Designer(s):
Leda Demetriadou, Dimosthenis Katsouris, Charis Dospras
Professor(s):
Gourdoukis Dimitrios, Tellios Anastasios
Location:
Thessaloniki, Greece
Year:
2021
It has been observed that despite the fact the Aristotelous Square is on the seaside, there is not any kind of connection with nature in higher altitudes. A fundamental part of the project is the arch, which can be modified to either more rigid or more ‘relaxed’ geometric approaches, hence creating fully viable spaces and urban elements (benches, pillars, staircases). 'Visual Escape', as we have named it, is a composition that is aiming at creating visual escapes in the Aristotelous Square. It consists of four interventions along the axis of the Aristotelous street, between Mitropoleos street and Nikis Avenue and is extended up to the seafront. The goal is to create new outdoor spaces used as points to rest and take a glimpse not only at the sea, but also at the Aristotelous Square. A very important aspect for this project is the connection that is established with elements of nature, as the composition includes the elements of water and planting, which are missing from the axis of interest. As a starting point, the visitor begins at Mitropoleos Street and meets the first formation, which is a construction that is extended up to the first level of the building in the Aristotelous Square, so that the sea view from the Electra Palace hotel is not obstructed. This facility could be considered an extension of the current buildings. The pedestrian then meets the degraded square, with intense water elements and an interaction with different levels, therefore creating a pleasant place to rest or walk through. Going down the Aristotelous street, we meet a building volume which has replaced the current building and which works as an extension of the group of buildings. This is a three-level formation that follows the current buildings in terms of height in a foreign designing language. On the top level, there is a facility made of thin columns that create small vaulted spaces, resembling to private rooms, where individuals can isolate from the urban environment. These columns create a diverse experience in the space, due to the variety of light shades that are being created. Finally, this suggestion ends in a large formation consisting of plateaus that end up in the sea, supported by a set-up of ‘planted’ arches.