The Acropolis Restoration News 16 • September 2016 The Acropolis viewed from the west. Photo T. Souvlakis, 2016 Μ. Κorres - A hero founder Ch. Bouras - The Committee for the Conservation of the Acropolis Monuments V. Eleftheriou - 2016, The progress of restoration works on the Acropolis Κ. Mamalougas, D. Michalopoulou - Backfilling the foundations and designing a new floor for the interior of the Erechtheion V. Eleftheriou, Ε. Karakitsou - The “Cast Laboratory” of the sculptural and relief decoration of the Acropolis monuments Μ. Katsianis, P. Kamatsos - The digital repository of ΥSΜΑ: Contribution to the preservation of the collective memory of the restoration interventions Ε. Petropoulou - News from the Acropolis A hero founder to assist the best young architects, who, despite the existing building boom of that period and the guarantee of poten- tial professional success, preferred the not so profitable adventure of working in the monuments. Year after year the number of students was increasing and by the time relevant programmes were finally introduced into Greece about one hundred students had already ben- efitted by expanding their studies. Dur- ing the same long-lasting period the Pro- fessor was progressively cultivating the right conditions in undergraduate level by offering optional subjects equivalent with those of the best technical universi- ties of Europe. Alongside, he also played a leading role in the most important restoration works of the country, (al- ways pro bono) and as such his teaching always corresponded to real needs and conditions, supported by his vast practi- cal and construction knowledge which was also combined with a perfect legal and protocol knowledge. Finishing, we can say that Charalam- bos Bouras had a great impact on many Charalambos Bouras (1933-2016). Photo G. Triantafyllou young architects, who excelled in a pro- fession that recognises him as being the decisive factor for its strict scientific Charalambos Bouras is no longer with after his appointment as a Professor in and principles-based development in us, yet his work, whose traces can even the School of Architecture of the Uni- Greece. In other words, Charalambos be found within ourselves, embraces versity of Thessaloniki, Bouras had his Bouras was the hero founder of that ac- and surrounds us. We are surrounded renowned “Three Suggestions” ready. by his knowledge of the History of Ar- Being still quite young but of a recog- tivity that unites and makes us useful chitecture and his ideas he did not only nised academic status he had managed members of our world. A hero founder, cultivate, but also generously and ef- to present and discuss these suggestions who according to its ancient meaning fectively placed at everyone’s disposal. in the 1st Archaeological Conference was the founder of a city or generally However, although this academic field and then had them published in the of a collective institution. In that new existed even before Bouras, owing to Technical Chronicles. These suggestions scientific field, already in existence for the efforts of his predecessors, the Pro- referred to the need for a highly reliable quite some time, with the oldest of us tection and Restoration of monuments documentation and diagnosis on the now retired, after having a lot transmit- are domains that had never developed conditions of the monuments, the crea- ted to the next generation, Charalambos in our country on a national level, as un- tion and effective storage of appropriate Bouras inspired to all of us also the ap- til the time of the work of Orlandos and archives and finally the introduction of propriate ethos: companions not rivals! Travlos, only isolated personal cases had postgraduate studies in the School of Ar- Yet, as time wears on, conditions change diligently tried to work within this field. chitecture to provide students with the and our strength is questioned, and al- opportunity to have an advanced scien- The way the field of action of these pio- though Charalambos Bouras is not here tific and professional specialisation. neers evolved into an academic/profes- any longer, and he might still have had sional speciality within Greece, and At the same time, because his environ- many things to offer and derive pleasure achieved to attain a satisfying insti- ment was not entirely mature yet, he from, his numerous writings preserve tutional safeguarding and a collective initiated the implementation of these their value, while his advice, thoughts recognition, was also among Charalam- ideas by taking personal action. Having and methods seem to exert such strong bos Bouras’ achievements. The older already gained professional recognition influence that can pleasantly and ben- ones among us already know the story. and having devoted a lot of time to writ- eficially accompany our own journey. We might not know the very moment ing texts, letters and reports, he had, for Athens, 29 July 2016 such thoughts came to our teacher’s decades, managed