The Fourth Annual Lykoudis Lecture with Dr. Demetri Porphyrios

Human Cities

The Institute of Classical Architecture & Art (ICAA) is proud to present The Fourth Annual Lykoudis Lecture: The Shared Building Traditions of the World, featuring Dr. Demetri Porphyrios, principal of Porphyrios Associates and laureate of the 2004 Richard H. Driehaus Prize. Dr. Porphyrios' lecture was recorded at the Richard H. Driehaus Museum in Chicago, IL, and is now available to the public.

In his lecture, Human Cities, Dr. Porphyrios critically examines the evolution of architectural theory since the rise of modernism in the mid-20th century, noting the influence of thinkers and movements including Aldo Rossi, Colin Rowe, and the Cornell School, among others. He describes how the field of architecture has failed to provide people with humanistic spaces - instead, driven by market forces, it has created a blight of "junkspace," as memorably described by Rem Koolhaas - and recounts his involvement in the New Urbanism movement championed by figures like Leon Krier and Duany/Plater-Zyberk.

Throughout his presentation, Dr. Porphyrios advocates for the concept of "the Human City," a theoretical model of an ideal city that emphasizes human scale, mixed uses, public space, and the adaptation of historic structures. He outlines the seven principles that define the Human City, noting how these principles developed organically in historic cities, and calls for architects to implement them thoughtfully in new designs. Rather than a call to return to the ways of the past, Human Cities advocates for seeking the human wisdom inherent in civilization's timeless structures, and applying those lessons in creating more meaningful spaces that will endure far into the future.

Named in recognition of Michael Lykoudis’ incredible contributions as the former Dean of the University of Notre Dame’s School of Architecture, this series shines a light on the vernacular architecture intrinsic to locales around the world, and how they incorporate classical principles.

About the Speaker

Dr. Demetri Porphyrios is an architect and theorist, and a recipient of the prestigious Arthur Ross Award and the Richard H. Driehaus Prize. As both a practitioner and a scholar, his work analyzes how architecture and urban form stem from humanity's relationship to the natural world. His book Classicism is Not a Style helped to shape a movement devoted to the resurgence of classical architecture and urbanism in contemporary practice. Dr. Porphyrios received his master's degree and Ph.D. from Princeton University and has taught at the University of Notre Dame, the University of Virginia, and Yale University, among other leading institutions, including the the Royal College of Art and the Architectural Association of London. His notable buildings include the King's Cross master plan and buildings in London, Whitman College at Princeton University, the Swansea University master plan and buildings, and the Inter-American Headquarters in Athens. In both his writings and buildings, Dr. Porphyrios articulates a humane, ethical, and ecological view of the future, rooted in the world's shared building traditions.

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