Alexander Tzonis, a Greek–French architect, author and researcher, died on March 1, 2026, at the age of 88.
Born in Athens on November 8, 1937, he made contributions to architectural theory, history and design cognition, bringing together scientific and humanistic approaches in his work. From 1975, he collaborated on most projects with Liane Lefaivre.
In 1985, he founded and directed Design Knowledge Systems, a multidisciplinary research institute at TU Delft focused on architectural theory and design thinking tools. He was known for work on the classical canon, the emergence and development of modern architectural thinking, creative design by analogy and the idea of critical regionalism.
Alexander Tzonis (Greek: Αλέξανδρος Τζώνης; 8 November 1937 – 1 March 2026) was a Greek-born French architect, author and researcher. He made contributions to architectural theory, history and design cognition, bringing together scientific and humanistic approaches in a synthesis. From 1975, he collaborated in most projects with Liane Lefaivre. In 1985, he founded and directed Design Knowledge Systems (DKS), a multidisciplinary research institute for the study of architectural theory and the development of design thinking tools at TU Delft. Tzonis is known for his work on the classical canon, history of the emergence and development of modern architectural thinking, creative design by analogy, and introducing the idea of critical regionalism.