to obtain scholarships mind, but in March 1967, only months for postgraduate studies abroad in order Manolis Korres 3 The Committee for the Conservation of the Acropolis Monuments Forty years since its formation and non- Among the principles the Committee cerning the general strategy and sched- stop operation, the Committee for the developed were the ones concerning uling of the works, in particular they Conservation of the Acropolis Monu- the transparency of the works and the have focused on the fact that some an- ments can be considered as a success- dissemination of information to the astelosis works preceded other conser- ful advisory body. This is mainly due to public. Thus, it organised six Interna- vation works. However, it is well known the responsibility its members feel for tional Meetings for the restoration of that the works of restoring monuments, the serious work they have undertaken the Acropolis monuments, distributed especially those of the classical period, and also because of its interdiscipli- many studies and reports of the com- such as the ones in the Acropolis, can- nary composition. It is all too natural pleted works, and most importantly not be scheduled in the same way as new that forty years of shared working expe- publishes an annual Newsletter where constructions because quite often, un- rience result not only in shared memo- all the members of the Service can con- expected structural damages appear de- ries of important events but also in the tribute with their writings. manding immediate repair. This results need for self-evaluation and reflection. in delays since every architectural mem- The Committee also inaugurated a thor- ber has to regain its initial strength, so The reasons behind the beginning and ough documentation of the monuments continuation of the consolidation/res- the existing timetable needs readjust- before and during the interventions, the ment. toration interventions in the classical preservation of the structural autonomy monuments of the Acropolis are well of the architectural members and the The remaining works to be implemented known. The Committee, once it set out prevention of any chiselling off of the on the Parthenon were fully presented in the principles for the interventions, ex- architectural members. All these aim at the proceedings of the 6th International tending those of the Venice Charter, or- applying the principle of “reversibility”, Meeting for the restoration of the Acrop- ganises and monitors the studies of the according to which the architectural olis monuments, in 2013. programmes, submits work proposals for members can be taken back to the condi- The Committee hopes that these works their approval to the Central Archaeo- tion they had before the intervention. logical Council and then supervises their will have been completed in the follow- execution. In 1999, in accordance to a The quality of the works in the Acropo- ing years without departing from the Presidential Decree, the Acropolis Res- lis has gained the Committee consider- principles and methods applied during toration Service was founded. Being in able prestige both in Greece and abroad. the last forty years. operation until today its Head is respon- During the 70s though, it received some Athens, 31 May 2016 sible for proposing the studies of the new negative criticism by some English and programmes to the Committee and sug- Italian publications, however, docume- Charalambos Bouras gesting the required steps that need to be nted answers were given. In Greece there Emeritus Professor of NTUA taken for their implementation. have recently been some criticisms con- ESMA President The Acropolis viewed from Lycabettus hill, April 2016. Photo Τ. Souvlakis 2016, The progress of restoration works on the Acropolis In 2016 we paid our last respects to 2016 was a transition period between chitectural and static study” was com- our teacher Charalambos Bouras, the NSRF 2007-2013, which was complet- pleted and submitted for approval to the President of ESMA for thirty years. The ed, and NSRF 2014-2020, expected to Central Archaeological Council thanks last time he visited the Acropolis was start at the beginning of 2017. The Ser- to the voluntary work of K. Skaris and on 19th November 2015, when together vice, downsized to its 1/3 of its staff, the civil engineer A. Vrouva. with other members of the Committee dealt mainly with the preparation of the At the same time the rearrangement of he went to inspect the progress of the new restoration programmes and the the worksite installations and equip- works as the restoration programmes rearrangement of the worksites so as to ment was examined, paying special within NSRF 2007-2015 were about to facilitate future works. An additional- attention to the transfer of the crane be completed. During that visit the ex- emergency funding from the National from the west side to the Parthenon tent of the existing problems in other Investments Programme allowed the re- cella.