να θέσει το σημείο για ένα νέο εφαλτήριο. «Το όφειλα στον εαυτό μου, στην οικογένειά μου, σε φίλους και συνεργάτες», λέει ο ίδιος μέσα στην απόλυτη συμμετρία και αρμονία του γραφείου του στην οδό Μουρούζη, σε ένα αρχοντικό κτίριο του 1936, με πόρτες, σκάλες και είσοδο σχεδιασμένα όλα από τον γλύπτη Κωνσταντίνο Δημητριάδη.

Το βιβλίο γράφτηκε στα αγγλικά με τίτλο «Bridging Traditions» (Γεφυρώνοντας Παραδόσεις) και κυκλοφορεί από τις εκδόσεις Architectural Editions, συνοψίζοντας μια φιλοσοφία ζωής. Ο Αλέξανδρος Σαμαράς, με μια πορεία 43 ετών, με μεγάλο δομημένο έργο σε μια ευρεία τυπολογία, φέρει το ίχνος της ελληνικής, της ευρωπαϊκής και της αμερικανικής παράδοσης με έναν τρόπο φυσικό, ήρεμο και αρμονικό. «Η σχέση ανάμεσα στον τόπο, στις ανάγκες και στη χρήση είναι για μένα ένα παντοτινό ζητούμενο. Ένα κτίριο πρέπει να ταιριάζει κάθε φορά σε αυτή τη συνθήκη. Και ο συνδυασμός αυτών των παραμέτρων είναι ένα βασικό στοιχείο της δουλειάς μου», λέει.

ΝΙΚΟΣ ΒΑΤΟΠΟΥΛΟΣ

"30 years KTIRIO - 30 years of architectural development and construction" in the Athens Concert Hall on 26/09/16.

A new distinction for Alexandros C. Samaras & Associates:

Our architectural creation, Hellenic-American Educational Foundation's "John M. Karras" Kindergarten in Psychico, received the top award in an on-line Contest for the Most Popular (Widely Appreciated) Building.

The Contest was organized by well-known Building Design and Technology Magazine "KTIRIO" commemorating its 30th anniversary. More than 6,600 individuals participated, casting their e-votes from April through September 2016.

Hellenic-American Educational Foundation's Kindergarten was the winner in one of the five sectoral Contest Categories (Public Administration / Health / Education / Culture), scoring 1,598 votes vs runner up New Acropolis Museum's 1,069 votes. Our Kindergarten's score was also the highest among all 50 finalist buildings in the Contest's five Sectorial Categories.

Hellenic-American Educational Foundation's Kindergarten is the recipient of a major sustainable architecture distinction. In 2014 it was certified with the internationally acclaimed Platinum LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design). It is the first building in Greece and the first Kindergarten building in the world (outside the United States) to have received this recognition of excellence granted by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Join ULI Greece for the presentation of ULI and PwC's annual report Emerging Trends in Real Estate® Europe 2016.

Emerging Trends in Real Estate® Europe is a report jointly published by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and PwC every year since 2003.

This report presents the outlook of the property market in Europe and particularly the trends in real estate promotion and investment, the real estate finance markets and trends by sector and geographical area. This report is based on analysis of more than 500 industry experts, including investors, developers, bankers, brokers and consultants.

Presentation of the "Ioannis M. Karras" Kindergarten -Platinum LEED – by Alexandros C. Samaras, CEO – Alexandros C. Samaras & Associates S.A. & Chairman, Hellenic American Educational Foundation

The WorldGBC Europe Regional Leadership Awards promote leadership and inspire best practice in green building policy, construction projects and corporate initiatives. Winners demonstrate why green business is good for our planet, our people and our industry.

Awards are granted in three categories:

Leadership in Building Design and Performance
Recognising sustainable building projects.

Business Leadership in Sustainability
Celebrating companies with sustainable core business models.

Public Sector Leadership in Green Building
Public sector led sustainability policy or initiatives.

The nominees are in, and winners will be announced soon! 

Join ULI Greece for a presentation and educational tour of the "John M. Karras" Model Kindergarten of the Athens College.

Speakers:

Mr. Alexandros K. Samaras, President of the Board of Directors of the Hellenic-American Educational Foundation & President, Alexandros C. Samaras & Associates Architects

Dr. Spiros Pollalis, President of the Athens College & Professor of Design, Technology and Management at Harvard Graduate School of Design

April 16, 2015 
Please join us on Wednesday, April 22, 2015 at 8:00 p.m., in Nafplion for the following lecture:

"Fantasy and realism for creation"
Lecturer: Alexandros K. Samaras, Architect, Founding member, Honorary President of the Harvard Club of Greece, Founding and lifelong member, General Secretary of the Hellenic Harvard Foundation

Respondent: Alkistis Rodi, Assistant Professor, Department of Architecture, School of Engineering, University of Patras

The lecture will be delivered (in Greek) in the "Nikos Mazarakis Family Lecture Hall" at Harvard University's Center for Hellenic Studies, Nafplion. The event is organized in collaboration with the Harvard Club of Greece. The Events Series 2015 is organized in cooperation with the Municipalities of Nafplion, Argos – Mycenae, Ermionida and Epidaurus.

