“Doors of Kypseli”: a beautiful rendered dive into the modernity of mid 20th century Athenian architecture

Kypseli is one of Athens’ most vibrant and culturally diverse neighborhoods, offering a rich blend of history, architecture, and contemporary urban life. Located northeast of the city center, Kypseli has been home to a variety of communities over the years, making it a melting pot of cultures, ideas, and lifestyles.

Historically, Kypseli was a middle-class neighborhood in the mid-20th century, with many beautiful neoclassical and modernist buildings being constructed during the 1920s and 1930s. As the decades progressed, Kypseli became known for its artistic and intellectual community, attracting writers, musicians, and artists. Today, many of those influences are still visible in its architecture, galleries, and creative spaces.

The doors of Kypseli (Kipseli) are known for their charm, character, and unique aesthetic, reflecting the neighborhood’s diverse history. This vibrant and multicultural district of Athens is home to an eclectic mix of architecture. Walking through Kypseli, you’ll see beautifully crafted doors from various periods, some dating back to the 1930s and 1940s when Art Deco and Neoclassical influences were prevalent in Athenian architecture. Others show off modernist or minimalist touches, especially from the post-war era.

Doors of Kypseli is a serious, beautiful, and meticulously rendered dive into the surprising modernity of mid 20th century Athenian architecture by Eleanor Lines. With camera, or smartphone, in hand, Lines methodically traverses through Kypseli, north, south, east and west, through tiny side streets and down grand boulevards, photographing, cataloguing and selecting the most unique and interesting doors in the neighbourhood and its surrounding borders.

Lines’s curation, based on these walks in the area, focuses on designs from the 1930s to the 1960s, with influences from Art Deco, Bauhaus, and modernist design. Using the resulting photos, Eleanor manipulates, vectorizes and perfects each door; replacing missing handles, completing long since rusted bars, and bringing each back to an illustrated version of its former glory. Every design is then converted and printed in a stunning signature blue (Marjorelle? Yves Klein?) which serves to enhance the visual impact of the multitudinous patterns.

A compilation of 100 illustrations presenting the diverse array of wrought iron door designs from this culturally and geographically central Athens neighbourhood, Doors of Kypseli is Lines’s love letter to her adopted city.

Accompanied by an insightful essay by cultural writer Nikos Vatopoulos, Doors of Kypseli not only celebrates the beauty of these wrought iron masterpieces, but also delves into the social and historical significance of Athenian urban development.

Author: Eleanor Lines
Publisher: Hyper Hypo
Pages: 240
Material: hardcover