The architect who wants to be the mayor
The architect who wants to be the mayor
A 2022 interview with Giannis Armeftis, candidate for mayor of Limassol
In June 2022, in connection with my Fulbright research, I interviewed architect Giannis Armeftis. The founder of influential firm Armeftis + Partners, based in Limassol, Cyprus, Armeftis has supervised several high-profile projects in the region, such as the Oval office tower, a collaboration with the firm WKK, and the Blu Marine residential towers, co-designed with the firm Benoy.
Armeftis was born in Thessaloniki, Greece in 1971 and grew up in Limassol, Cyprus. Like most Cypriots during this time, he lived through tragedy. His father was slain by EOKA B terrorists ahead of the 1974 Greek-sponsored coup in Cyprus, which was followed by the Turkish invasion and sustained occupation of the northern third of the island.
Armeftis’ architectural office, located in the heart of the old town of Limassol, is a fusion of the classical Cypriot and modernist landscape. A city of 260,000, Limassol is one of the most cosmopolitan and dense areas of Cyprus, home to many expatriate communities and international businesses, as well as the city’s annual tradition of Carnival.
Not content with his prominent firm, Armeftis has also founded a constellation of local organizations. A charitable foundation in honor of his father, the Greek-language media platform Limassol Today, a podcast called L-Air, and a community planning initiative called Για τη Λεμεσό (“For Limassol”), which includes a ten-year plan for Limassol’s development, one in which he proposes principles of a 15-minute city, including the creation of a light rail line and new public parks and bike routes.
In 2021, in an unusual step for an architect, Armeftis announced he was running to be Limassol’s mayor, facing off against incumbent mayor Nicos Nicolaides. The election was postponed due to the pandemic, and when I met Armeftis in 2022, he downplayed his candidacy, iterating that at that point it was all up in the air.
Now that the election is upon us, it’s no longer up in the air. With the vote slated for June 9, 2024, it felt time to revisit part of this interview, quoted in my 2022 lecture at CVAR and related 2023 conference paper in New Zealand.
On occasion, the idea of an architect being mayor has been the province of science fiction, such as in Fritz Lang’s classic 1927 film Metropolis, in which a man named Joh Frederson serves as both the “master builder” and leader of his eponymous city.
So, will an architect become mayor in Limassol? And what would that look like? This is, of course, an immensely interesting question to readers of The Usonian.
HARRISON BLACKMAN: Limassol is a city of many symbols—the sea, ancient Amathus, Limassol and Kolossi castles, and now high-rises. In your eyes, what is the image and identity of Limassol?
GIANNIS ARMEFTIS: The most characteristic part of the landscape of Limassol is the sea. At the same time, the symbols you mentioned as well as the old and the new port, the marina, the embankment, all together form the identity of Limassol. The city’s identity is also shaped by its increasing multiculturalism and multi-leveled development. More and more people from different cultures, perceptions, occupation or social status are living, working and socializing in Limassol.
HB: In an article published in Cyprus International Business Magazine, you posed the question as to whether Limassol can become a coastal metropolis. Well, can it? What is your vision for the future of Limassol?
GA: Yes, I strongly believe that Limassol can become a modern coastal metropolis, and a modern European Mediterranean city. A vision that can only be achieved through a series of actions and an innovative planning and intervention. Planning that must include policies to transform Limassol into a green, smart and creative city, a city that is organically connected to its greatest element, the sea. Planning and policies that will make Limassol a driving force for growth, an important business centre, and at the same time a role model-city for quality of life.
HB: Let’s talk about the Oval. The firm’s website describes the Oval’s shape as a reference to the morphology of the shell and also the pebbles on the nearby beach. Can you tell me about the symbolism of the building and its relationship with the Limassol landscape and situation?
GA: The concept design of the Oval was developed by ATKINS UK (now WKK Architects). By its shape, the Oval is strongly connected to Limassol landscape’s main characteristic, the sea. This shape, in combination with the fact that it is one of the first tall buildings in Limassol, serves as a landmark and reference point for the city. It is a building that fulfills the objective of creating more sustainable developments in the city. Its north-south orientation aims at the optimal result in terms of sustainability and energy efficiency. The building has openings, allowing fresh air circulation from one side to the other. At the last level, an accessible roof garden is created for use by the offices. All tall buildings should serve the purpose of creating a “relationship” between the building and the user.
HB: Some of your firm’s projects are monumental and contemporary in design, but the design for your office in the old part of Limassol works with the built environment and combines the historic building’s facade in combination with the modern wing of the building. What is your guiding philosophy as a designer?
