Monday, 26th of June 2017, at 19:30

Andreas Patsalides Hall,

Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation

The Byzantinist Society of Cyprus, the Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation, ICOMOS Cyprus, ETEK and the Cyprus Architects Association invite you to a lecture by Theoharis David (FAIA), Distinguished Teaching Professor at Pratt Institute, NYC, titled:

Challenge: “Contemporary Churches of Cyprus, Learning from Byzantine Architecture”

Among the most significant commissions an architect can receive is the design of a religious building which when realized becomes a symbol for and expression of a city, a community oridea. It could be a Parthenon, an Agia Sofia of Constantinople, Notre Dame de Paris, the Basilica of Saint Peter’s, the Sagrada Familia of Barcelona or Chicago’s Unitarian Temple, and Philadelphia’s Beth Sholom Synagogue not to the exclusion of religious structures of other faiths. Cyprus is enriched with outstanding examples of ecclesiastical architecture of the Byzantine period, adapted to urban and rural environments and villages. Many are of the opinion that this period is underrepresented and not sufficiently studied as part of the cultural heritage of Cyprus. The lecture will present significant historical and contemporary examples of ecclesiastical architecture primarily in Cyprus, the purpose being to pose questions and present a challenge to all as to how we as architects can conceive of and as citizen laymen support a contemporary architecture which through past precedents their teachings and inspiration, respects the historic Byzantine architecture of Cyprus.

Download Lecture Invitation: EN / GR

A reception will follow

The lecture will be in Greek.

Biography

Theoharis David is an American born architect/educator of Cypriot origin practicing in New York City and Nicosia, Cyprus. He is tenured Professor of Architecture, former Faculty President and Chairman of Graduate Architecture at Pratt Institute in New York.

He holds degrees from Pratt Institute and Yale University, where he studied under Serge Chermayeff and Paul Rudolph. He has been an advisor and visiting professor at the University of Cyprus, a nominator for the Aga Khan Awards, and has served as Chairman of the Design Awards of the New York Chapterof the American Institute of Architects and the American Planning Association Committee onthe New York Waterfront. He has been elected to the Honors Committee of the NYC/AIA, is a Fellow of the AIA and former President of CIMA (Congress of International Modern Architects), former board member of the Cyprus Cultural Foundation and currently serves on the board of the Cyprus-U.S. Chamber of Commerce and of Nicos Kouroussis Foundation.

His architecture has received a number of awards, including the Distinguished Teacher Award from Pratt Institute, the New York City Bard Honor Award, the Cyprus Architects Association Prize in Architecture, the Cyprus State Award for Architecture, an “Architecture” Magazine award, a New York State AIA Citation for Design, and an Architects Designers Planners for Social Responsibility design award. His work has also been nominated for the European Union Mies van der Rohe Award.

In 2015 he was honored as a “Great Cypriot” by the Phileleftheros Group for his contributions as an architect and educator. His work continues to be exhibited and published worldwide.