The Four Elements of
Santorini Architecture
AA-NTUA-TAMU seminar
Latest update 16.04.04
| travel tips |
 |
| Santorini map |
 |
| schedule |
 |
| safari brief |
 |
| AA-EE page |
 |
| links |
 |
| climatic data |
 |
| contact |
 |
Page edited with FrontPage 2002 by TNS for 1024x768 24bit colour display
| summary
Texas A&M University
College of
Architecture and Architectural Association
Environment &
Energy Programme will hold a seminar on the
environmental aspects of Santorini vernacular architecture.
|
airport
buses
E94 runs every 16-30' between 06:00-23:00; it will take you to the nearest metro station [Ethniki Amyna], avoiding further traffic near the centre; from there follow the metro map & signs to continue to the centre of Athens or Piraeus.
E95 runs every 25' day & night; it goes to the heart of Athens [Syntagma] where there is also a metro station with interesting displays in the main hall; use this option if you're not in a hurry or you arrive during the night.
E96 is the best option to go directly to Piraeus port; it runs every 20-40' for 24 hours, and will take you close to Santorini ferries bypassing Athens centre.
Metro ticket costs 0.75, [blue] bus or [yellow] trolley-bus 0.45, valid for one ride only.
[read more about airport buses here]
For a Metro map & other useful info see here; the official Athens Metro site is here, with much fanfare.
taxis
beware of tricky drivers charging illegal extras!!!
A typical cost to go downtown should be ~20 (extra tariff added between 00:00-06:00 hours).
ferries
Ferries to
Santorini anchor near Piraeus metro station and bus E96 terminal; they usually
sail between
7-8 am, so most likely you'll spend one night in Athens, unless you arrive
during the night (departing in the afternoon may prove inconvenient since
you'll arrive in Santorini late at night) [see a weekly timetable of ferries to Santorini here].
The 130 nautical
miles journey lasts 7-9
hours depending on the ferry ["Blue Star
Ferries" are the fastest and most luxurious, departing daily at 07:30].
The
fare is 20-25 (o/w economy) with a
discount applicable on student ID proof.
There is a faster service by "High Speed" ferries that can take
you there in half the time at double the price (no discount);
these depart from Rafina, a port on the east coast of Athens peninsula, not far from
the new airport but about 30km from downtown Athens via bus.
[to go to Rafina port
from Athens airport, take bus E94 or E95 towards Athens, get off at the
first stop after the end of fast motorway,
and then take orange KTEL bus going the opposite direction to Rafina; service
every 15-45' starting from 05:40 -see Rafina buses details
here].
- Ferries to/from Santorini [updated 31.03.04]
| From | Ship | min. price | Departure | ETA | ||
| Sun. 18/4 | Piraeus | Blue Star | 25.00 | 07:25 | 14:50 | |
| Piraeus | Express Santorini | 20.90 | 08:00 | 17:15 | ||
| Piraeus | High speed 3 | 41.30 | 10:00 | 15:00 | ||
| Piraeus | Blue Star | 25.00 | 17:30 | 00:45 | ||
| Piraeus | Express Poseidon | 20.90 | 22:00 | 08:00 | ||
| Sat. 26/4 | Santorini | Blue Star | 26.10 | 07:15 | ||
| Santorini | Express Santorini | 20.90 | 08:00 | 17:00 | ||
| Santorini | High-speed 3 | 43.10 | 13:00 | 17:45 | ||
by air
Flights are not affected by strong winds, except if coming from unusual direction (east/west).
This is a rather expensive option, but in case you arrive in Athens airport in the night it may be wise to wait there for the first morning flight to Santorini, in order to avoid traveling & accommodation expenses in Athens -and skip the long sea journey too.
to Oia
Oia is about 25km to the north, so either you grab a taxi (cost ~15 all the way to Oia that can be shared by 3-4 persons) or
you take the -sometimes packed beyond capacity- bus to Fira (the main town -13km) and from there another bus to Oia.
[last bus to Oia at ~20:30 -check timetable on arrival at Fira bus terminal].
Riding a taxi from Fira to Oia will cost you 7, from the airport about 10 (more after midnight).
If coming by taxi, ask the driver to take you to the "parking" next to the school [near M in Oia map below]; from there, your pension 'Lauda' is about 100m after the red "no entry" barrier [see Oia map].
Prices vary from 25 to 17 to 14 per person & night for single, double or quadruple rooms in Lauda (no breakfast);
Jack's prices are slightly lower or equal, again on the basis of no. of persons sharing.
'Double rooms' feature double OR twin beds, so some should share the same double bed.
Almost all rooms are 1-3 room flats, with bath & kitchen facilities.
Reservations have also been made for NTUA students included in the list; late comers should make their own arrangements.
save the image and print it for future reference (its actual size is 1948x913 pixels).
