The Four Elements of Santorini Architecture

ATTENTION

There is going to be a 24-hour general strike in Greece on Thursday 26/4 starting at 06:00 due to proposed legislation on social security etc.
During the strike no ships or planes will depart, unless there is a last minute compromise.
Those who have planned to travel to/from Athens during the strike should check if their flight/ferry will be as scheduled -ask your travel agent.
Stay tuned to this page for updates, or call Thanos (see number below).

Latest info:

Aegean Airlines will fly as normal; 3 flights are available on Thursday -ring 00 30 1 9988422-3 or from Greece freephone 0801 20000.
Olympic Airways will fly once only -check at freephone 0801 44444.

travel tips
schedule
safari brief
AA-EESDP page
the blue volcano
Oia 2000
climatic data
list
contact

Page edited with FrontPage 2000 by TNS for 1024x768 24bit colour display
Latest update 25.04.01

THE FOUR ELEMENTS OF SANTORINI ARCHITECTURE

summary

The Architectural Association Environment, Energy & Sustainable Design Programme will hold a seminar on the environmental aspects of Santorini vernacular architecture.

The seminar will take place in the village of Oia in Santorini between 26/4-3/5/01, with support by the National Technical University of Athens Department of Architecture.

The aim of the event is to highlight the dialectic between nature & the local architecture through lectures, discussions, special site visits, and above all by direct observation.

The seminar is mainly addressed to AA-EESDP graduate students, with a limited attendance by NTUA students.

Notice for participants:
Visit this page frequently to keep in touch with latest updates.
Use the "contact" button on the left to send your requests etc.

Survival tip:
Solar protection is absolutely essential in Santorini, so don't forget your personal shading devices -hat & sunglasses (preferably polarizing) !!!

travel tips

Last minute info:

Ferries to Santorini

	From	Ship	Departure	ETA
Wed. 25/4	Rafina	SeaJet 1	08:15	13:00
	Piraeus	Milena	14:00	24:00
	Piraeus	Express Santorini	17:00	02:00

Thu. 26/4	Rafina	SeaJet 1	08:15	13:00
	Piraeus	Express Olympia	08:00	17:00
	Piraeus	Express Apollon	17:00	02:00

Bus from Athens airport to Rafina port: Take bus E94 or E95 towards Athens, get off at the first possible stop after the motorway [Panagitsa on Marathonos Avenue], and then take orange KTEL bus going the opposite direction to Rafina; service every 15-45' starting from 05:40 (details here).
Check weather (current & 2-day forecast) in Santorini [Thira] here.

airport

The brand new Athens airport is located east of the city, more than 30km from the port of Pireaus (the old airport on the west coast that you might have known has been closed) [the official web site of Athens airport is here]; it will take you between 30-60' to go downtown, depending on traffic conditions through the usually congested streets.

buses

The fastest -and cheapest- way is to take bus E94, E95 or E96 (E stands for Express); the bus ticket is 1000 GRD (1 EUR = 340 GRD) and can be used on all public transport in Athens area during 24 hours after its validation.
E94 runs every 16-30' between 06:00-23:00; it will take you to the nearest metro station [Ethniki Amyna], avoiding further traffic near the centre; from there follow the metro map & signs to continue to the centre of Athens or Pireaus.
E95 runs every 25' day & night; it goes to the heart of Athens [Syntagma] where there is also a metro station with interesting displays in the main hall; use this option if you're not in a hurry or you arrive during the night.
E96 is the best option to go directly to Piraeus port; it runs every 20-40' for 24 hours, and will take you close to Santorini ferries bypassing Athens centre.
Metro ticket costs 250 GRD, [blue] bus or [yellow] trolley-bus 150 GRD, valid for one ride only.
For a Metro map & other useful info see here; the official Athens Metro site is here, with much fanfare.

taxis

You can also take a taxi, which may be cheap if shared by 4 persons (no more is allowed), but beware of tricky drivers charging illegal extras!!! A typical cost to go downtown should be 4-5,000 GRD (extra tariff added between 00:00-06:00 hours).

ferries

Ferries to Santorini anchor near Piraeus metro station and bus E96 terminal; they usually sail between 7-8 am, so most likely you'll spend one night in Athens, unless you arrive during the night (departing in the afternoon may prove inconvenient since you'll arrive in Santorini late at night) [see a weekly timetable of ferries to Santorini here].
The 130 nautical miles journey lasts 7-9 hours depending on the ferry [F/B "Ithaki" of "Blue Star Ferries" is the fastest and most luxurious, departing daily at 07:30]. The fare is about 6,000 GRD (o/w economy) with a 30-50% discount applicable on student ID proof.
There is faster service by "High Speed" ferries that can take you there in half the time at double the price (no discount); these depart from Pireaus and Rafina, a port on the east coast of Athens peninsula, not far from the new airport but about 30km from Athens centre via bus [see an extensive Greek ferries database here].
Mind you, ferries are not allowed to sail when the sea is too rough, like during past week (after Easter); luckily, the weather forecast for the seminar days is for normal conditions -but...

by air

If you want to avoid the sea journey, you can go to Santorini by air in just 30-50' with Olympic Airways or Aegean Airlines [o/w fare is 26,000 GRD including taxes]. Flights are not affected by strong winds, except if coming from unusual direction (east/west).
This is a rather expensive option, but in case you arrive in Athens airport in the night it may be wise to wait there for the first morning flight to Santorini, in order to avoid traveling & accommodation expenses in Athens -and skip the long sea journey too.

