«Entopoeia Tower Reveal»
Α structural narrative inspired by Onomatopoeia

Curated by KAAF

Saturday, March, 15th, 18.00
Former Public Tobacco Factory, Athens-Greece
Duration: 1 hour

Participants:

KAAF
– Alexandros Kitriniaris, Architect, KAAF Architects (Moderator)
– Sotiris Monachogios, Architect, KAAF Architects

INVITED PANEL
– Ariadni Vozani, Prof. NTUA, School of Architecture
– Rena Sakellaridou, Prof. AUTH, School of Architecture
– Stavros Martinos, Architect

TOPIC PRESENTATION

Can a sound lexicon acquire spatial structure and become the core of a multi-story building? “Entopoeia” is a tower of concepts based on the 13 Onomatopoeias of Kengo Kuma. After an open voting process, the 13 Onomatopoeias are ranked in ascending order of preference, and have become the corresponding levels of the vertical building structure. Each floor is algorithmically parameterized according to the design principle of each concept and consists of 1 to 3 material combinations. The construction of the Tower of Entopoeia is realized using modern 3D printing technologies, creating the physical Onomatopoeia, while its digital version uses AI technology and is presented as a spatial narrative, at one of the most prominent locations in Athens, based on the public voting results of the exhibition.Can a sound lexicon acquire spatial structure and become the core of a multi-story building? “Entopoeia” is a tower of concepts based on the 13 Onomatopoeias of Kengo Kuma. After an open voting process, the 13 Onomatopoeias are ranked in ascending order of preference, and have become the corresponding levels of the vertical building structure. Each floor is algorithmically parameterized according to the design principle of each concept and consists of 1 to 3 material combinations. The construction of the Tower of Entopoeia is realized using modern 3D printing technologies, creating the physical Onomatopoeia, while its digital version uses AI technology and is presented as a spatial narrative, at one of the most prominent locations in Athens, based on the public voting results of the exhibition.

DESCRIPTION

The Tower of Entopoeia is generated through three gestures. The first gesture relates to the condition of rotation. The 13 Onomatopoeias presented in the exhibition in a horizontal layout, in ascending order, are rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise, creating the database of the tower’s levels and are integrally related to Kengo Kuma’s evaluation system. In this way, each sound lexicon represents one level of information across a total of 13 levels.

The second gesture concerns the re-evaluation of the 13 sound lexicons through the value system (developed by?) KAAF, as equal spatial structures are generated via algorithmic processes. Each spatial structure corresponds to 13 concepts that correspond to the 13 levels, forming the tower of concepts. After the announcement of the public voting results, the 13 spatial structures are placed in ascending order from bottom to top, creating the primary structure of the Tower of Entopoeia.

The third gesture involves the interaction and sliding of the sound lexicons from the primary evaluative system of Onomatopoeia with the evaluative system of spatial structures, arranged at their positions based on public voting.
The variability of the diffusion between the spatial structures is achieved through the secondary processing of synthetic forces, making the evaluative system eternal, as any change in the vertical arrangement creates a different spatial condition. For instance, the Onomatopoeia “PARA PARA,” which belongs to the first value system and represents the first classification, is linked to the spatial structure “GURU GURU,” the top Onomatopoeia in the public vote. If public preferences shift, the extent of secondary processing of the concepts also changes, resulting in multiple interpretations for reading the Tower of Entopoeia.

The construction of the prototype was deemed essential for understanding the spatial scale of the concepts and served as a tool for reinterpretation of space and time. The construction is made from powder via 3D printers, and the level arrangement is held together by small-scale magnets. The prototype of the Tower of Entopoeia serves as a field for the interpretation of multiple spatial searches, capturing in a snapshot the variability of the digital design process. In this way, the timelessness of the values of each concept is enhanced, combined with the changing perception of the prototype by each individual through their memory and experiences.

The multiple spatial narratives, combined with the use of AI technology and the public voting, can produce different morphological experiments. The favorite materials of Onomatopoeia, according to the public vote, are represented in the Tower of Entopoeia, enhancing the vital tension of its structure. Meanwhile, the choice of positioning the observer on one of the seven hills of Athens forms the building as an object of observation, from the hill to the Attican landscape. The Tower of Entopoeia becomes both a subject and an exhibit, a journey and integration with the city’s history, a condenser of meanings and memory. The Tower of Entopoeia becomes a conceptual tool balancing between form, meaning, space and time.

Physical & Digital Spaces – Architects Combined
Architectural Thinking in the Age of AI
Wednesday February 12th, 17.30
Former Public Tobacco Factory, Athens-Greece

Participants:

KKAA
– Aris Kafantaris, panel moderator: Chief Project Manager at Kengo Kuma and Associates, Tokyo

MORO
– Apostolos Masiakos: Head Technology, Engineering & Innovation
– Aris Stathakis: Expert, Embedded Systems & Firmware Engineer
– Dr. Nikos Antzoulatos: Senior Product Designer

In sync with Kengo Kuma’s Onomatopoeia Exhibition in Athens-Greece, KKAA and MORO are initiating a dialogue on the extent to which Architecture can be considered a “common” element between the Physical and Digital realms. This discussion explores the shared principles of physical and software architecture, focusing on how architectural thinking—rather than mere production—remains essential in the age of AI and automation. Using Kengo Kuma’s Onomatopoeia Architecture as a lens, we examine how alternative design languages and systemic thinking can bridge the gap between digital and built environments, offering new ways to shape and understand complex systems.

We are at a moment where advanced AI systems are rapidly redefining what it means to create. Many activities once seen as deeply human—graphic design, painting, music composition, even software writing—have been trivialised, automated, and mass-produced at an unprecedented scale. This has led to both excitement and existential anxiety among creative professionals. For architects—whether working with physical structures or digital systems—this moment raises a crucial question: If production itself is becoming effortless, what remains uniquely human in design? We believe the answer lies in architectural thinking. Architects, in both the built and digital world, are not just producers of outputs—they are systems thinkers. They work at the intersection of constraints and possibilities, bridging multiple disciplines, managing complexity, and making decisions with incomplete information. This ability—to shape the logic of a system, rather than simply generate content—is more relevant than ever.

Why a Conversation between Software Architects and Physical Architects?
One of the most compelling aspects of Kengo Kuma’s work, and particularly his Onomatopoeia Architecture, is his attempt to rethink architectural language itself—moving beyond technical terms and embracing an alternative, sensory-based vocabulary that also offers us new tools for reading and creating space. What if something equivalent exists in software architecture? What if we could find a richer, more human language to describe the systems we build? And in return, could software architecture offer new conceptual tools to rethink how we design physical spaces in an age where digital and physical are becoming inseparable?

Using Kengo Kuma’s Onomatopoeia exhibition as both a platform and an excuse of sorts, this conversation is an opportunity to bridge the gap between physical and software architecture—two disciplines that share a deep structural kinship. Both deal with spatial organisation, require thinking across different scales and rely on constraints to drive creativity.

What We Hope to Explore
• What fundamental design principles link software and physical architecture?
• How can architectural thinking guide the use of AI and automation,
rather than be replaced by it?
• What can physical architects learn from software architects, and vice versa, as we both
navigate an era of rapid technological change?