The Talented Architect - Elina Kritikou

It wasn’t long ago that Elina Kritikou earned recognition as one of Europe’s 40 most-talented architects under age forty. Together with French-Japanese husband and fellow architect Kenzo Yamashita, the duo has worked to build the reputation of their architectural firm, EKKY Studio in Nicosia, since 2009. What does the recognition mean to them? In her word: “This distinction in Europe is earned through a program involving many entries from other talented architects and is very competitive,” Elina tells us. “This is a great honour for us. All our efforts here at EKKY Studio on projects in Cyprus and abroad are paying off,” Elina pauses momentarily, reflecting. “Why did I become an architect? In my mind, from a very young age, it was the only choice. The only other alternative I considered was to become an artist. Nevertheless, architecture itself is an art form involving many aspects of the creative process. The architect is also an artist.”

As far as Elina Kritikou is concerned, the world is always changing. The vision and point of view of the architect must always be fluid: “Whenever I observe a modern city, I ponder on how the world has changed the needs of humanity. Modern cities have changed the way people socialise. I am concerned by the new standards with which cities will be designed in the future. The city and society modernise together, reflecting the reality of their era. Cyprus is a place that suits great architecture. The need for new projects such as museums, public libraries, cultural centres, swimming pools, stadiums, sports facilities, parks, gardens, and more, is greater than ever. I am very hopeful that these will come to fruition at the hands of those who will highlight local architecture in the best possible way.”