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March 2001
Maria Veronica Warner Wong
As one of the many fortunate beneficiaries
of Panos Koulermos' passion for Architecture, I share this legacy
with Architecture students at the National University of Singapore.
Panos taught us of the importance of lifelong education for an
Architect and inspired a whole generation of Architects from Europe,
Asia and America to live with passion and design with optimism
in the spirit "Progressive Evolutionary Modernism".
I work in Singapore where many of Panos's students have settled
to search for meaning and opportunity in Architecture.
In December of 1999 I had the privilege of spending five days
in Lugano with Piera Koulermos and meeting Knut Luscher and some
of Panos' other students and colleagues from the Accademia. This
was a profoundly moving time for me which I am still assimilating.
I assisted Piera to organize and catalog Panos' drawings, renderings,
sketchbooks, books, notes and personal effects to prepare for
donation to the library of the Accademia where the collection
will be archived and eventually organized for publication, exhibition
and other uses.
Panos was a prolific writer and a disciplined scholar and expert
in the field of Italian and European Rationalist Architecture.
Academy Editions published a monograph of his work in Greece and
the US up to the late 1980's. His work is comprehensively published
in A+U and Casabella. Once the complete collection has been archived
and theoretical research is prepared a publication of his complete
works together with an exhibition of his drawings, models, renderings
and sketches will reveal the influence and brilliance of his work
and its place in late 20th century architecture.
My appreciation to those who have created this website as a place
to collect and communicate experiences and memories, I hope to
keep in touch and be of assistance in the creation of the exhibition
and publication.
The following are some notes made on the return journey in December
1999 which I meant to share with Panos' colleagues and friends.
I am just returning from Lugano where I have had the privilege
of helping Piera Koulermos to assemble all of Panos' work to form
an archive which will be kept by the Accademia De Architettura
in Mendrisio, Switzerland.
Mine has been an inspiring journey through Panos' career spanning
forty years and many countries. Panos' career as an architect
consisted of three principal areas of achievment. First, his built
works which are not numerous but are all significant, then his
theoretical work, research, writings and self comissioned projects.
And then of course there is that facet of his career which affects
us most directly, as an educator and inspiration.
During my trip I met many of the people with whom Panos was most
involved in the recent past, such as Botta, Galfetti, Nicola,
Sylvia and of course Knut. The most difficult part of the trip
for me was seeing the Accademia, which Panos founded three years
ago and played a critical role in the development of the pedagogy.
This new, exciting and potentially pivotal school of architecture
was the seat of Panos’ vision although he continued to teach in
Como and many other places. Things have fallen into place for
Panos over the past few years, he made the choices and created
this potential for himself. I regret Panos’ absence from the Accademia
most because Panos is clearly essential to the success of this
institution.
Before he died, Panos was very happy with his life, Chiu Man and
I had the honor of an evening at home with Panos in August at
which time he shared his excitement. Panos felt blessed, as we
took and evening walk along Orchard Road, he shared plans & dreams.
At that time, Panos was working on three large projects, his second
department store in Taiwan, a museum in Greece and an infrastructure
project in Milan.
Since Panos died, friends have gathered for memorials in Greece
and Mendrisio, both of which I was not able to attend. Speaking
with Knut I sensed a synergy among Panos’ students, associates
and friends. It was immediately clear upon meeting Knut that we
share a legacy of inspiration and passion for Architecture. A
seed which for most of us was planted by Panos more than any one
person we have encountered in our career.
The premature and untimely end of Panos’ life left a mountain
of unfinished work, built, theoretical and most of all inspirational.
Seeing all of Panos’ work, I observed many areas of research and
writing which would be essential to the work in progress.
This webpage which I believe was assembled by Mark Gangi is the
ideal tool for a forum amongst us all regarding Panos, his work
and his legacy which in great part is our work.
As I told John Tong, Anthony and ChiuMan, Panos’ influence as
an educator will be measured by our contributions to architecture,
theory and education. Panos would say “looks great, draw it up”,
When we lingered in “NDC” ( Non Developmental Complex). Its his
way of pushing us to do something meaningful and not give into
whatever influences we use as excuses for not giving 100%.
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