Doors of Kypseli
Interview with Eleanor Lines
What makes you interested in capturing doors and why these doors in particular?
My interest in the doors of Kypseli sparked when I came to Athens in 2016 for a 2 month artist residency with Snehta. I began exploring the area with my camera and soon noticed these wonderful Art Deco, Bauhaus and Modernist door entrances dating from the 1930’s through until the 1960’s. As an artist whose work primarily revolves around geometric patterns, and often uses architectural form as a starting point, I found the shapes and patterns of these doors particularly inspiring. A year after my art residency, having fallen in love with the city, I moved to Athens from my hometown in London (UK). Based once again in Kypseli, I continued to photograph the doors on my walks. Doors were scattered across my phone and laptop in no particular order and so I decided to make a proper index of the photos, editing and labelling each one. I then began making illustrations of the doors, illuminating their motifs. I am currently working towards a book which will contain 100 of these illustrations presenting them as a typology.
From a conceptual point of view there is a symbolism to a doorway, they act as a threshold, an entrance or an exit and a division between inside and outside space. Metaphorically they represent beginnings, endings and transitions. I leave those readings open for others. I like to think my renderings of these portals can take people's imaginations on their own journey.
Can you talk a bit about the architectural history behind the doors that you photograph and sketch in Kypseli? What are the characteristics and motifs that you see in these doors?
Urban development of Kypseli began in the 1930’s influenced by international trends such as Art Deco, Bauhaus and modernism. The earlier 1920’s houses in Kypseli were built in neoclassical and eclectic styles and although they also have their own doors and character, my project focuses on the doors from the 1930’s as I find their motifs to be more striking. Amongst them you can find sunrays, frozen fountains and hanging curtains to name a few. Some of the doors have a middle eastern twist, which given Greece’s proximity on the edge of Europe explains why these influences would merge in some way.
Kypseli became an area for the middle class Athenians and by the 1950’s it was a very affluent area. In the 60’s it was full of theatres, cafes and nightlife, even the likes of Eric Clapton came to play. However, by the 1980’s its residents started to move to the suburbs of Athens in search of more space and greenery, and the area went into decline. Despite its decline, the area still holds an architectural legacy which is often overlooked by many. There is a faded grandeur, some of the doors are graffitied or missing door handles or boarded up. My project looks to rejuvenate and draw attention to these beautiful doors, removing them from their context, cleaning them up in a virtual sense and concentrating on their pure design.
What makes Kypseli such an interesting neighborhood?
Kypseli is a very diverse and multicultural neighbourhood which is reflected in the shops and restaurants you find in the area. It is said that Kypseli is Europe's most densely populated district, this might need some fact checking, but regardless it is very populated and busy! It is experiencing something of a resurgence in recent years. The financial crash of 2008 took a huge toll on the Greek economy, but in the years following many artists were attracted to the city, especially areas such as Kyspeli and Exarchia. Seeing possibilities with the empty commercial properties and affordable rents, project spaces, artist residencies and studio began popping up. The area has a very creative flare.
I think of Athens visually and metaphorically as ‘fractal’ - that is, never-ending patterns with fluid turbulence. The doors that you capture reinforce elements of this to me - the geometric designs, the variations on a theme, the contrasts, etc. What do you think these doors say about Athens as a city?
Fractal is an interesting way to describe Athens. There are many visual repetitions within the city across all of the districts. You only have to get up high on a rooftop to see the repetition of white flat roofs covered in antennas, satellite dishes, and silver water heaters which shimmer as they reflect the sun. Not only are the door motifs fractal in themselves, but those I have captured in Kypseli can be found throughout the city, often presented as variations of a theme, with another element added, a change in colour or a different layout.
The doors say many things about Athens as a city and a lot of that comes down to interpretation. Their particular designs mark their place in the architectural timeline. They reveal what attention to detail there was when these buildings were erected. The entry point of a building was given great significance, not only in the design of the door, but also the spacious marble lobby entrances complete with a concierge desk and tiled modernist murals. For me, the doors are the glue of the city. Their outward facing personalities give each building a unique character and identity. If I’m taking a taxi across town, I often look out of the window spotting doors. It becomes like a game, their repeatable nature gives a sense of place and familiarity.
As a foreigner and someone who arrived in the city in my thirties, I see Athens through an outside and comparative lens. My particular interest in the doors comes from my interest in design history. I can imagine for those born in Athens, the motifs of the doors conjure up many more feelings, imbuing a sense of home, nostalgia and act as the starting point for old stories to be told.
Eleanor is an artist and artist educator born and raised in South London specialising in screen printing. She now lives and works between Athens and London and is currently working on a book about the doors in her local neighbourhood in Athens. Architecture, geometry, pattern and structure are all prevailing themes within her work. She has founded a screen printing studio; Kypseli Print Studio which is open to the local and international artist community, providing educational workshops and artist residencies.
