Interviews with Vasilis Mylonas

The project was inspired by the so called Aleorion of Xerxes, built around 480 BC and once stood on the reef Lefteris of the Aegean Sea, Greece. It is considered as the most ancient maritime safety structure in the world, built 250 years before the Lighthouse of Alexandria. The Dolomite stones, used for the construction of the lighthouse were placed on top of each other forming a tower that functioned as a warning sign of the reef and the nearby very shallow waters.

The idea and the main principle of Cubes Aleorion was to create a modern interpretation of the aleorion and to transcribe the essence of the ancient structure to a modern landmark tower.

The main focus in designing Cubes Aleorion was to create a piece of architecture that could both remotely resonate instances of ancient maritime architecture and the same time echo the materiality, the form aesthetics of the modern urban environment of today and the long history roots of the city and the port itself, as well as the character of a maritime nation sailing the Mediterranean for thousand of years.

Cubes Aleorion Lighthouse is proposal for a landmark structure for the port entrance of the city of Volos, Greece. Speaking from the architect's point of view, there can't be any real future plans for a concept project that has already been delivered to public audience. It is entirely up to the citizens of the city and the competent authorities if such a project would be a meaningful and valuable addition to the urban landscape of the city.

Including research, tons of drafts and concepts designs, the actual designing process and final renderings and presentations, I would say about 7-8 months.

No, the design was not commissioned by anyone. It was a personal humble attempt for a contribution to the urban environment of the city I live and work in.

No, Cubes Aleorion is not for sale. It is just a personal proposal for the port and the city of Volos, Greece and it is entirely up to the citizens of the city and the competent authorities if such a project would be a meaningful addition to the urban landscape of the city.

The absence of a modern lighthouse structure at the end of the 1 km long breakwater of the city port of Volos, as well as the belief that such a structure could act as local landmark.

Definitely. The guidance, advising and critique of architects Theoklis Kanarelis and Konstantinos Manolidis was invaluable, to say the least.

There are no customers for Cubes Aleorion. It is an attempt for a small contribution to the public architecture of the city.

That is not up to me to say.

The name comes from the ancient greek word, dating back to the age of Homer, "Aleorion" [etym. < anc. Greek: ἀλεωρή “avoidance, to avoid”] meaning a navigation mark to show reefs or other hazards.

Lots of pens and drafting paper, professional cad and rendering software, balsa wood for physical modeling and maquette.

Each level of Cubes Aleorion frames a different viewpoint of the bay, thus creating new perspectives of the city, the port, the sea and opposite coast of the Pagasetic Gulf. The casual walk on the paved breakwater is enriched with a new end-destination, encouraging the extension of the city waterfront promenade onto the sea.

The intention was to leverage simple and well established technology. And that is pre-cast reinforced concrete and metal detailing.

The real challenge was to create an architectural form that respects various factors at the same time, such the landmark position of the lighthouse at the entry of the city port, the materiality and aesthetics of the urban environment and the long history roots of the city and the port itself. Another challenge was to mange the height restrictions along with the need of an internal staircase and the aim of silhouette as slim and tall as possible.

Submitting to an international competition was a "test-drive" of an otherwise completed architectural proposal, with the purpose of getting an international feedback and point of view on a local project.

Designing and exposing to a broader audience an architectural project of public interest, re-confirmed the obvious: Public interest projects are always (and should be) a matter of public evaluation and critique.

As a kid I always had a thing for arts, either it was music and cinema or the built environment like architecture. Initially I graduated with an integrated master as surveyor, gaining a strong engineering background. Next, I focused more on my core interests and studied architecture for five more years leading again to an integrated master's degree. In between core studies, I worked in furniture design, I built up field experience in construction and industrial sites, and I also took multiple seminar courses on advanced 3D modelling and rendering techniques.

The feeling that anything from a simple utility object to a grand masterplan is transforming from thoughtful concepts to built reality.

Design is a choice, almost by definition.

Residential architecture has always been a personal favorite.

Be curious, question everything, have lots of patience and dedication. And never ever give up.

Empathy. Sincere love for all of humanity and genuine care for the impact of design on their communities.

