Draft:Elena K. Tsolakis



Elena K. Tsolakis RIBA is an Australian Greek Cypriot architect. She is director of Kyriakos Tsolakis Architects[1] which has offices in Nicosia, Cyprus and London, England. She has been an elected board member of the RIBA twice[2].

Early life and education

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Born was in Melbourne, Tsolakis studied architecture at University of Melbourne obtaining Bachelor of Architecture, she then went on to study in London at Kingston University for her Masters Diploma of Architecture and at University of Westminster for her Post graduate Diploma of Architecture completing her studies in 2009.

Notable works

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2016: The first women's refuge and crisis centre in Cyprus, nominated for the European Union Mies van de Rohe award for Contemporary Architecture. It offers bi-communal support for women based in the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities.[3] Building on 25 years of work from the local charity the new centre is a national hub for support and campaigning recognised with a national human rights award in 2021[4].

2021: Mykonos Wellness Hotel for athletes incorporates a unique site in a valley on the greek island to fuse modern design with local materials "These natural materials complement the vibrancy of the turquoise Bali stone pools to create a rich palette of textures and tones within a valley of boulders and undulating hills."[5]

2024: Troodos Star Observatory is the first purpose-built star observatory in Cyprus and was completed in 2024.[6] Constructed 1,200 metres above sea level on a mountaintop within a UNESCO area the building draws inspiration from Star Wars sci-fi iconography with to "inspire and excite anyone who sees it from afar or up close"[7]. Costing $1.9 million to construct[8], it has been nominated for the World Architecture Festival awards 2024.

Awards, publications and exhibitions

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References

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  1. ^ "KYRIAKOS TSOLAKIS ARCHITECTS". Studio Homepage.
  2. ^ Tsatsou, Marianna (13 September 2012). "Architect Tsolakis Re-named to UK Royal Institute". Greek Reporter.
  3. ^ "Women's Refuge and Crisis Centre". European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award. 2017.
  4. ^ "Human rights awards for Spavo and Hope for Children | Cyprus Mail". cyprus-mail.com. 2021-12-11. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  5. ^ "Kyriakos Tsolakis Architects blends resort for athlete rehabilitation into Mykonos hillside". Dezeen. 2021-08-16. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  6. ^ "Cyprus to get first purpose-built 'Star Wars' observatory". Financial Mirror. 14 April 2021.
  7. ^ Frearson, Amy (2017-09-06). "Star Wars-inspired observatory will be built atop a mountain in Cyprus". Dezeen. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  8. ^ Kourtoglou, Yiannis (July 4, 2024). "'Spaceship' observatory allows Cyprus stargazers a peek at the final frontier". Reuters.
  9. ^ The exhibition of the Royal Academy, The 241st. London, UK: RA Publications. 2009. p. 188. ISBN 9781905711635.
  10. ^ "Greek Australian honoured with re-election to prestigious UK body". Neos Kosmos. 13 September 2012.
  11. ^ a b Skoufatoglou, Nelly (31 July 2018). "Elena Tsolakis talks about taking her family's architectural legacy to the next level". Neos Kosmos.
  12. ^ Retropioneers: Architecture Redefined. RIBA Publishing. 5 July 2017. pp. 70–76. ISBN 9781859467565.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  13. ^ The exhibition of the Royal Academy, 2022 The 254th. RA Publications. 2022. p. 58. ISBN 9781912520930.
  14. ^ Harriss, Harriet; House, Naomi; Parrinder, Monika; Ravenscroft, Tom (2023). 100 Women Architects in Practice (1st ed.). RIBA. pp. 218–220. ISBN 9781859469637.
  15. ^ "World Architecture Festival, 2024, National Star Observatory, Cyprus". World Architecture Festival.