“Heraklion X4” Architecture Competition - 1st Prize
Individual Participation, 2013
Abstract
The concept of this competition is the manipulation of an urban cross of streets surrounded by four city blocks as part of an urban regeneration pilot project, hence the “X4” (by four) title. At the case of Heraclion, the Therissos neighborhood is chosen as two distinct groups of urban morphology with historical implications are present.
The main cross is formed by Laseas and Avlonos streets. The four city blocks surrounding it are dominated by “polykatikiae” (Greek typical block of flats) from up to six floors. Still, there are five stone-wall residential houses that oppose to the prevailing morphology; they are the remaining houses of a refugee settlement of the 20’s. They lie at both sides of the main cross – a vacant municipal land plot now used as arbitrary parking space – forming two groups of 2 and 3 semi-detached houses respectively. Each group houses are aligned to each other.
This element, combined with the vacant land plots and the accessible but unused backyards, provide a unique opportunity for a regeneration starting point. The diversities within the case study area rise up the design challenge. Its main goals are:
To reveal, restore and highlight the special features of the refugee buildings.
To rearrange and exploit all possible aspects of urban space on behalf of its pedestrian users.
To maximize pedestrian flow and to reinstitute a collective urban culture.
To create a flexible urban background, as to accept all diverse morphologies.
Two design tools are used in this direction. The introduction of a dynamic combination between lines and arcs that contrast the monotonous urban grid and the implementation of an urban renewal methodology called “Active city blocks” which includes the merging of private backyards at each block and the opening of the unified space in public use, as an inner square.
The conceptual mainframe is consisted of a line that moves along the axes of the 2 groups of stone houses and twists near the central crossroad. To best highlight the stone houses, this line is transformed into a lane of green grass. Its width opens at the twisting section, thus creating the main square; a dynamic rectangle that submerges 70cm, at 3 separate layers – tiers. The geometry provides the square with properties of a social attractor – accumulator and the city with a new reference point. The warm Cretan climate is controlled by a ground fountain at the center of the square and a light metal canopy with blinds carrying photovoltaic film at the southern corner of the square.
Moving perpendicularly to the main conceptual line, similar shapes spread across the unified space without any elevation changes, just like an urban amoeba. Three main materials form these shapes; Great concrete slabs with special industrial finishing (both dark and light) and wooden decks. The linear green areas and the zig-zag raw marble lines enhance this pattern. In three occasions, the linear green areas reach the blind elevations of high buildings and move upwards in vertical gardens. At the same time, other green spaces seem to flow out of spiraling concrete walls.
The geometry of each of the four city blocks allows the creation of micro-areas with different characters, but using the same distinct conceptual tools. Thus, each block’s backyard earns a different name, such as “participatory garden” (where everybody are encouraged to grow their vegetables), “surface games” (where different square spaces providing privacy float within great green areas), “backyard park” (after the merging of the backyard spaces and creation of a main green area filled with trees) and “green stripes” that move through oblong urban voids.
Other notable features are the three sand areas for children play and the choice of introducing new trees exclusively from Crete’s flora. As far as artificial lighting is concerned, two types of light poles is proposed, one along the two streets of the cross and the other occupying all new public space.
An underground parking space is proposed (without interfering with the buildings’ foundations) and accessed by ramps and Laseas and Avlonos streets. They are spacious enough to serve existing dwellers and still sell or rent extra parking spaces to visiting businessmen and make profit on behalf of the local community.
What began as a street cross, now has turned into a fluid open space where boundaries between public and private are sidestepped in favor of the community and a generic urban culture. Two major types of intervention also appear: one concerning the exploitation of a void urban space – the backyards and the other concerning the rejuvenation of a former low density community that is almost absorbed within the surrounding “urban desert”. Such a diverse project has the potential of becoming a case study, and lead the way in uncharted territory: implementation of urban renewal methodologies that include manipulation of the vague public – private controversy in Greek cities.
