Croquis by QUPA The Rotunda of St. George Necklace is inspired by the original plan of The Rotunda of St. George built around 304 AD under the orders of the tetrarch Galerius, who wanted to be his mausoleum. Yet the view that the temple was dedicated either to the Kabeiroi or to Zeus is most dominant, since Zeus was the patron god of Thessaloniki’ s tetrarchs, Diocletian and Galerius. It was later converted to a Christian church by the emperor Constantine until 1590 and to a mosque by the Ottomans until 1912. As one of the oldest monuments in Thessaloniki, its sixteen centuries of its existence, as pagan monument, Christian church and Muslim house of worship, have left their traces on it. In 1988 along with other fourteen Byzantine monuments in Thessaloniki, it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, evoking city’s rich history.
Croquis by Qupa jewellery line is inspired by architectural plans of famous monuments, museums and other landmarks in Greece and all over the world. For the first time, architectural plans are imprinted on precious metals at such a small scale, while maintaining their proportions and identity. In this way the value of each piece is enhanced, since it combines the elegance of the material and the structure with the cultural value of the imprinted monument.
Qupa is a Greece based creative arts brand formed in 2014 by Eleni Kouineli and Stefanos Papadatos, two architects who combined their passion for architecture and handicraft. Qupa designs and crafts objects that focus on form, originality and usability. The design process is inspired by architecture, sculpture and graphic arts. In a continuous search for new materials, the creative arts brand always tries to combine new technologies with handmade constructions. Croquis by Qupa ornaments adopt a novel approach in depicting buildings and monuments. The designs solely rely on floor plans, which emphasize architecture and highlight luxury. The floor plan lies at the core of architectural design, since a visitor can recognise it only after he has wandered inside the different rooms and spaces of the building.
