The propensity for pi-rich aromatic chromophores such as porphyrins and phthalocyanines to aggregate in water is a critical issue that limits the full application of these photoactive molecules. In this talk, we will illustrate how defined self-assemblies and nanoarchitectures containing well-placed porphyrin moieties can be achieved in water using hierarchical self-assembly that focuses on inter- and intra-molecular host-guest chemistry and other assembly modalities such as programmable DNA self-assembly. Importantly, the individual porphyrin units in these architectures are precluded from detrimental aromatic stacking interactions (via host-guest assembly) and thus exhibit enhanced photophysical properties. We will commence by discussing the generation of multi-porphyrin containing wires, spheres, and thin films. We will then detail our recent work on photonic nanocylinders composed of porphyrins and other complementary chromophores via DNA quadruplex assembly.