Ι+Α ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟΥ

61 years

The architects that changed ‘history’

J + A Philippou Architects Engineers has completed 61 years of practice. It was established in 1960 by brothers Iacovos and Andreas Philippou and has major works under its belt both in Cyprus and abroad. The office has introduced all round professionalism and construction know how in Cyprus. There have been numerous anecdotal stories surrounding the office and its founders over time. We spoke about them with Andreas Philippou.

60 years of a distinguished creative history

The architectural office J + A Philippou architects-engineers, was established by the brothers Iacovos and Andreas Philippou and in 2021 it completed six decades of creative course.

The course of the Office over time is interwoven with the modern history of the island, during which the island takes its first steps as an independent country.

The architectural landscape of the time called for renewal and growth, through the new architectural and other conditions, as well as emerging needs.

Andreas Philippou in his office, today.

The Kykkos gymnasium in Engomi is the first project that sealed the beginnings of a steadily upward trend for the office.

Down the line, other major infrastructure works, both state and private contracts, but as well as a multitude of tourist and housing developments, built the first strong foundations right through to the summer of 74. Following the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, conditions change dramatically and J + A Philippou was also affected.

The new financial and socioeconomic framework leads the Office to seek projects abroad, as a means of survival and more so to pay personnel wages. Taking up this work was an absolute necessity. The Middle East and mainly Oman were landmarks for the Office both because they breathed new life into it and the experiences they provided in the development sector.

The culmination of the J+A Philippou activities was the design and construction of the Conference and Hotel Complex ‘Al Bustan Intercontinental Hotel’ in Muscat, Oman. The participation of the Office in such a large scale project was a source of great experience, a learning process for personnel who had the opportunity to take part.

The Office activities extend beyond Cyprus. Pictured here is the ‘Al Bustan Intercontinental Hotel’ in Muscat.

During the recovery and new economic boom of the 1980s, the Office focused, amongst other works, on hotel development, major organisations and bank buildings, as well as housing units and medical centres.

In 2013, the difficult financial and social conditions in Cyprus that emerged following the crisis, once again led the office to taking jobs abroad. More specifically, works in Qatar and Saudi Arabia, along with major development projects in Cyprus, pulled the Office back on its feet.

Today, enjoying a multidimensional resume of more than three thousand architectural works and having completed projects in all categories, the Office employs around 70 people, specialised personnel. Architects, urban planners, civil engineers and technicians, as well as support administrative staff, providing high quality coordinated services in all the aforementioned fields, for works of all scales and varying degrees of complexity. It is also worth noting that the Office has successfully cooperated with numerous local and international houses, of all specialisations.

The Office personnel. ‘To us the most important chapter in the company’, J+A Philippou says

Looking to the future

With a multidimensional contribution to the architectural life of Cyprus and beyond, J + A Philippou Architects Engineers is looking to the future, focusing on the fast changing and evolving conditions and adopting new technologies and know how, both in design and construction.

Seven members of the Philippou family work today at J+A Philippou Architects, Engineers. ‘This is due to the fact that we’re a very connected family. Younger family members, on their own free will, chose to become architects’ as Andreas Philippou notes.

As the company puts it,

‘Our goal is to constantly evolve, keeping pace with the complex character of times ahead, with the starting point always being the knowledge, values and principles that our Office maintains throughout its course. Fully conscious of the principles and responsibilities that have been handed down and forged our character, today’s directors, namely Alekos, Alkis, Paris and Pavlos continue to develop architecture with new ideas, attracting major investments and works. Τhe addition of the 3rd generation to the Office, with architects Stephanos and Markos Philippou breathes new life and prospects that will further the history of our Office’.

Founders and torch bearers

Iacovos Philippou (1930 – 2009) – Architect and founding member

Iacovos Philippou had surveyed and overseen quite a large number of works, at various levels of complexity and earned international recognition. Beyond his professional activity, he had served in many public organisations, was deputy mayor of Nicosia, was president of the Anti-Narcotics Council of Cyprus, as well as President of the Cyprus Architects and Engineers Registration Board.

