Landscape

Urban weaving around Patras new Archaeological museum

The problem, consists in weaving  5 hetrogenous urban elements around Patras new archaeological museum and the national road: an important Roman bridge, a Neoclassical garden from the 1860 ‘s  a small yet importan river, an agrarian institute’s garden and a school complex. The approach was a realistic one. 5 new localities are added: the underground circle that provides view to the Roman bridge,  a new square  along the narional road, a park – entrance in the center of the intervention, a new water reservoir and a park next to the agrarian institute. These new localities are connected to the existing ones (museum, neoclassical garden, agrarian institute, river) and the whole is locally attached to the surroundings.

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Rehabilitation of hydroelectric plant and landscape around Agyia artificial lake

Agyia artificial lake together with the small power plant is a project inaugurated by Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos in 1928. The 0,30MW plant was operational until 2005. For the landscape and its organic connection to the building, natural materials fitting with the sensitive ecosystem of the area were mosntly used: earth and treated timber. The building’s modern architectural vocabulary was left untouched. Its new function as an exhibition space for renewable energy systems incoroporates the building itself as an 1:1 scale experience of hydroelectric energy production. Steel and concrete bases were designed for the exhibits and a 1:100 scale model is used to dislpay the water circulation from the penstock to the elevated tank, the turbines and eventually the escape canal. The retaining wall surrounding the pilotis that supports the water tank are connected so as to generate a continuous line on wich most of the exhibition panels are located.

 

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P.P.C. Ptolemais park

Connection of a restored lignite mine with the surroundings

The proposal composes different landscapes  based on the characteristics of the lignite mines and the adjacent area: curved or straight deposition slopes, artificial lakes, extraction slopes and trenches,  steel structures of various scales, are incorporated in the proposal displaying the dramatic dimension of the extraction activity taking place nearby which  is no longer present in the park area. These characteristics are combined with the agricultural landscape of Eordea basin, the two nearby villages, and the restored landscape on the southern edge of the park.

Experiencing this landscape becomes an educational process, an in between space between artificial and natural, healthy and traumatized, historical and contemporary landscape, between macro and micro scale.

Three distinct places are located at the edges and the centre of the park. They have a two fold function:  as entrances allowing access to the park and as attractors structuring the whole composition.

Three distinct places are located at the edges and the centre of the park. They have a two fold function: as entrances allowing access to the park and as attractors structuring the whole composition. They are called “Gardens”, “Lake” and “Mine”.

In parallel with the three locations a new network of paths expanding from the lake area supports walking and biking circulation, program of wider scope, such as a mountain bike racing track, as well as places for stopping and resting scattered along the park and the different landscapes that it is composed of: forest, agriculture, lake, river.

The proposed composition with the three locations and the network of supporting structures and pathways functions as platform able to support a variety of other programs beyond those proposed.

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Western Venetian shipyards, Iraklion

The study looks at the organic continuity and connection of the monument of Neorion and the Venetian harbor with the modern city. The proposal is based on three axes:

Multiple space / valve

The study suggests housing the gap between the canals and the warehouse and creating a multiple two storey space. The resulting space, bridging / absorbing the difference in altitude between sea level (-neoria Venetian harbor) and city level (Street August 25), connecting the two levels with a closed multiple room / foyer, which is the entrance to the complex from both the level the sea as well as the city level.

The two new squares

At the same time, this area delimits / creates two new squares, one at the level of the City and one at the level of the Venetian harbor. Moreover, the continuation of the Venetian harbor with the sea, which has been interrupted due to the passage of the coastal road, is restored by creating an opening / crossing under the coastal road. In this way, the square created at the junction level is both a starting point and the end of the coastal ride on the pier. The two new squares are connected both visually and naturally through the outdoor staircase / theater located at the site of the old gate of the canals.

Flexible operating arrangement

Inside the shipyards and the warehouse the main functions (theater, temporary exhibitions and permanent exhibition hall sited in existing shells in pairs with their intermediate space as foyer so you can work alone or in combination.

 

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Katehaki square, Chania

Intent of this proposal is to provide the city with an open, hospitable and flexible public space, one that serves contemporary civic uses and highlights  the extremely complex historical context of the city. Due to the location’s strong historical character, the proposal consists of few and discreet interventions: a. The creation of four “slits” through which four distinct and clearly articulated spaces are formed in the intervention area. These slits are materialized by means of steps that both provide access and differentiate space both qualitatively and functionally. b. The installation of 7 steel posts – references to the adjacent sail masts, on top of the foundations of the masonry walls of the demolished Venetian shipyards . The significance and functional importance of these posts  is two – fold: they signify and partially reconstruct the coastal front of the Venetian harbor and at the same time bear the square’s necessary infrastructure such as lights and shading.

Most events are expected to take place in the horizontal square space between the Mediterranean Architecture Center and the new municipal theater (former customs building). This space’s polyvalence is ensured by the layout  of  its boundaries: permeable boundaries created  by means of tree clusters, shading and steps, become the hosts of seating and standing  spaces of various qualities.

Concept

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