Infrastuctures - Stoa
Ilias Papageorgiou, Founder and Director at PILA STUDIO
Thomas Amargianos and Ilias Papageorgiou present contemporary approaches to urban interventions, focusing on the revitalization of the historic Arsakeio arcade in the heart of Athens.
The talk connects the preservation of architectural heritage with the creation of new cultural narratives, opening a meaningful dialogue about the future of public space and inspiring the audience.
Thomas Amargianos joined BETAPLAN in 1990 and has since been involved in a wide range of major projects. Among the works where he served as lead architect are the Lazaristes Monastery Theatre and Cultural Center in Thessaloniki, the Olympic Weightlifting Stadium for the Athens Olympic Games, the Olympic Athletic Center of Athens (OAKA) complex (in collaboration with Santiago Calatrava), the Corfu Opera House, Kos International Airport, the new Thessaloniki Metro (13 stations), and the Costa Navarino resort and golf development in Pylos, Messinia.
He was also a member of the design team for the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center in Athens (including the new Greek National Opera and National Library), in collaboration with Renzo Piano.
He has served as Architectural Design Director for the seven regional airports of the Aegean on behalf of Fraport Greece, as well as for three elevated metro stations of the Red Line South in Doha, Qatar.
More recently, as lead architect, he has worked on projects such as the Hellinikon Experience Center, the renovation of the Piraeus Tower, and the building for people with disabilities at Hellinikon.
He is currently the lead architect for the design of the Riviera Galleria at Hellinikon, in collaboration with Kengo Kuma and Associates, as well as for the renovation of the Arsakeio Arcade complex.
Ilias Papageorgiou is a Greek architect and founder of PILA. He brings extensive experience from Europe and America, having led the design and realization of high profile cultural, commercial and residential projects around the world. Prior to founding PILA, Ilias was a partner at SO-IL in New York. Ilias studied architecture at Aristotle University in Thessaloniki and at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, with a scholarship from the Onassis Foundation.
In addition to his practice, Ilias is a frequent lecturer and panelist at leading design institutions. Ilias is currently an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture and Planning, and has previously taught at Tulane University and University of Thessaly.
Ilias’s work has been internationally recognized, having been awarded as a Curbed Groundbreaker, Architects under 50, Domes International Review of Architecture Awards, and the Young Greek Architects Awards.
His work has been widely published and exhibited in institutions such as the Venice Architecture Biennale in Italy, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum in New York and the Benaki Museum in Athens.