Andreas Philippou – Architect and founding member / Director

His career has been internationally recognised and his resume includes an extensive array of works. Beyond his wide ranging and decades long architectural experience, he has served in the executive boards of a number of state and private organisations, and president of the board of directors of the CyBC and Logos (MEGA) while he also served as member of the Bank of Cyprus and the Makarios Cultural Foundation Executive Boards for a number of years.

Andreas Philippou is an avid watercolorist and has also published two books on Cyprus Byzantine Architecture.

Alexandros Andreas Philippou – Architect / Director

He has been working at the Office since 1981 and holds the position of director today. He graduated from L’Unite D’Architecture Νumero Deux University in Paris. During his long standing career, he designed, produced and oversaw a wide range of complex works, both in Cyprus and abroad.

Included as his most significant projects are the finance ministry of Cyprus building, the Bank of Cyprus, Arab Bank (Astro Bank) and Hellenic Bank in Nicosia and Paphos and the Bank of Cyprus Central Offices, with works also consisting of hotels, residences, office buildings, apartment complexes as well as various malls. He is head architect of the University of Cyprus project (cooperating with Atelier Jean Nouvel) and the Aphrodite Hills tourist resort. He has also been a member of the GSP Executive Board for almost a decade.

Alkis Philippou – Architect / Director

He has been working at the Office since 1989 and holds the position of director today. He has secured his architecture degree from Ecole Speciale d’Αrchitecture (D.ESA) of Paris.

During his professional course, he has surveyed and overseen a wide range of works such as housing developments, educational foundations, malls, hotel units and leisure complexes. Alkis has recently played an important role in efforts to kickstart the company’s activities in the Middle East and particularly the Sultanate of Oman, which had ceased due to major changes in the country over the last period.

Paris Philippou – Architect / Director

He has been working at the Office since 1998 and holds the position of director today. Ηe has secured a diploma from the Architectural Association School of Architecture (AA) in London and since then has been combining his practice with research-particularly at the Architectural Research Centre of the University of Nicosia. Paris is an architect and urban design research and his works have been published and exhibited internationally. They include the successful submission Europan and the exhibition at the 10th Venice Biennale, an award from the Greek architectural magazine Domes and representing Cyprus at the EU’s Modern Architecture award (also known as Mies van der Rohe award).

Pavlos Philippou – Architect / Director

He has been working at the Office since 1999 and holds the position of director today. He has secured all his degrees-diploma, Postgraduate and Doctoral, from the Architectural Association School of Architecture (AA) in London.

Beyond his practice, Pavlos is also involved in teaching and research, with his interests including the history and theory of architecture and urbanisation, as well as the way in which territorial design contributes to the modern city in creative ways. His work has been published and exhibited internationally. Alongside his participation in our Office, he has taken part in professional juries, was the President of the Urban Planning Board and has lectured in many universities, mainly in the UK, Australia, Greece and Cyprus.

Stephanos Philippou – Architect

He has been working at the Office as an architect since 2010. He has secured Bachelors and Masters Degrees from Ensapys (Ecole Nationale D’ Architecture  Paris-Val de Seine), in Paris. During his professional course he has surveyed and overseen a wide range of works such as private residences, housing developments, educational foundations, hotel units, food and beverage halls and others. He is also involved in adopting new architectural design software and training Office personnel. In addition, he is an amateur painter, both conventional and digital. His painting ‘Adventitious City’ can be found at the permanent NFTArts exhibition in London.

Markos Philippou-Architect

He has been working as an architect at the Office since 2017. He has graduated with a diploma from Ecole Speciale d’Architecture (D.ESA) in Paris. During his brief professional course, he was involved in a wide range of developments, such as private residences, housing complexes, offices, hotel units, training centres and others. Alongside Stephanos, he contributes to training staff in new architectural design software.  Markos keeps researching the relationship between architecture and technology and the different ways in which an idea can be translated through digital and material means. This is the way in which he models his architectural views in detail.

The architects that changed ‘history’

J + A Philippou Architects Engineers has completed 61 years of practice. It was established in 1960 by brothers Iacovos and Andreas Philippou and has major works under its belt both in Cyprus and abroad. The office has introduced all round professionalism and construction know how in Cyprus. There have been numerous anecdotal stories surrounding the office and its founders over time. We spoke about them with Andreas Philippou.

