Waterland_ Wonderland

Students: Giouri Evangelia-Despoina, Zoumpouli Eutyxia, Karavasiou Maria
Supervisor Professor: Γεώργιος Παπακώστας
School of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering A.U.TH.
Presentation date: September 2012

In the context of this thesis, an attempt is made to design an urban park on water that aims to become an attractive destination by adopting an entertaining and cultural character and to emerge as a landmark of Thessaloniki, amplifying the image and the recognition of the city in broader scale. The park is located into a hub of the seafront of Thessaloniki, more specifically near the area of the existent nautical sports clubs of the 'New Seafront'. The main intentions that led to decisions about the design was the exploitation of the liquid element and its being given a higher profile, the amplification of the entertaining character of the 'New Seafront' and the creation of a recreational hub with a character of multiple activities on water.

The central concept is based on a dynamic way of treatment of the water surface in order to create a field. Based on the theory of Stan Allen, the main characteristic of a field is the inductive design, meaning the design from one to many, from the object to the field. Specifically, in this project the artificial islands are defined as objects and the archipelago as a field. In the organization of the objects and the creation of the field, strong emphasis was given on the relationship between the gap and full, namely the relationships that objects create with the water, but also between them.

Beyond the integration and organization of objects within a field for the creation of an artificial urban hub, the main concern was the hosting of multiple and exciting experiences on it. The above led to the organization of the activities on certain networks, related with links of vertical and horizontal communications. These main networks are:

1. network of ground level, which links the artificial objects and has the character of walking and browsing through a set of outdoor activities.
2. the air route network that integrates functions of commerce, boardwalk and observation.
3. the network of elevated objects, supported on columns and communicate among themselves as well as with the other vertical networks. Substantially, it is about qualities of spaces that take different features.
4. and the network of the shelter, which serves the installation and management of hardware, walking activities, observation and enatenisis of sight.

In reaching this arrangement of objects, the field and networks, an archipelago of multiple and entertaining experiences is created.