GA: Our designs are experience oriented. We are interested in creating spaces that facilitate human interaction and relations’ building. Spaces that encourage socializing. Buildings that create experiences both for the user and the passer-by. We focus on designing sustainable buildings that contribute to the development of social sustainability, wellbeing and quality of life. In our designs we often include semi-outdoor spaces, such as arcades, patios, balconies, which work wonderfully in the climate of Cyprus. We also experiment with spaces that have vague boundaries.
HB: In Limassol, the recent proliferation of high-rise buildings is a topic on everyone’s mind. In an interview with All About Limassol, you said, “I believe that the tall buildings in the city are not only not a threat, but on the contrary they can function with specific conditions and as an opportunity.” What are the challenges and opportunities presented by tall buildings in Limassol, in your view?
GA: In the case of Limassol, the development and especially the construction of tall buildings by the private sector has preceded the central urban planning. Tall buildings are connected to the identity, size, and density of cities. What we need is more compact cities, able to accommodate more people, with large parks. Factors that should be taken into account, through integrated development plans of our urban centres. Tall buildings are an integral part of evolution. As in all cities in the world, they are located in specific areas. To avoid causing traffic problems, they are located in areas served by public transport networks. Also, the development of tall buildings is associated with the creation of compensations such as large square spaces and green spaces, and other infrastructure of public utility in the area. Tall buildings should be a product of real-life needs, arising from economic activity and sustainable development.
HB: I was looking at the description of Blu Marine on the firm’s website. The description touts that the building, once complete will “leave as many visual corridors as possible in the east-west direction parallel to the coastline.” How does one design for creating ocean views for a skyscraper while respecting the potential views of neighboring properties?
GA: The area that the Limassol Blu Marine is being developed is a tall building zoning district. So, the concept design of the project was developed taking into account that other high-rise buildings will be developed in the area in the future. Moreover, the design includes huge elevated squares, both private and public, thus encouraging interaction between residents and neighbors or visitors of the area. Nevertheless, when someone designs a skyscraper, it is vital to consider the orientation of the building, as well as its location within the site and in relation to the neighboring properties.
HB: You announced your candidacy for mayor of Limassol last year [2021]. As an architect, how would your background and experience in your design career play into a political and administrative role such as this one?
GA: I have been an active Limassol citizen for many years. I served as a Municipal Councillor for 10 years. During my term, I was chairman of the Municipal Development and Tourism Committee. Also, as an Architect for 26 years, I have walked every inch of this city and explored all aspects of it. I know Limassol very well, its problems and weaknesses as well as its benefits and prospects and I have a clear picture of how I want to see my city evolve. Furthermore, it is my belief that a mayor needs to act, more or less, like a CEO of a company. To have a clear vision and a plan for the city, to be able to exercise effective lobbying within the state, to promote decisions and policies for the benefit of the city.
HB: In the article in Cyprus International Business Magazine, you write that Limassol must become a “green” city and a “smart” city. What kinds of approaches would you hope that Limassol takes to achieve such goals?
GA: There are three ways to transform Limassol into a Green City: First, through the development of new and flagship projects, such as the Metropolitan Park, the Linear Park of the Coastal Road (Aktaia Street), the unification of large suburban parks and the enhancement of urban green areas in streets and squares. Second, through city connection, which means connection with cycle paths / pedestrian zones between the Ancient Kourion and the Akrotiri Aliki (Salt Lake) ecosystem and the Amathus archeological site, with an extension to the Governor’s Beach. Third, by designing the “15-minute City”. With an expanded network of pedestrian zones and cycle paths that will connect neighbourhoods, schools, local shopping centres with the city centre and the beach. Also, Limassol will manage to be “smart” when the city invests in digital technology and provides with applications directly serving the citizen. The most important of all is for the Municipality organization and governance to be upgraded and modernized. Municipal services need to be improved and digitalized and new, innovative forms of city administration need to be adopted.
HB: It is evident, from all your efforts in Limassol—from Limassol Today to Για τη Λεμεσό, that you are deeply passionate about your city. What is your favorite place in the city and why?
GA: It has more to do with emotion rather than a specific place. So, I would say that I feel more content when I am at the center of the old city, where my office is, in an area where there is more social interaction, a stronger connection with the city. It is an area where you feel the smells, the pulse of the city. I have a special preference for places where people connect and come closer. However, no one can resist the charm of the sea, so almost every morning I start my day walking on the beach.
