FACILITY
The Cycladic Village Campus: HISA’s main teaching facility, art exhibition gallery and working studio space is housed in the 17th century, Azari merchant quarters in the main village of Paroikia. Though completely restored the building still maintains its unique charm. The central lecture room, with its thick stone walls, lofty 15-foot-high beam ceilings and broad windows, easily maintains the well lighted and airy sense of space its architect intended. One enters through the original marble-framed doors and with verandas both back and front, there are views across the narrow village lanes, as well as to the west with its spectacular sunsets over the Aegean.
Among the many rooms are a small, selective library, a full country kitchen for group meals, a poet’s corner patio for workshops, and up on the roof a relaxing area with a cubist-like view of Paroikia’s white-washed houses. Other floors include the darkroom, the digital photo working space, and administrative offices. The HISA painting and drawing studio with a large open space is located in the gallery below. Situated a few steps from the waterfront, with cafes and traditional Greek tavernas nearby, the Azari House allows for an easy daily immersion into the Greek community.