Instagram: @eleanorlines @doorsofkypseli @kypseliprintstudio
My interest in the doors of Kypseli sparked when I came to Athens in 2016 for a 2 month artist residency with Snehta. I began exploring the area with my camera and soon noticed these wonderful Art Deco, Bauhaus and Modernist door entrances dating from the 1930’s through until the 1960’s. As an artist whose work primarily revolves around geometric patterns, and often uses architectural form as a starting point, I found the shapes and patterns of these doors particularly inspiring. A year after my art residency, having fallen in love with the city, I moved to Athens from my hometown in London (UK). Based once again in Kypseli, I continued to photograph the doors on my walks. Doors were scattered across my phone and laptop in no particular order and so I decided to make a proper index of the photos, editing and labelling each one. I then began making illustrations of the doors, illuminating their motifs. I am currently working towards a book which will contain 100 of these illustrations presenting them as a typology.
From a conceptual point of view there is a symbolism to a doorway, they act as a threshold, an entrance or an exit and a division between inside and outside space. Metaphorically they represent beginnings, endings and transitions. I leave those readings open for others. I like to think my renderings of these portals can take people's imaginations on their own journey.
Can you talk a bit about the architectural history behind the doors that you photograph and sketch in Kypseli? What are the characteristics and motifs that you see in these doors?
Urban development of Kypseli began in the 1930’s influenced by international trends such as Art Deco, Bauhaus and modernism. The earlier 1920’s houses in Kypseli were built in neoclassical and eclectic styles and although they also have their own doors and character, my project focuses on the doors from the 1930’s as I find their motifs to be more striking. Amongst them you can find sunrays, frozen fountains and hanging curtains to name a few. Some of the doors have a middle eastern twist, which given Greece’s proximity on the edge of Europe explains why these influences would merge in some way.
Kypseli became an area for the middle class Athenians and by the 1950’s it was a very affluent area. In the 60’s it was full of theatres, cafes and nightlife, even the likes of Eric Clapton came to play. However, by the 1980’s its residents started to move to the suburbs of Athens in search of more space and greenery, and the area went into decline. Despite its decline, the area still holds an architectural legacy which is often overlooked by many. There is a faded grandeur, some of the doors are graffitied or missing door handles or boarded up. My project looks to rejuvenate and draw attention to these beautiful doors, removing them from their context, cleaning them up in a virtual sense and concentrating on their pure design.
What makes Kypseli such an interesting neighborhood?
Kypseli is a very diverse and multicultural neighbourhood which is reflected in the shops and restaurants you find in the area. It is said that Kypseli is Europe's most densely populated district, this might need some fact checking, but regardless it is very populated and busy! It is experiencing something of a resurgence in recent years. The financial crash of 2008 took a huge toll on the Greek economy, but in the years following many artists were attracted to the city, especially areas such as Kyspeli and Exarchia. Seeing possibilities with the empty commercial properties and affordable rents, project spaces, artist residencies and studio began popping up. The area has a very creative flare.
I think of Athens visually and metaphorically as ‘fractal’ - that is, never-ending patterns with fluid turbulence. The doors that you capture reinforce elements of this to me - the geometric designs, the variations on a theme, the contrasts, etc. What do you think these doors say about Athens as a city?
Fractal is an interesting way to describe Athens. There are many visual repetitions within the city across all of the districts. You only have to get up high on a rooftop to see the repetition of white flat roofs covered in antennas, satellite dishes, and silver water heaters which shimmer as they reflect the sun. Not only are the door motifs fractal in themselves, but those I have captured in Kypseli can be found throughout the city, often presented as variations of a theme, with another element added, a change in colour or a different layout.
The doors say many things about Athens as a city and a lot of that comes down to interpretation. Their particular designs mark their place in the architectural timeline. They reveal what attention to detail there was when these buildings were erected. The entry point of a building was given great significance, not only in the design of the door, but also the spacious marble lobby entrances complete with a concierge desk and tiled modernist murals. For me, the doors are the glue of the city. Their outward facing personalities give each building a unique character and identity. If I’m taking a taxi across town, I often look out of the window spotting doors. It becomes like a game, their repeatable nature gives a sense of place and familiarity.
As a foreigner and someone who arrived in the city in my thirties, I see Athens through an outside and comparative lens. My particular interest in the doors comes from my interest in design history. I can imagine for those born in Athens, the motifs of the doors conjure up many more feelings, imbuing a sense of home, nostalgia and act as the starting point for old stories to be told.
Eleanor is an artist and artist educator born and raised in South London specialising in screen printing. She now lives and works between Athens and London and is currently working on a book about the doors in her local neighbourhood in Athens. Architecture, geometry, pattern and structure are all prevailing themes within her work. She has founded a screen printing studio; Kypseli Print Studio which is open to the local and international artist community, providing educational workshops and artist residencies.
Instagram: @eleanorlines @doorsofkypseli @kypseliprintstudio