Andreas Philippou in his office, today.

Everywhere around the island we can see signs of works you have designed. They have been numerous over the past 60 years. How do you account for all this success?

The signs are obligatory by law because you always sign the buildings you design. The same applies for the rest of the works contributors such as the civil engineer, the electrician, the engineer. We follow legislation and we simply don’t count the number of signs. The success can be said to be partly timing, circumstances and perhaps a little bit of luck. But was did play a considerable role was the integrity of our office and its relationship with the clients. Those who’ve trusted us in the last 60 years remain our friends. If they have any issues or the need advice, they can come to us before making any decisions. We still maintain a friendly and professional relationship with them.

The first landmark

Your office was basically established because of the Kykkos gymnasiums construction. You’ve often expressed the view that these our works which made a positive mark on this kind of architectural history in Cyprus. Do tell us the story.

Between the 1950s and 60s, civil engineers and many technicians were essentially the architects of the works, as they were designers with experience. There were few architects to be found. At the time, new architects really had to fight hard to win any contracts. We had the opportunity with the Kykkos gymnasiums. Back then, as a contractor, our father was doing some work for the Kykkos monasteries and as the abbot was very pleased by their cooperation, he assigned the survey and overseeing of the gymnasiums’ construction to Iacovos’ office, in spite the fact that he was still very young and in early stages of his career.

My brother Iacovos had already returned to Cyprus from Lyon in 1958 and opened up a small office in the walled city of Nicosia. After finishing my studies in 1959, I stayed in London and worked in a well known Office. The Gymnasiums were quite the challenge for both Iacovos and myself. Young architects, bid job! That was when we decided I should return to Cyprus. We established, set up and organised the Office and we were on our way.

What distinguished these two buildings, architecturally wise?

During our first meeting with education minister Constandinos Spyridakis and the abbot of Kykkos we went through the functional needs of the two Gymnasiums, the financial aspect, the area that would be provided, as well as the planning. We further discussed various other organisational issues on the two schools and it was decided to build separate ones for boys and girls.  At the same time, shared spaces would be built and used as chemistry and physics labs, music and art rooms and so on. These spaces needed easy but separate access for both boys and girls.

On the conclusion of our first meeting it was decided to submit a memo on everything discussed and in addition provide a detailed list of functional needs. We sent it through and both the response and approval was immediate. We began work soon after and in a few days time presented the Master plan of the area that included the two gymnasiums, shared lab spaces, administration buildings, the amphitheatre and a sports centre. The Master Plan would be implemented in stages, starting with the boys building, which according to the programme and education ministry needs, had to be designed and built in 11 months. It was really record time and we did manage to complete it in exactly that time, without additional cost.

Before planning…

What are your red lines, your principles when designing a work?

The most important principle that must guide the process of designing a development is to conduct the right survey of the clients’ functional needs. The functional needs programme must be approved by all involved because it has to become materialising into plans. But the main thing is for this programme to be understood by the client, as it will really help the situation further down the line when changes take place. Every change means additional cost and delays. I remember a certain well known architect who gave an example in order to show the important of this programme.

‘A friendly couple asked him to design their house so they would suggest this and that to him and then change their mind to something different. After listening to them closely, he had the following response: Do you want a house to live in or a house to get a divorce in?’

In addition, cost has to be determined at this early stage. So it’s really essential to help the client decide on what their needs are and understand the whole process of design and construction.

Architecture’s immeasurable depth

Which do you consider the most important landmarks in your 60 year history?

The Office went through some tough times. More so in the early days when we took over the construction of the gymnasiums and it was just the two of us. We reached the point of desperation so many times as we had no help and everything had to go through us.

Back then schools were designed by the education ministry that mostly consisted of designers. Α layout would be prepared, on which changes were made and construction would begin. One could well say that architecture is easy, but it is really a tough profession, particularly when it comes to complex works.