Really good design has a positive impact on society, even on the tiniest details of everyday life. It's the only actual way to truly evaluate design.

Because good design answers real world problems. Or at least makes our world look a little bit better.

Even the slightest contribution to a greater social, affordable housing project would be nice.

A tiny cabin in the woods, a personal peaceful retreat.

If I say it wouldn't be secret, right? But thankfully there is no secret here. Only hard work and consistent effort to move forward.

Carlo Scarpa, Alvaro Siza, Josef Frank, Mies, Alvar Aalto, Ivan Leonidov just to name a few.

I haven't designed it yet and I think that I probably never will. I am not really fan of "greatest" things in general.

Study. Then study some more. And experiment a lot.

I would probably be an engineer of some kind.

My family, my friends and my teachers.

Great is a heavy word. But the important step here is the realization that if you can imagine it, you probably can make it.

Mostly constant self doubting and unnecessary chase of imaginary perfectionism.

In my opinion, an architectural or design presentation is good through any suitable medium, as long as it conveys the true essence of the design in a simple, self-explanatory way.

To have peace of mind and a true sense of fulfillment that my work lives up to user's expectations, that it actually serves its purpose and ultimately makes space and life a little bit prettier.

Maybe design itself won't create a better society but it could definitely help by pushing more towards inclusion and sustainability rather than strict commercial objectives.

I am currently working on a concept for a nearly zero-energy (nZEB) urban hospitality project.

I would like to see more inclusive design concepts, better accessibility, more environmentally friendly approaches, more wage and income fairness and the total extinction of gender pay gap.

There is no standard here. It widely varies depending on the project type and the scope of the deliverables.

I always start with analyzing and better understanding the intention, the purpose, the context and the expectations of the design project.

I think it inevitably works both ways. It is sort of a dialectic thing.

Technology has always been a tool, a means to a purpose. Either that is pen and paper or advanced algorithmic or even ai aided processes.

I use all sorts of things, from tracing paper to advanced cad, rendering and editing software.

The masterful interplay of color, materials and ambient is the heart of every design. I am not really the first to say this.

My teachers at Architecture School.

It is always a slow, never-ending process of studying, drawing, listening, questioning, observing, experimenting. And love for the arts of all kinds.

Thanos Mikroutsikos.

My favorite color is a no color, it’s black. But at the same time, I guess I always had a thing for natural tones like terracotta.

My favorite place is any place of taste, peace, hope and courage. A place is mostly its people.

My favorite food lies somewhere between roman carbonara, and my grandma’s wood oven freshly baked bread paired with a splash of olive oil.

My favorite season is spring.

I don’t have any attachment to brands.

Maybe it was obvious to other people but surely no, it was not to me. But I am thankful things turned out this way in the end.

I envision a future where the fisherman will be writing poems and the poet will be fishing.

Design is a succesful mix of form, function and artistic aspiration.

Residential architecture is a personal favorite.

When everything seems to have hit a dead end and feel like there are no more options available in the design process. Actually, that always turn out to be relieving. Reaching "bottom" leaves you no option but going all the way up.

Fulfilment. Almost like successfully raising a child. Afterall, all my designs are my children. I see them growing from birth to maturity.

Form and function.

Anything can be an inspiration. But as a rule of thumb, I would say that keeping one's mind in constant motion is essential. Travel, books, articles, cinema, literature, music and art in any form is what keeps me going.

Patience and dedication. And never giving up.

Tons of pencils, notebooks, markers and of course any professional cad software would best fit the project.

Lots of coffee and very tight schedule.

Project complexity and client mentality are two factors that will always determine the actual time required to finish a project.

"Could you do it cheaper?" And the answer is always no. Quality design always requires tons of time and dedication, and that can't come cheap.

The first steps are always the scariest but also the most intriguing. So, I would definitely say the very first rough sketches towards the actual birth of a concept is where all the "magic" is happening.

Depends on the project. I usually develop my designs on my own, but large scale architecture projects and international competitions most often would require a team. After all, two heads are better than one.

Either by e-mail on bom.archdesignstudio@gmail.com or through my instagram account @bo.m_designstudio