RETHINK ATHENS | Alessandro Nava

This project aims at focusing the architectural debate on the city theme and the social meaning of public space. The contemporary city is the result fragmented and discontinuous urban space, with a labyrinthine feature characterized by a place defined by flows, mobility, information. Public space has lost its social function. The city is no longer valued as a whole but as the sum of its set elements; the metaphorical image of the city as an archipelago represents the idea of the multiplicity of parts that compose it, independent islands where the public space comes to be the place for human relations. The Public space is the place which represents the community values, the place of encounter where you feed the civilization’s cultural growth: it is playful, recreational, it is a place where manifest values and collective ideals. For these reasons, i conceive the public space as a place where socialize, a place for events, an educational site. The concept of “ribbon” as a public space summarizes an idea of continuity, a linear public space that connects Omonia Square to Syntagma Square. A circular ramp rising up to 6.60 m above city level from Omonia Square enhancing views of the Acropolis at the intersection between Panepistimiou Street and Eolou Street. This sinuous urban ribbon ensures a continuity “passage” which doesn’t interfere with the local mobility and, at the same time generates shade over the public space below. Along Panepistimiou street, the project includes a space dedicated to a urban vegetable garden at Dikaiosynis Sq. and a large south-facing roof with photovoltaic panels integrated with storage batteries vigorously feeding the project’s public lighting. The cross section of the ribbon expands near the Athens trilogy and comes to be defined by a big roof with overlying climbing plants over the subway access (Academia), turning into a new recreational space for events. The structure of the raised urban ribbon is in white concrete TXActive (ItalcementiGroup) that, through a process of photocatalysis, exploits the luminous energy to promote the decomposition of pollution agents present in the environment. In this regard, we have designed a white light UV band that contribute to the activation of the evening photocatalysis. The green ribbon featuring trees, gardens and climbing plants crosses the urban space for all its extension, sensitizing the environmental approach and improving the microclimate thanks to the addition of water surfaces. The continued use of the vegetation is necessary also to improve the attenuation of noise and for air purification. The gardens in Dikaiosynis Sq., Korai St and near the Athens trilogy are characterized by sloping ground, linear blooms, green rooms which contributes to diversify the urban landscape. The elevated public space terminates at Leoforos Vasilissis Sofias Avenue, near Syntagma Square and near the Parliament greek, favoring south/west panoramic views of the Acropolis. The approach of the project is intended to satisfy the requirements of thermal comfort and environmental sustainability principles.