Perspective Projections

Site location The site is located in the Concert Hall area of Thessaloniki and in fact is in the border between municipality of Thessaloniki and municipality of Kalamaria. It is defined by Maria Callas’s str. northeast, Thermaikos Gulf in southwest, the New Coast Line in the northwest and finally Themistocles Sofouli’s str. southeast. Right now is an abandoned blank area. The intervention includes also the path that runs the Concert Hall on the waterfront side. The character of the wider area is not defined since in such a relatively small zone there are different and unattached uses of space: the Concert Hall, the Poseidonio swimming center, some basketball fields for public use -and in fact in a really bad condition-, non organized parking zones, a lot of useless and abandoned areas and finally a small sailing center in the south. An explanation for this maybe it’s because of the different periods that were designed and constructed all that uses and facilities. Even the path that combines the project area with the New Coast Line peripherally of the Concert Hall is used both by pedestrians and vehicles, sometimes with no respect of one another. The waterfront view is the biggest advantage of this area but also we could find a few more like the lack of traffic in the adjacent streets, lack of urban noise and the sunlight which is not disturbed by any kind of barrier. The disadvantages although there are much more: lack of green, lack of urban lighting making the area dangerous at night, lack of defined lanes for vehicles and pedestrians and of course lack o f design process having in mind today’s situation. Landscape Starting ,opposite to the Concert Hall and at the extension of Poseidonio Swimming Center, an open air festival area is proposed. Screen sculptures give the chance to the visitors to watch older performances of the Concert Hall free, during all year when there is not a festival. A few meters away, a bridge called “Voyage a Cythere” with benches acrossing it, offers an endless view to Thermaikos Gulf, leaving on the back the city. Thus, the users seem to be on the verge between the sky and the sea. The diagonal orientation of the bridge continues the axis of the adjacent new coastline project by Nikiforidis-Cuomo and ends to a the covered “green” corridor. The “green corridor” consists of “green” cubes with inside and outside vertical gardening which are interrupted by wooden pergolas. This corridor is posited 90 degrees in relation with the bridge, due an observation was made visiting the site plan many times and watching also aerial photos: people use to prefer that route instead of using the perimetric paths. Vertical gardening on the “green” cubes is interrupted by openings which are covered by portable metal perforated meshes. The “green” corridor is in the middle of two large swimming pools, giving also direct approach to enter the water through stairs. The smaller swimming pool which is exactly in front of the locker room building, is proposed be transformable into an ice skating rink in winter. A wooden deck with deckchairs is proposed on the second pool. Landscape proposal is completed with the cherry orchard and olive forest surrounding the cafe building while the bazaar plaza is a physical entrance/exit to the project area from the street. Additionally, green planting is proposed in all the project area including the Poseidonio Swimming Center and the basketball fields. Locker room building The locker room building has a direct view on the small pool which controls, with the reception posited on the center of the building. The interior design of the place mimics the design of the exterior, using wood and cubical forms. Users are going through reception to the locker area and separate exit doors are leading through showers to the pool. The cafe The design of the cafe sequences the exterior design and the basic concept was the perspective view and the linearity. The building looks like a corridor and large opennings are placed offer a view to Thermaikos Gulf and Mount Olympus. A semi-closed roofed garden on to the back side communicates with the poolside giving simultaneously a sense of privacy to the users and in fact is the transition between in and out. The sea view part of the cafe is divided in three parallel and noetic zones: Interior pergola boxes are the private zone of the cafe, while on the middle stands with bar stools are consisting the public area. Finally, on the other side a wooden bench which crosses the wall is the semi-private zone. On the walls of the cafe can take place painting exhibitions, giving a versatile sense during the year.