Course

Few cities have had as lasting an impact on the formation of Western civilization as Athens. The very idea of town with the agora as the center of public life and the organization of this urban came from Athens during the 5th century BC evolved over the course of history, its urban form morphed to take on the dominant powers of the following centuries. The 20th century was generative of a streak of highly praised designs leading to a contemporary generation of inspired architects. This course surveys the fascinating evolution of a city at the center of Western consciousness.

Faculty Bio 

Pierluigi Serraino Ph.D., FAIA is a practicing architect and educator. He is the author of many books on architecture, including Taschen's Modernism Rediscovered and The Modern Garden: The Outdoor Architecture of Mid-century America (Rizzoli, 2024). He is the recipient of the 2026 OLLI @Berkeley Excellence in Teaching and Learning Award.

This is a Livestreamed + Recorded Course

• Classes will stream live on the scheduled day and time 
• Classes will also be video recorded
• You must be a current OLLI @Berkeley member to register. Learn about membership, including our fee assistance program.

Schedule Highlights

• Course starts on Wednesday, Jan. 20, and ends on Wednesday, Feb. 10
• Classes meet for 4 weeks, 1.5 hours per session (10:30–noon)
• All course materials remain in Member Dashboards through March 28

 Member Praise for Pierluigi Serraino

Pierluigi is a wonderful instructor--I always learn something new from him, as well as something to think about. He always opens my eyes.

Course materials, organization, Pierluigi's deep knowledge of the specific area and ability to fit it into larger context of regional traditions and international design trends, and receptivity to participant questions & observations ... all great! Highly recommend!

Faculty Q&A

• Read an interview with Pierluigi Serraino from our archive.