to Oia

The port of Santorini [Athinios] is located on the south part of the island. Oia is about 25km to the north, so either you grab a taxi (cost 4,500 GRD all the way to Oia that can be shared by 3-4) or you take the -usually packed beyond capacity- bus to Fira (the main town -13km) and from there another bus to Oia (total cost about 600 GRD) [last bus to Oia at 20:30 -check timetable on arrival at Fira bus terminal].
Riding a taxi from Fira to Oia will cost you 2,500 GRD, from the airport 3,500 GRD.
If coming by taxi, ask the driver to take you to the "parking" next to the school [near M in Oia map below]; from there, your pension is about 100m after the red "no entry" barrier.

Oia map

Thanos most likely will be in Oia from 25/4; he can welcome you at Oia bus terminal if you call him on his mobile phone (see number below), unless you arrive earlier than that date, in which case the following map should be helpful; save the image and print it for future reference (its actual size is 1948x913 pixels).
The blue lines on the map indicate asphalt roads for cars, the rest is -supposed to be- for pedestrians; from the bus Terminal you turn left at hotel "Oia Sunset" to the main Square, where you'll stop due to the spectacular view; then go east through the main pedestrian street to pension Lauda or the adjacent pensions Jack (or Armeni Villas) & Alta Mare (you can try the shortcut shown on the map from T to L).

random tips

During your staying in Santorini be prepared for numerous irregular steps (some really rough) and long walks, so get proper shoes! And don't forget a hat & sun-glasses!!!
The weather should be mild [see climatic data]; expect both, hot days and cool nights -perhaps rain too...
Hang-over medicines could be very handy, as well as a cream to avoid or treat sun burns.
Facilities in Oia include a chemist shop, bank (AlphaBank) with automatic cash dispenser, a medical centre and post office (more in Fira).
You can check your e-mail account (Hotmail etc.) in certain travel agencies.
There are no discos in Oia (Fira is the place for mass dancing action -Greek or other- but don't expect much since this is low season); activity after dinner is concentrated in 1-2 bars, with a friendly party-like "vernacular alternative" atmosphere [volunteers from the group can be our DJ's...].
Accommodation should be individually paid in cash only.
Keep your luggage light -you won't regret it!!! And remember that wheels are useless on steps...
For local or long distance calls in Athens or Santorini, use a cardphone -there are many; buy a "Tilecarta" from a kiosk -you'll need it!
And don't forget to write down these useful phone numbers [omit the red digits if calling from Greece -and the blue digits from Santorini]:

Thanos's mobile: 00 30 97 7828414
Pension Lauda: 00 30 286 71204
Santorini radio-taxi 22555

schedule

Red figures refer to bus schedules -be sharp, otherwise call for a taxi at 22555

Thu. 26/4		Arrival in Oia	[activities according to time of arrival -please confirm ETA]
Fri. 27/4	11:00	Introduction to Oia & its architecture	[lectures, discussion]
		'Architectural safari' brief introduction	[see below]
	18:30	Walk towards Goulas Castle	[sunset at ~19:45]
Sat. 28/4	11:15	Bus Oia-Merovigli, then walk to Fira	[2km, mostly downhill along crater's edge -spectacular!]
	14:00	Bus Fira-Akrotiri to Kouvela's bioclimatic house	[clever wind breakers plus other features]
Sun. 29/4	11:00	AA student dissertations presentation	[don't count on any facilities, although an effort will be made to find a slide projector]
Mon. 30/4	10:15	Bus Oia-Fira
	11:00	Bus Fira-Akrotiri excavation site	[walk in a 3,500 yr. old settlement -some houses restored]
	12:00	Environmental roof prototype	[introduction by the designer, Nikos Findikakis]
Tue. 1/5	11:00	Architectural safari display & discourse	[a party at this point is most appropriate]
Wed. 2/5		Boat trip to the active spot of the volcano	[for the lucky ones still in Oia]

brief

according to a long line of scholars, from the Greek philosophers to the Middle Age alchemists, the very essence of nature are four elements in various configurations & interactions:

fire (e.g. the sun or volcanoes)
earth (e.g. the ground and most materials)
air (e.g. the wind or oxygen)
water (e.g. the sea or rain)*

the vernacular settlements of Santorini offer many features at various scales that manifest the connection between these key elements and the built environment, exemplifying the influence of the natural forces in shaping architecture.
surrounded by countless real examples, you are invited to explore the area with alert eyes and mind; be aware of the fact that most of what you see -especially if it is older than you- is likely to trace you back to the four elements.
your goal in that "architectural safari’" is to pinpoint examples that depict the relation between the environmental forces and local architecture.
you may focus on minute details or entire neighborhoods, on man-made structures or natural formations; filter your observations through a "four elements prism" and highlight the vernacular response to natural conditions -or perhaps the effects of the contemporary lack of it.
at the end of the "safari", you are expected to present your findings through photos (1 hour film processing is locally available) and/or sketches, including one case for each element..

* An obscure fifth element (‘ether’ ?) of rather spiritual nature is thought to bind the other four together, being the catalyst of life. Greek philosophers linked the five elements to geometry through the five Platonic solids -see here.
tetrahedron-fire

For the symbols used here, check this.