Εarth & water baths in Mytilene

Students: Despoina Valiadi, Efthymia Stamatopoulou, Thaleia-Dimitra Stefanaki
Supervisors: Alexandra Alexopoulou
Counselor: Ioannis Tsoukalas
Department of Architecture Faculty of Engineering A.U.Th.
Presentation Date: October 1st, 2014

description: Thermal baths complex combining the reuse of an old bath building and the addition of a modern bath in the typical mytilenes landscape. The main intention of the project was to research the interaction between buildings and landscape. The landscape is designed in a way that enhances the existing natural elements and a new underground building establishing establishing new spatial qualities.

This project refers to the design of baths and it is located on the northern border of the urban fabric of Mytilene. The motivation for choosing the place was the seaside front, the Lemonou's stream and an old building of thermal baths, built in the 19^th century. Today the area is in decline, due to industrial activities and especially of the electric power plant located there, that have been damaging its natural elements.

 

 

INTENTIONS
The project focuses on the formation of a free space at the edge of the city, close to the sea and on the establishment of the bathing experience in the everyday life of the inhabitants.

As a result, it is necessary to rehabilitate the landscape and offer the possibility to experience the procedure of bathing in a traditional way, by reusing the old Kourtzi building. In addition to this, a new building is designed in order to support the old one. This building is developed underground, so that it doesn't compete with the old one and reserves the free landscape that a future outspread of the city would need.

 

 

DESIGN ELEMENTS
The basic elements of the design are the water element (sea, stream, thermal baths), earth and light through the atmospheres that arise from it. With this architectural vocabulary, the image of a building that is partly visible on the landscape through signs was created. Through these elements light comes into the building and a new relationship is established between the building, the landscape and the stream.

 

 

PRINCIPLES OF SYNTHESIS
Through the relationship of the underground with the landscape we came up with the idea of weaves. The design repeats the triplex organization of the old bath, upsetting nevertheless the strict sequence in order to produce a space, which favors the free movement. These weaves as braids or webs, parallel or not, serve as the establishment of three zones which indicate spaces of different quality.

Regarding the building, these zones determine different functional units, while their extensions on landscape, playing the role of a bridge, pass over the stream to the opposite side, negating the stream as a limit.

The three volumes of the underground building are of different height and follow the slope of the ground, while their roofs are covered with ground in order not to disturb the sense of continuity. For lightning and ventilation needs, two atriums are formed, and the building exposes itself laterally. Particular lightning needs are covered by smaller elements which appear in the surface as seats or viewing points.

In the beach, a protected area for swimming is formed, and in front of the old building, a jetty is constructed enabling sea travel.

Regarding the planting, we choose to bring back the olive tree, the tamarisk and the reed which integrate in the environment, favor the sustainability and indicate water of different kind.

 

 

In the new building the trilateral organization corresponds to three different functional zones. The first one, the reception zone, includes public uses and acts like a filter of movements. The second one, the entertainment zone consists mostly of water. The atrium in its center, brings light in the building and helps the bather specify his position. The third one, is the most private one. Two thermal pools, one with hot water (32 C) and one with cold water (17 C), a relaxation area and individual bath tubes compose this zone. Between these zones, sub zones are interjected where auxiliary functions take place.

 

 

In the old bath, the space keeps its organization and satisfies the same needs as far as possible. The basic intervention is the abolishment of the isolation of the cruciformal space and its transformation in an atrium which gives the bathers the chance to relax outdoors.

BUILDINGS' CONNECTIONS
The new bath develops in the level of the old one, and in accordance to its tracings. The successive increase of the height of the zones follows the slope of the ground creating a climax in the interior. These sequential levels are roofs covered with ground, which restore the lost continuity of the landscape and permit walking on them.

 

The two buildings communicate through a common space which gathers the circulation from the street level and the beach

 

BUILDINGS' INTERACTION WITH STREAM
The stream loses its natural slope where it reaches the building. This change in level, makes the stream the unifying element of natural and artificial and the basic element of the planning.

 

Through transversal gestures such as bridges, opposite sides are connected and the stream is no longer a limit. Among the stream and the building a new relation is being established. In each zone a different kind of interaction is taking place.

 

 

While approaching the old bath, Courtzi bath, the stream has found its natural flow. Although the stream almost abuts the building, a change in its flow was not a choice as the reflection of the old bath in the water was our prior inspiration.

Summarizing, basic design challenge was the investigation of the relation of the buildings and the stream, and their interaction. As well as the interaction of the underground and the landscape.

 

 

Key words: baths, stream, Mytilene, landscape.