Solon Kydoniatis (1906 – 10/3/2001)

Greek Architect, Professor at the National Technical University of Athens and Academician.

Biography

He was born in Tripoli and died in Athens. He studied at the NTUA and did postgraduate studies in Paris (France) at the Ecole de Genie Rurale (1938-1939). He came from a historical family of Thessaloniki and was the son of Panagiotis Kydoniatis and older brother of the composer and pianist Konstantinos Kydoniatis.

As a freelancer from 1927 he was particularly involved in the construction of private houses and supervised the construction of churches.

In 1942 he served as a law engineer of the Ministry of Public Works. In 1956 he was elected Professor of Rural Architecture and Elements of Architecture at the National Technical University of Athens.

In 1977 he was elected a full member of the Athens Academy of Fine Arts. In 1985 he served as President of the Academy of Athens. In his first marriage he married Maria Nika, great-granddaughter of the 1821 General Panagiotakis Notaras, acquiring a daughter. In a second marriage he married Ioanna Papaioannou (Jeanette), a well-known litterateur and author.

 

Books

He wrote among others the following books :Contribution to the study of the rural house

  • The position of the Greek village
  • Agricultural structures and installations, Athens 1959 (p. 430)
  • The organization of the village
  • The rural house from a sanitary point of view
  • Refugee rural housing and mental environment.
  • The palace of Paleologina (1977 p. 32)
  • A retrospective on tradition Athens (1982, p. 72)
  • The Greek Architectural Renaissance and its abuse.
  • Athens: Past and Future (Athens, 1985)

 

Buildings

CHURCHES:

  • Agia Sophia, Psychiko
  • Panagia Pantovegasillissa (1947 -1956)
  • Agia Irini (Pasalimani)

 

OTHER CONSTRUCTIONS :

  • Biosol Factory (254 Pireos St., Piraeus 254, Foundation of the Hellenic World)
  • The market of Chalkida (completed in 1931 in Bauhaus style)
  • Cinema “Astron”, Ampelokipi.

 

RESTORATION OF CLASSICAL MANSIONS :

  • Old University, Plaka.
  • Costis Palamas Building
  • Kolokotronis Residence (Libovitsi)
  • Special adviser to Th. Angelopoulos for the renovation of the Patriarchate of Constantinople.

 

He spoke : French, English and German. He received many honours and medals. His funeral was held at the A’ Cemetery of Athens with public cost.