Chapel of St George (Aghios Georgios) of the Greek Special Forces

Kavouri, 1949-50

Architect
Pericles Sakellarios (1905-1985)



The Special Forces chapel of St George is a remarkable example of a modern Greek ecclesiastical building. It is a work by Pericles Sakellarios, one of the main figures in Athenian architecture during the 1950s and 60s, with studies at the Bauhaus and the Graz Technical University. It is one of the exceptions in modern ecclesiastical architecture in Greece, as churches are not usually designed by distinguished architects.
Built on a picturesque site near the sea, this little chapel is the modern expression of traditional Aegean models. From a typological viewpoint, it is a small single-aisled, domed chapel built in the architectural tradition of the Cyclades. Cycladic allusions are also visible in the treatment of the chapel’s volume, and in its shape. The plain, white mass with the vertical feature of the bell tower is characterised by an expressionist plasticity. The composition is picturesque and in harmony with the natural environment.
Unfortunately subsequent unsuitable decorations of the interior (wall paintings, a French chandelier, etc.) and interventions in the exterior (e.g. air-conditioners) detract from this noteworthy building.

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