THIS SHOW IS ABOUT DIVERCITY: EXHIBITION REVIEW BY STAVROS MARTINOS

It is by now safe to say that the exhibition This Show is About Divercity, ongoing at the Benaki Museum in Athens since May 29^th, merits being called the architecture event of the year; and this, because its design will be remembered as a game-changer, at least in this city. It is one of the few times we have seen an architecture exhibition with a clear curatorial argument, which is as playful, interactive, multi-layered and innovative as Divercity`s own work. Most importantly, all this is articulated in space.

As its title suggests, the exhibition unfolds the 10-year long creative journey of Divercity Architects, through an exceptionally wide-ranging and prolific portfolio including hotels, housing complexes, private residences, commercial and public spaces. Constantly on the move, based in Athens (2004) and London (2008, RIBA Chartered Practice), Divercity keep developing their own point of view upon issues of place and memory, conditioned by their particular situation in-between their country of origin and an undisputed global center: If one were to use only one word to describe the character of Divercity as well as the motivation for their work, that would certainly be, travel. However, besides merely setting up a typical exhibition of buildings through pictures, drawings and models, Divercity stage a spatial narrative, inviting the audience to explore the dynamics of their particular condition in-between places, together with the landscapes, the processes and contradictions that make up for the practice`s visionary and pragmatic architectural identity. The exhibition itself is a space to be experienced, designed by the architects. Thus, the exhibition becomes a medium on its own. At an age when images of architecture are distributed faster and wider than ever and may be accessible online at the click of a button, rethinking the exhibition was indeed a necessity. Visiting an architecture exhibition, as opposed to getting raw information on a website, should have the same effect as going to a live concert, as opposed to downloading music at home. This is exactly what happens in this case.

Entering the exhibition hall at the Benaki Museum, one encounters a space of moveable panels placed on pivots, looking like books or fold-out postcards. Initially, they are folded in upon themselves; the exterior side displays images of buildings, of the manicured, centrally-distributed kind one may find on a website like ours. This is what usually catches the public`s eye and most architects tend to limit their communication at that threshold. However, Divercity literally open up to those visitors curious enough to see what lies hidden inside, daring to interact with the exhibits: Pushing the fold-outs open, one gets an entirely different perspective of each building, made of drafts, revisions, as well as fragments of inspiration. One panel always includes a mirror surface, strategically positioned to reflect a seemingly irrelevant picture hanging from the surrounding walls: A landscape, an informal building type, a snapshot. Standing in front of an open fold-out, one experiences the pleasant shock of space opening up in all directions, literally reflecting the piecemeal, fragmented and often chaotic components of any genuinely creative work. Besides merely showcasing the well-detailed, well-delivered and well-photographed buildings they are so famous for, Divercity are among the few to dare to be frank about this latter aspect of their work and communicate it through the one means they know best: Architecture, as endless possibilities for space.

The message is clear: Those crisp, beautifully designed buildings are but the tip of an iceberg, underneath which lies the intricate, anarchic, often chaotic and opaque design process – which is equally telling about Divercity. Beyond anything else, this an indication of a truly mature architecture practice where people know how to remain insatiably curious. Furthermore, it provides good reason to walk through the exhibition again and again, each time discovering different correlations and different trajectories: It`s all about Divercity, and it`s all about being on the move.

Divercity, as well as the exhibition audience, keep finding themselves in a perpetual state of travel, even when they are standing on solid ground. This condition is awkwardly two-fold: Besides spanning the distance between physical spaces, travel also takes place inside an imagined landscape, created by fragments of one`s own memories and perceptions juxtaposed with those of occasional strangers. This layer predates the experience of actual space and mediates the relationship between human individuals and the real. The exhibition invites the visitors to discover how this ongoing transition between imagined and experienced places informs our perception of architecture`s integration inside its environment:The actual event is mirrored in its remembrance, the local in the global, the past in the future.

The exhibition is curated by Divercity and London-based editor, architect and writer Ellie Stathaki. The narrative is structured upon key samples of Divercity`s international portfolio of works, including residential, hospitality, cultural, commercial and landscape architecture projects. The display features for the first time the One Athens residential complex, which involves the very demanding conversion of a landmark building by the world renowed Greek architect and planner, Constantine Doxiadis. Furthermore, the series of award-winning hotels, including – but not limited to – Grace Santorini (in collaboration with MplusM Architects) and Kinsterna Hotel & Spa, underlines Divercity`s fascination with travel and discovery. Finally, a series of public buildings and spaces, such as the redesign of the Onassis Cultural Center lobby and the Faliron Bay redevelopment, reveal how Divercity understand architecture as a catalyst and an agent for urban change. In the latter project, Divercity Divercity was invited as member of of Joint Venture Faliro 2104 for the Faliron Bay Integrated Regeneration Programme which elaborated upon the master plan laid out by Renzo Piano Building Workshop.

Venue

Divercity is an award-winning architecture and design practice with offices in Athens (2004) and London (2008, RIBA Chartered Practice) and a wide-ranging portfolio including hotels, housing complexes, private residences, commercial and public spaces.

The practice’s strong presence in the international architecture and design scene has resulted in a number of prestigious Awards and Distinctions, such as the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award (Nominated, 2009 & 2013), the European Hotel Design Award for Hotel Design of the Year (Winner, 2007 & Shortlisted, 2010) and the World Architecture Festival Awards, Holiday and Hotels (Shortlisted, 2011). Divercity’s work has been published widely in architectural books and magazines and included in many international exhibitions.

With projects currently in design and under construction in Greece, the UK, Europe, South Africa, USA and South America, Divercity has established a distinctive method in the development of contemporary architecture. The practice has evolved the design process by enriching the unique local context through an international architectural language, with specific emphasis on craftsmanship and sustainability.

THIS SHOW IS ABOUT DIVERCITY / PHOTOS MARIA AVLONITI

THIS SHOW IS ABOUT DIVERCITY / PHOTOS MARIA AVLONITI

THIS SHOW IS ABOUT DIVERCITY / PHOTOS MARIA AVLONITI

THIS SHOW IS ABOUT DIVERCITY / PHOTOS MARIA AVLONITI

THIS SHOW IS ABOUT DIVERCITY / PHOTOS MARIA AVLONITI

THIS SHOW IS ABOUT DIVERCITY / PHOTOS MARIA AVLONITI

THIS SHOW IS ABOUT DIVERCITY / PHOTOS MARIA AVLONITI

THIS SHOW IS ABOUT DIVERCITY / PHOTOS MARIA AVLONITI

THIS SHOW IS ABOUT DIVERCITY / PHOTOS MARIA AVLONITI

THIS SHOW IS ABOUT DIVERCITY / PHOTOS MARIA AVLONITI

THIS SHOW IS ABOUT DIVERCITY / PHOTOS MARIA AVLONITI

THIS SHOW IS ABOUT DIVERCITY / PHOTOS MARIA AVLONITI

THIS SHOW IS ABOUT DIVERCITY / PHOTOS MARIA AVLONITI

THIS SHOW IS ABOUT DIVERCITY / PHOTOS GEORGE FAKAROS

THIS SHOW IS ABOUT DIVERCITY / PHOTOS GEORGE FAKAROS

THIS SHOW IS ABOUT DIVERCITY / PHOTOS GEORGE FAKAROS

THIS SHOW IS ABOUT DIVERCITY / PHOTOS GE0RGE FAKAR0S

THIS SHOW IS ABOUT DIVERCITY / PHOTOS GEORGE FAKAROS

THIS SHOW IS ABOUT DIVERCITY / PHOTOS GEORGE FAKAROS