Maria Souzana Kolokytha-Antonakaki (1935–2020) is the most well-known Greek architect of her generation, both inside and outside the borders of our country. Her active presence in the architectural scene for six decades, from the completion of her studies at the National Technical University of Athens in 1959 until the end of her life in 2020, is impressive in itself.

However, most of the texts from her public speeches and lectures during these six decades of her career remained unpublished or hard to find until today. Balancing between her references to the worlds of philosophy and fine arts, Antonakaki herself embodied her deep conviction that architecture is a cultural good.

Her writings revolve around issues such as: the poetic conception of the built environment of our daily life, the significance of boundaries, movement, and transitions in architecture, the use of color in architecture and the city, theatricality and habitation, the relationships of time and space in architecture, the decoration and the poetic dimension of everyday objects, the architecture of apartment buildings, and the connection of the Greek city with place and the natural environment.

Writing openly about her art, with her characteristic erudition and sensitivity, Antonakaki offers the reading public the keys they need to learn to look with a sharper, critical eye at the space where they live and move every day.