Draft:Elena K. Tsolakis

Elena K. Tsolakis RIBA is an Australian Greek Cypriot architect. She is director of Kyriakos Tsolakis Architects which has offices in Nicosia, Cyprus and London, England. She has been an elected board member of the RIBA twice and is a proponent of architecture which is a complimentary fusion of...

Early life and education
Born was in Melbourne, Tsolakis studied architecture at University of Melbourne obtaining Bachelor of Architecture, she then went on to study in London at Kingston University for her Masters Diploma of Architecture and at University of Westminster for her Post graduate Diploma of Architecture completing her studies in ____. DRAFT

Notable works
2016: The first women's refuge and crisis centre in Cyprus, nominated for the European Union Mies van de Rohe award for Contemporary Architecture. It offers bi-communal support for women based in the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities. Building on 25 years of work from the local charity the new centre is a national hub for support and campaigning recognised with a national human rights award in 2021.

2021: Mykonos Wellness Hotel for athletes incorporates a unique site in a valley on the greek island to fuse modern design with local materials "These natural materials complement the vibrancy of the turquoise Bali stone pools to create a rich palette of textures and tones within a valley of boulders and undulating hills."

2024: Troodos Star Observatory is the first purpose-built star observatory in Cyprus and is due for completion in 2024. Constructed 1,200 metres above sea level on a mountaintop within a UNESCO area the building draws inspiration from Star Wars sci-fi iconography to "inspire and excite anyone who sees it from afar or up close".

Awards, publications and exhibitions

 * Architectural model exhibited in the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 2009 and winner of the British Institution award.
 * RIBA Presidential Ambassador of Culture 2015-2017
 * Retropioneers: Architecture Redefined. Author of chapter 8: The Future of the Culture of Architecture
 * Business Woman of the Year 2017 - Madam Figaro Cyprus
 * Troodos Star Observatory architectural model exhibited in the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 2022
 * Recognised among the elite Top 100 World-Leading Female Architects, highlighting her exceptional talent and influence in the global architecture community..