Recovery of residual space at the limits of the urban fabric_the quarries of Sxisto Korydallou

Students: Myroforidou Varvara- Christina, Tsintzeli Marina, Chranioti Anastasia
Faculty of architecture_NTUA
Professor: Papaioannou Tasis
Consultants: Babalou Bouki, Karamanea Panita
ExternalPartners: Karabasilhs Stamatis_ agriculturist- soil scientist, Vivi Leli_ biologist
Date of presentation: 05-11-2010

On the occasion of viewing a map of the basin of Attica we began our reflection on the competitive relation of the natural element with thoughtlessly developing urban continuity in the city of Athens. The diffusion that characterizes the urban structure in Athens finds a natural barrier from the intense bas-relief of mountainous volumes (Aigaleo - Hymettus - Parnitha and Penteli) that fixes the basin... We sought regions of limits of the intensely evolving material constitution of the city with the natural mountainous element.

The subject of diploma project concerns the recuperation of residual space in the limits of city with the mountain of Aigaleo. It is the inactive quarries in the Shisto of Korydallos, a space that resulted from a former industrial use in one previously region out of the town. However, then by the thoughtless built-up growth of the decades  60 to 80 this space was encircled by  uses of unmixed residence and splits the urban continuity. Afterwards the expected removal of quarries from the newly established then built-up region, their space is considered as "aggravating" and "negative" piece of urban make. It is a region that is found in situation of decomposition and remains. The "fusion of" quarries from the urban web, fixes the frame of analysis and interpretation of this place.

We propose the activation of this residual space via the creation of an open maintenance charges of green space  that will constitute the cohesive matter of city and a new point of report that will promote a new perception for the urban planning and will influence the daily life of residents.

This beginnings of planning of this new landscape are dictated by the supervisory perception of total, but also the experience that  offered us the strolling the walking crossing in the space.

Following a logic from the all in the part and from outside to in side, initially we recorded the total aspect of place from points that  allowed a total and panoramic view, so that we have a "more objective" arrest of the form... then automatically the landscape  was changed into  an object to the space.

In a second level, we attempted to proceed in a "biopsy" of the structure of the space. The multifunctional quarry landscape, after the intervention of violent anthropogenic activity, is considered as a hybridic place that combines natural and artificial elements, countermanded intensely.

Biopsy of the place <>

Character: Skull place - Nakedness  - Sense of the remained rock <>
Memory: Engraved slops of the hurt mountain - Old instruments and tools testify the previous use of space <>
Walking: The structure of quarry landscape and the relations of basic volumes of rock direct the body and the look - fragmentary course. The walk in the space leads the thought to geometrical form of the place - the space acquires metre and size.

Light:  The landscape radiates through the reflected light that falls at the naked side of the rock... the particular character of quarries is located in the way that is connected the rock with the light.

View:   Succession of framings  of the partial sense of the total - the horizon is sometime revealed and sometime hidden behind lining of the rocks - the city as constant report. Fragmentarily framings of the picture of nearby settlement of Shisto that alternate with panoramic optical perception of basin -  is the constant report.

Scale:  Landscape of latent scale - between in artificial and natural, that becomes even more inaccessible in the human scale because of the lack of vegetation. Sense of emptiness - sense of the absent earthy volume.

Tissue: Roughness of rock - Embankments - Engraved soil - the processes of quarriness are testified above in the embossed Stone.

Territorial structure <>

The total of the space is organised with the logic part - total.A succession from distinguishable territorial cavities - rooms, remnants of old use of space, suggest a fragmentary process of quarriness that created progressively a multifunctional landscape.We interpret and re-establish these rooms in our own proposal of sense of the place.

Central Idea of Intervention <>

Creation of new soft topography that is in the particularities of the place. A system of territorial unification, density and action that results through the suitable handlings of bas-relief and planting, transports flows of movements in territorial structures that maintain the initial character of nakedness, largeness and mainly the memory of quarriness. This alternation of territorial density and rarefaction through the coexistence of planted regions where the user strolls protected in their shade and empty spaces  where we intervene with soft handlings in order to maintained the memory of their former use, constitutes reasonable intervention.

Fragmentation of quarried landscape - > Flowing of plantings and movements
Giant verticality / Vague flatness - > Reintroduction of human scale
Unpleasant microclimate, "skull place" - > Viability

We limited the building program in the absolutely basic operations that are necessary in order to revive this space, while the extents of free space and green are those that exceed.  All the accommodated spaces are limited in wooden, light manufactures and concern laboratories figurative, culture of herbs, a small refreshment stand and a unit of information for the operation of the park. An amphitheatre is shaped, where events could take place, as well as an artificial lake made of the collection of rain waters of superb importance for the life of the park.

The choice of planting as a synthetic tool became accordingly with the climatic conditions of the place as well as the character and the quality of the ground. At the same time for the configuration of flooring we selected various qualities of stepped earth, blocks and wooden planking.Total objective constituted the improvement of microclimate of space with the use of not-temperature accumulating materials and the placement of trees with powerful leafage near  the surfaces of naked rocks.

Finally, the park attempts  constitute binding ring with other peripatetic walking ways that exist already on mount Aigaleo, as well as with the Botanic garden of Diomidis, giving thus a reason for an alternative escape to the resident of the city but also a space of relaxation and recreation to the active nature-lover.