The Hellenic-American Educational Foundation's Kindergarten "John M. Karras" was certified with the Platinum LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design). It is the first Platinum LEED awarded to an architectural project in Greece. It is also the first Kindergarten building in the world outside the United States to have received this top distinction granted by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Accordingly this project has become a showcase in sustainable design and construction.

by MARY GOSTELOW on December 3, 2014

What on earth is David Bowie, or at least UK former-sculptor Joe Black's portrait of him, formed of thousands of test tubes, set side by side and filled with different inks, doing in Athens' 1936-vintage luxury hotel that was named for King George II of The Hellenes? Well, when the owners of the neighbouring Grande Bretagne (GB) took over management of the King George, they put in some of their own art collection, including this. In the main, says the gal, the King George's new look, done by Alexandros Samaras, is exquisitely classical.

Alexandros Samaras replaced an unexciting lobby bar by simply opening it up, making a large lobby with a glorious multi-greys marble floor patterned to look like the finest of silk rugs. Alexandros Samaras, who happens to be the brother of Greece's Prime Minister, Antonis Samaras, is a philosopher. Design should be diachronic, timeless, and the result, he says, must be inevitable. He remembered this hotel from his childhood, and he wants to make it once again a setting for people with aesthetic taste. Apart from David Bowie, you could almost say it is understated, with lots of nuances (see how the ceiling mirror reflects the beautiful marbled floor).

by MARY GOSTELOW on November 25, 2014

A weekly series featuring luxury hotel expert Mary Gostelow's hotel pick of the week.

Athens, Greece has a tourism industry that is picking up business and with more passion than ever. Experts predict 2014 figures will equal those of 2007 (pre financial crisis), and 2015 looks even better. With the reawakening of the city, I suggest booking your travel now, and I suggest booking one of these symbiotic Luxury Collection properties.

(photo: Sister hotels glowing in the Mediterranean night: Hotel King George and Hotel Grand Bretagne.)

Tourism Landscapes: Remaking Greece
14th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia

Greek participation with ANEMI Hotel | 07.06 - 23.11.2014

Greece will participate for the 10th time in the International Architecture Exhibition - La Biennale di Venezia. The Greek participation in the 14th International Architecture Exhibition - La Biennale di Venezia, is directed and curated by the National Commissioner architect and professor Yannis Aesopos, under the title "Tourism Landscapes: Remaking Greece". It explores the role of tourism as a vehicle of modernization of Greece through the emergence of constructed tourism landscapes: hotels and resorts, organized beaches, archaeological sites and museums, public space designs and infrastructure facilities. Moreover, it focuses on the concurrent (re)shaping of Greek national identity that is enhanced through the contact of the "other", the foreign, new and global element, which the activity of tourism presupposes.

Athens, Greece – June 4th, 2013 – On Wednesday 5th of June 2013, following an intensive 3-month renovation, the King George hotel reopens its doors. The cost of the renovation exceeded the amount of 2.5 million euro and will be completed in the winter, as was decided by 'Lamspa Hellenic Hotels S.A.', a publicly listed company, upon the signing for the rental of the property.

The renovation of King George was curated by architect Alexandros C. Samaras and his colleagues. Referring to the work, Mr. Samaras notes that "the renovation and refurbishment of King George was done with great sensitivity and respect to tradition. Our architectural interventions aimed at reviving the glamour of the hotel, while emphasizing its contemporary 'personality'. Our goal is to reinstate the King George hotel as a central landmark of Athens. "

The U.S. Embassy celebrated the legacy of Chancery Building designed by Walter Gropius, one of the leading architects of the 20th century, at a small ceremony featuring a presentation by renowned Greek architect Alexandros Samaras.

The presentation highlighted the modern, functional and democratic design of the building, inspired by the ancient Greek temples. As Ambassador Smith noted in his welcome remarks "We celebrate the historic value of the Chancery of the U.S. Embassy in Athens as a tribute to the democratic ideals Greece and the United States both share."

More reliable ferry connections, featuring a twice-daily run of the high-speed hydrofoil from the mainland port of Piraeus, are transforming Folegandros into a destination for travelers seeking an unspoiled outpost.