I’ve been working as an architect for over 60 years and I can still say there are many things I really don’t know. Architecture has immeasurable depth; because architecture is the place, the surroundings, nature itself. Architecture and the environment are one and the same, that’s why it must not encroach and destroy the environment, but improve it, just bring it to the fore. That of course does not mean that in order for the environment to have its rightful place, we must leave things as they are. No. We can still build respecting the environment. And after we meet and kind of digest, so to speak, the area in which we’re building, what we construct must align with the surroundings, because essentially we are building an environment.

But why was it a tough time however when you were building the Kykkos gymnasiums?

When we came here we had to do everything on our own. There were no civil engineers, mechanical engineers or quantity surveyors that would provide assistance in completing our own design and in turn completing theirs. We were lucky enough to have a really good associate, civil engineer Yiangos Zambarloukos, who also served as Transport minister at some point in time. He was a friend from London and I can honestly say that he made up the third Philippou. He was with us at the office till the day he died.

We also met Gavriel Gavrielides at the time. Gavrielides was the man who brought electricity to Nicosia. ‘Gavrielides Lights (an area in the centre of Nicosia) being the case in point. Pierides paid for the cost and Gavrielides offered up the electrical engineering. He was one of the first electrical engineers in Cyprus. He helped out by ‘lending’ us mechanical/electrical engineers for the office.

That was when we tried to use consultants in a project for the first time. Before then, the client would hire a contractor and they would take over everything. We tried to change that, by adding the right elements to the profession so it could actually evolve. We introduced professional and all round knowhow in construction. Either through a concrete frame or a metallic construction, conditions had to be set on a new basis. Things could not done the old way, as everyone now needed to work their own specialisation. And we were the first to start this profession-changing new process. We were also amongst the first to use a quantity surveyor.

Our effort culminated in securing the contract to design the HILTON hotel in Nicosia with the cooperation of the Hilton International architectural unit. It was a major challenge for us and it provided the opportunity to work alongside high flying international construction companies. That contributed to acquiring valuable experience in designing and managing large scale complex works both in Cyprus and abroad.

Brother and inseparable friends

How was the experience of working under the same roof with your brother?

Iacovos and I were more friends that brothers and that happened after we finished high school. We were inseparable. When I was studying in London and he was in Geneva, I visited when I could and when my finances would allow it too.

It was the early 60s and two brothers with architecture studies, one of them in England and the other in France, Iacovos and Andreas Philippou, set off on a course that has left an indelible architectural mark in Cyprus.

What were you like as people?

We had our share of differences, but always solved them through discussion and friendship; we always talked, exchanged views. We would take each others’ arguments and process them, think them through. We develop a method of cooperating so at the end of the day, one knew what the other would do.

When our work picked and we hired more personnel, meaning that our costs were higher, Iacovos got involved with that side of the job much more. He was the man who always ensured that the Office maintained a high level of work and services.

In other words, we enjoyed a really good relationship, both professionally and as friends; and obviously we were brothers too. So when I lost Iacovos 12 years ago, I lost my best friend and my closest associate.

How do you manage 7 Philippou at the office? Is it by chance?

This is due to the fact that we’re a very close family. Free of any pressure, almost all the younger Philippou members chose to follow architecture. It was free will.

Seven members of the Philippou family work today at J+A Philippou Architects, Engineers. ‘This is due to the fact that we’re a very connected family. Younger family members, on their own free will, chose to become architects’ as Andreas Philippou notes.

Master Philip

Your father, Master Philip, was a very good builder, craftsman and contractor at a later stage. What’s his heritage?

Our father was the personification of the Cypriot traditional craftsman. He was the man who barely finished primary school, who lost his father when he was 9 and started learning the building trade when he was 12. He was a fast learner, soon mastering construction, working the stone; he quickly evolved as a craftsman, a foreman and later a contractor.

When construction began of the railway line from Famagusta to Lefka, my father both had the courage-and nerve-to go to Morphou, find the man in charge and seek work as a contractor for the train stations. He built works from Morphou to Evrihou and also constructed all the bridges along the railway line.

