Adrianou St plans nixed with a shrug
Kathimerini’s article brought to light other cases where architectural studies have been altered. Dimitris Antonakakis, the architect assigned to do the study of Adrianou Street (in 1996), says his study was not just changed but completely bypassed. «Adrianou Street, as it is being shaped, bears no relation to the study we submitted to EAXA; a study, which I emphasize, we were paid for,» he explained. «Without informing us at all, Kalantidis decided to go ahead with something completely different, within the space of just a few days, following an order from the prime minister. «When we protested, the president of EAXA only apologized for the failure to inform us, and responded to our reasoning with the extraordinary argument: ‘Since you’ve been paid, why are you complaining?’» In Antonakakis’s view, the needless waste of public money for studies that are not implemented is just one aspect of the issue. «The most serious thing, as I see it,» he said, «is wasting the architectural potential of the country in such a way, by preventing architects from producing work.»