The blue lines on the map indicate asphalt roads for cars, the rest is for pedestrians;
if you arrive at the bus Terminal you turn left at hotel 'Oia Sunset' to the main Square with the big church, where you'll stop due to the spectacular view [this will be our standard meeting point];
then go east through the main pedestrian street to pension 'Lauda' or the adjacent 'Jack' (or 'Armeni Villas')
[you can try the shortcut shown on the map from T to L].
random tips
- During your staying in
Santorini be prepared for numerous irregular steps (some really rough) and long
walks,
so get proper shoes! And don't forget a hat & sun-glasses!!! - The weather should be mild [see
climatic
data];
solar radiation in April is almost as strong as in August, but ambient temperature is not;
expect warm -even hot- days and cool nights -perhaps some rain too- and adjust your clothing accordingly... - Hang-over medicines could be very handy, as well as a cream to avoid or treat sun burns.
- Facilities in Oia include a chemist
shop, bank (Alpha Bank) with automatic cash dispenser, a medical
centre and post office
(more facilities in Fira). - You can check your e-mail account (Hotmail etc.) in certain travel agencies.
- There are no discos in Oia (Fira is
the place for mass dancing action -Greek or other- but don't expect much
since this is low season);
activity after dinner is concentrated in 1-2 bars, with a friendly party-like "vernacular alternative" atmosphere
[volunteers from the group can be our DJ's...]. - Accommodation should be individually paid in cash only.
- Keep your luggage light -you won't regret it!!! And remember that wheels are useless on the countless steps...
- For local or long distance calls in Athens or Santorini, use a card phone -there are many around; buy a "Tilecarta" from a kiosk -you'll need it!
- And don't forget to write down these useful phone numbers [omit the red digits if you are within Greece]:
Thanos's mobile: 00 30 697 7828414
Pension Lauda: 00 30 22860 71204
Pension Jack: 00 30 22860 71439
Santorini radio-taxi 22860 22555
.
schedule
Red figures refer to coach schedules -be sharp, otherwise call for a taxi at 22860 22555
| Sun. 18 | arrival in Oia | [activities according to time of arrival -please confirm ETA] | |
| 17:30 | meeting at Oia's west end [Goulas Castle] | [sunset at ~20:00] | |
| 21:00 | welcome dinner | ||
| 11:00 | caipirinha time | ||
| Mon. 19 | 11:00 | introduction to location & its architecture | [lectures, discussion] |
|
water |
12:00 | walk towards west | [AA structure site on the way] |
| 13:00 | project briefing | [see below] | |
| 14:00 | lunch | ||
| 18:00 | walk towards east [St. George church] | ||
| 20:00 | Akrotiri environmental hangar briefing | [introduction by project architect, Nikos Fintikakis] | |
| 21:30 | dinner, followed by raki et al. | [do not overdo it -much traveling tomorrow] | |
| Tue. 20 | 10:00 | coach Fira-Akrotiri | |
|
fire |
tour in Akrotiri excavation site | [walk in a 3,500 yr. old settlement -some houses restored] | |
| environmental hangar visit | |||
| 14:00 | lunch on the nearby beach -literally | ||
| 17:00 | coach back to Oia | ||
| free evening | |||
| Wed. 21 | 11:00 | walk via Lodza area | |
|
earth |
12:00 | AA structure intro & discussion | [to be confirmed] |
| 14:00 | lunch | ||
| 16:00 | walk through neoclassical area | ||
| walk to Finikia (village to the east) | [optional] | ||
| free evening | [do not overdo it -travel day tomorrow] | ||
| Thu. 22 | 11:00 | coach Oia-Merovigli | |
|
air |
walk to Fira | [~3km, mostly downhill along crater's edge -fabulous!] | |
| lunch | |||
|
|
14:30 | coach Fira-Akrotiri | |
| Kouvela's bioclimatic house visit | [clever wind breakers plus other features] | ||
| 16:00 | coach to Pyrgos | [the highest Santorini village -spectacular views] | |
| 17:30 | coach back to Oia | ||
| free evening | |||
| Fri. 23 | presentation preparations | [hurry, hurry, hurry!] | |
| ether | 15:00 |
proposals display & discourse |
|
| 21:00 | farewell dinner | ||
| 23:00 | party time! |
|
|
| Sat. 24 | bye-bye AA & TAMU -see you soon | ||
 |
|||
| this timetable is just an outline; minor revisions are very likely
|
|
project brief
the vernacular settlements of Santorini offer many features at various scales that manifest the connection between these key elements and the built environment, exemplifying the influence of the natural forces in shaping architecture.fire (e.g. the sun or volcanoes)
earth (e.g. the ground and most materials)
air (e.g. the wind or oxygen)
water (e.g. the sea or rain)*
surrounded by countless real examples, you are invited to explore the area with alert eyes and mind; be aware of the fact that most of what you see -especially if it is older than you- is likely to trace you back to the four elements.
your goal in that "architectural safari" is to pinpoint examples that depict the relation between the environmental forces and local architecture.
you may focus on minute details or entire neighborhoods, on man-made structures or natural formations; filter your observations through a "four elements prism" and highlight the vernacular response to natural conditions -or perhaps the effects of the contemporary lack of it.
at the end of the "safari", you are expected to present your findings through photos (1 hour film processing is locally available) and/or sketches, including one case for each element..
alternatively, you may also present the impact of the four elements through any kind of installation you can think up, perhaps using a collection of found objects that suit your statement.
For the element symbols shown above, check this.
links