The Arch|Hive Project | karoussosarchives

St.Andrew Cathedral, Patras, Greece

The Cathedral of Saint Andrew is a Christian basilica located on the west side of Patras' city centre, in Greece, next to the seashore road. Together with the adjacent old church of St. Andrew, it serves as a place of pilgrimage for Christians from all over the world. The church is named after Saint Andrew, Christ's first-born apostle.
The church's construction began in 1908 under the supervision of architect Anastasios Metaxas, who succeeded Georgios Nomikos. The church opened 66 years later, in 1974.
The church's area is 2.600 m², including the women's quarters. It is considered Greece's second-largest Orthodox church, following the Church of Saint Panteleimon on Acharnon Street in Athens.

At Risk

Addressing the impact of climate change on cultural heritage is recognized as one of the greatest international challenges facing responsible authorities. A significant impact is observed in newer monuments that function as important cultural assets in the repository of cultural heritage.

The frescoes of Yannis Karoussos

In 1985, the late painter Yannis Karousos was commissioned to paint the church.

The monumental artwork of St. Andrew's Cathedral in Patras is one of the most significant modern post-Byzantine artwork.

In 2.600 m² of painting surface, the main sections that indicate the pioneer artwork are:
The dome (1989-1992) which is a great visual proposal with a total area of 997 m2, including the spherical triangles, and a height of 40.50 m.

-The fresco "Our Lady of Heavens" at the eastern niche (end of 1985) shows the legacy of a renowned artist. The central niche is 220 m2 and has a 20-meter-wide fresco. This creative composition represents the Virgin Mary embracing the modern city of Patras rather than a medieval Byzantine city, as would be expected in an Orthodox church iconographic program.

-The starry skies in the domes of the south aisle connect, with a unique visual expression, the Roman mosaics of the mausoleum of Galla Placidia in Ravenna with the starry skies of Vincent Van Gogh.

St Andrew's church artwork has already been established as a prominent point of reference in academic research and creative expression of Orthodox Monumental Art, indicating that it is a significant part of Greece's cultural legacy. This monumental work illustrates the historical continuity of Byzantine art and its pioneering spirit, ensuring an ongoing development of Orthodox monumental painting across time.

The Church of Saint Andrew in Patras is in danger of losing a valuable cultural asset in contemporary Orthodox monumental art. The corrosive coastal environment, the vulnerability of reinforced concrete to erosion, and the lack of knowledge regarding reinforced concrete material during its construction are the most important factors causing significant damage to the monumental artwork.

Because of the significance of this artwork, it has served as a model for the creation of new frescoes, such as that in the eastern niche of the new St. Nikolas Church at Ground Zero in New York. Attempts to recreate Yannis Karousos' frescoes in other churches may lead to misunderstandings about the original work's aesthetics, resulting in cultural misconception and deterioration, especially if the original artwork is at risk.

The Arc-Hive Project

The Karousos Archives secured funding from the Greek Ministry of Culture for the digital recording of the most important frescoes of St.Andrew's church. The Arc-Hive project will pioneer new techniques for visualising Orthodox monumental art through augmented and immersive environments.

The State-of-the-Art Digital Recording

A laser scanner will be used to record the frescoes of St.Andrew Cathedral. The laser scanner can measure a large number of points, in a short time, which makes it suitable for detailed measurements and documentation, mapping of large areas, etc.
It also can scan high power for indoor spaces, black or glossy surfaces. This long-range scanner can capture distances up to 350m with millimeter accuracy, while the scanning field is 360° x 270°, thus limiting the number of instrument positioning stops. The accuracy of this instrument is up to 3.5mm at 150m. In addition to determining X,Y,Z coordinates, it can record color information (RGB).
In conjunction with the laser scanner, a high-resolution camera, will be used for the combined high-quality performance and realistic effect of capturing the frescoes.

KA Studio