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 chapels 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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