HAGIA SOPHIA AXIS PEDESTRIANIZATION

2012

HAGIA SOPHIA AXIS PEDESTRIANIZATION

THESSALONIKI

URBAN PAUSE

We create the necessary condition of tranquility in order to appreciate the beauty and importance of the byzantine monuments as well as to give way to a new experience of public space that permits connections between people and places, movement and urban form, nature and the built fabric. We use white concrete to create a field that provides a clear canvas of social interface and accessibility. We also place four sculptural objects that organize and highlight the special character of each area of the development.

The Garden of Macedonian Heroes | The open space facing the monument of Aheiropoiitos church is transformed into an urban garden and an open air memorial of the modern Greek history. We create a dense grid of high trees (Platanus orientalis) surrounding the existing white marble sculptures of Macedonian heroes. The sculptures are placed in a linear array of ramps that penetrates the garden. The Metro Station Gate | The new Metro Station exit emerges from the white concrete pavement used as the main construction material of the Hagias Sofia’s pedestrian street. Designed as a linear and long mega-sculpture, the Gate represents the basic meeting point and embodies the flow of the crowd. Its inclined terrace serves as an outdoor theatre looking over the overall regeneration of the district. The interior cladding of the Gate is corten steel. The Hagia Sofia’s Square | We redesign the open space facing Hagia Sofia Byzantine church, based on the design principles of the renaissance squares. The proposal’s main objective is the clear shape, the space enclosure and a direct reference to the monument axis. The floor pattern in the square, a contemporary version of traditional architecture hexagon floor tiles, is dominant. The Tower Viewpoint | We design a Tower that flows over the sky, a viewpoint from where we observe the city. The transparent mirror cladding reflects the surroundings while it creates impressive night lighting. The Tower will serve as an infopoint and the adjacent building is proposed to host the new Museum of the City of Thessaloniki.

Architectural Competition organized by YPEKA
In collaboration with John Karahalios & Nadia Krikou
transport planning: George Lagadinos
landscape architect: Eleni Tsirintani
MEP Design: Konstantinos Epifanidis-Panagiotis Katsios-George Karavides