Wednesday, June 24th - First Tour

Today we got a tour of the main church on the complex. Because my interest lies mostly in the architecture/planning of the site, it couldn't wait to understand the most important and oldest building on the complex more thoroughly. The church is composed of additions that have combined over time to create what can be seen today. The walls within are covered in paintings, or frescoes, and many have 4 or more layers beneath them! The original building which was begun in the late 13^th century included a narthex, nave, and sanctuary. As with most other monastery complexes, side chapels, a side aisle for liturgy seating, an outer narthex, a portico, and the bell tower were added over the coming centuries. There are clues explaining what came before the other, such as arches and wall paintings that are interrupted by newer development. This hides important clues in discovering the exact history of the monastery, yet adds another layer of folklore/religious history along the walls.

Major restoration and preservation work has been done on the chapel by an area architect over the past few years named Pandalis (sp?). We hope that he will come in the next few days, as I think it would be fascinating to hear about what it’s like to work on a project like this, which is relatively unconventional in comparison to the most contemporary commissions we see in the US. Continuing the aesthetic of what has been produced from centuries of building must be cared for meticulously and this architect appreciates that. An example of his work is that he has added stairs ascending to the second story chapel and bell tower that are made of natural wood and look like part of the complex (instead of using clean cut steel railings and stairs).

Having worked at LJM architects, it’s interesting to make a comparison between this style and what I’m used to. The work here does not have to meet any sort of international building code (as far as I understand) and is governed more by UNESCO and archeological foundations that provide fund their renovation. I guess you could use the term “grandfathered in” for the reasoning, as adding a stair that meets code would be almost impossible unless it was an eye sore on the exterior of the building.