A: Athens, Exarcheia, Tositsa 24, 10683
"SΕMANTRON" ∙ Municipality of Athens Μodel Κiosk
Architects: Giannis Giannoutsos, Valadis Basoukos, Giorgos Nikas
The kiosk acts as a landmark in public space. Its presence within the confines of the city is proclaimed by the geometry of its inclined roof—the composition’s highpoint. Thus, the kiosk becomes a Semantron, a “resounding” landmark/signifier suggestive of its use.
The bright protruding surface, a feature lending intensity to the function of the accentuated morphology, is strategically placed on the structure.
The kiosk is distinguished by two separate zones: the enclosed and the semi-open air space. These two units become a functionally, visually, and aesthetically integrated whole. This unity is exacerbated by the roof and the visibly uniform structural system.
The guiding principles determining the kiosk’s layout are ease and speed of construction: the metal frame remains unchanged, while infill elements may vary in accordance to the surrounding environment (wood, and flat or corrugated metal sheet panels). The yellow paint—typical of kiosks in Greece—reinforces the “signifying” function of the construction by referring to its archetypal Modern Greek prototype.