He completed numerous major works. Just think that he design and build the Galata church, a Byzantine style church that I am certain many licensed architects would find hard to design on their own. To be honest, I studied the church inch by inch. I measured it, re-measured it and could not find a single mistake in the style used by my father. I can’t really explain how a traditional craftsman learned the Byzantine styles. He built a cruciform church with a dome, Corinthian columns and bricks that I have you see, were baked at the three Galata furnaces, which he actually built for the village. That church is built entirely out of bricks of the three furnaces. This is really quite an imposing work.

What have you learned from your father?

We learned a great deal by living with my father, his perfectionist nature, the way he worked. And his name also helped quite a bit. He was really well known in the market and had a great reputation. He was Master Philip. When you visit Solia and mention Master Philip, everyone knows him. He was President of the local School Αdministrative Board for 40 years and virtually built the Evrihou gymnasium singlehandedly. He was a man of integrity, whose DNA was progress. He really knew the value of education and as he wasn’t lucky enough to have one, he did everything to further education for the Solia children.

He was a man with a contracting company and despite the fact that his own children own the J + A Philippou architectural office, he never bid submitted a tender for a Philippou office contract. He simply did not want to compete with other contractors in projects undertaken by his children’s Office.

‘Become a doctor Andrea’

Is it true that Master Philip wanted you to become a doctor?

One day I told my later father that I wanted to study architecture so he offered this response, which I remember to this day:

‘Come on son, why do you want to get involved with construction and such. Go become a doctor’. To which I came back with ‘better a builder, working the stone at the Theology School, rather than becoming a doctor’. Of course, he did not stand in my way, as he was a progressive man. He let us take our own decisions, as well as taking our own responsibility. He really left a great heritage.

The Makarios tomb at Throni

What was the story of you designing and building the Archbishop Makarios tomb at Throni in Kykkos?

I had a really good relationship with Archbishop Makarios. One day he called and asked me to travel to Kykkos with him. On side, he revealed what he wanted to do with his grave and we looked at many locations, before he decided on his final resting place. You do realise that everything happened with the utmost secrecy. Makarios preferred that the little chapel in the tomb was underground. That no one could actually see it from the top, as well as not changing the surroundings in any way. I explained that there might be a problem with that as the Troodos rocks could not be carved. There was no way to sculpt an arched cruciform church on the Troodos mountains and shape it into a tomb, even a small one.

The two brothers, Iacovos and Andreas Philippou had a very close relationship with Archbishop Makarios.

I explained it would be preferable to dig up the place, but before doing that, actually have a photographic imprint of the surroundings and all the bushes. The forestry department helped us in that. And when we finally finish, cover the chapel on top and leave the entrance and skylight on the back, restore the scenery to its original state. And that’s what we did. As the building was completed initially, it became part of the landscape.

The design of the Makarios tomb in Kykkos took place with the utmost secrecy.

I want to add that Makarios chose that area for two reasons:

First of all you can see his birthplace of Panayia, including where his father’s sheep pen used to be, where he went as a little boy. I didn’t know where the pen was, so he took me down later to see and build a wooden covered chapel. After his death, it was completed by his guard.

He also wanted his tomb to have a view of the largest part of Cyprus, the area from Kseros to Morphou and part of the Mesaoria valley. ‘I want to see occupied Cyprus’, he said, ‘through the great serenity that this magnificent, idyllic and dramatic landscape of the Troodos mountains will provide me. So I would like a narrow path that will lead to the tomb’s entrance from the west and a starlight on the east side’.

Finally he requested a few maintenance jobs at the Panayia Throni and joining it with the entrance to the grave through a stone footpath.

Provision of services for a wide range of developments

The J + A Philippou architects-mechanics Limited liability company provides professional architect and civil engineer services for a wide range developments, including:

  • Εducational foundations,
  • Hotels and tourist accommodation,
  • Medical centres and hospitals,
  • Cultural foundations
  • Commercial buildings, office space and other multiple use areas,
  • Housing units and residences
  • Airports,
  • Industrial buildings and infrastructure,
  • Recreational centres and sports installations

Address.

Ionos 1, Engomi
2406, Nicosia, Cyprus

P.O.Box 21732
Nicosia, 1512, Cyprus

Telephone.

+357 22 716 000
+357 22 716 100