archi-PELAGO

University of Patras    
November 2009  
Design Project:Papanikolaou Konstantinos, Soulos Foteinos  
Professor: Spanomaridis Athanasios 

Cyclades are a complex of famous islands located in the center of Greece, at the Aegean pelago. Since the period of stone we have the first network of marine commercial contacts in the world in the region of Cyclades. The dispersion of these islands, that were rich in marble, copper, silver and gold, accumulated an important body of citizens from the continent of Greece. Thus, we have the 1st Cycladic culture since the era of copper (3rd millennium B.C.) and most of the islands are already inhabited. The natural beauty and the ideal circumstances that the islands offered, led to an enormous production of economic, ceramic, sculptural and trade fields. During the mid-Cycladic era [1700 B.C.] the so called Cycladic city is being created, which gradually changed to the city-state until the Dark ages. Cyclades gathered people from all the Mediterranean Sea. The importance of their existence for the ship navigation and the control of trade provoked numerous battles along the past centuries. Even later on, during the Byzantine period, a lot of churches and monasteries have been constructed and sometimes upon ancient temples. Finally, for several decades most of the islands where under the possession of several duchies like the Frankish and the Venetian.

Nowadays, Cyclades are one of the most touristic places in the world. They attract millions of tourists each year, mostly for their natural beauty and their traditional villages. During the winter time the local population of all the islands is more than one million. However, those people live under difficult circumstances when the touristic era is over. In other words, the water and air connections eliminate and the possibility for a good and prosperous life vanishes. Furthermore, when the touristic season is at its peak, energy problems occur, as there are not sufficient infrastructures to produce the appropriate capacities needed. Moreover, there is an endless consumption due to the inexistence of energy plan. In general, several elements that could certify a continuous touristic flow during the winter season is not being developed properly.

The proposal steps on the needs of the region and suggests a system of procedures and circumstances that will guarantee a continuous development to the islands with prosperous possibilities for the local societies.

One of the basic elements of this system is the respect for nature and the traditional and historical issues of Cyclades. More specifically this system, as an outline, runs through the islands providing new infrastructures that would divert several factors. The current situation upon transportation, both airplane and ship connections, is most of the time not enough to receive the large amount of tourists that arrive each year. The problem is more distinct in the southern islands of Cyclades. Conservation and exploitation of the local cities, villages and the historical sites are also elements of the proposal system. Due to the sufficient health structures that are proposed in order to be adequate enough, in terms of quantity and quality, local people won’t need to leave their homelands. Furthermore, education will be used so as to bring people from all around the world, by re-organizing and enlarging the Aegean university. Another element used at this system, is the fluctuation of the power necessities of the islands, depending on the season. Through renewable sources of power that will keep a distance from the islands, Cyclades can become power independent, since they have plenty of wind, sun and waves.

Focusing on one part of the system proposed, which is surrounded by the islands of Delos, Mykonos, Paros, Naxos and Ios, we suggest the creation of two artificial islands. The goal of the first island is to provide extra tourism to the islands of Cyclades and accommodate all the necessary space for the Aegean institution. The project proposes a new land where people from all around the world will be able to find themselves in the same place. This land could not be anywhere else, than in the region of Delos. This new land, under the name of Aegeon, just like at Delos, will not be anybody’s homeland. It is everyone’s property and no one’s possession.

Athleticism is a reason that could gather together the whole world population, as it is the last uniting element left that determines with the healthiest and most rightful way the best among the rest. With the help of the boundaries of Delos and the orientation of the ancient stadium, situated in the land of Delos, the primary scheme of Aegeon is created. A scheme that is easily implied as an artificial one, that defines its own position and existence.

 Furthermore, a system of pelamis (that use wave energy) and a sea wind park will provide all the necessary energy to the surrounding islands, so as to annihilate the use of other forms of energy that pollute the environment. This proposal keeps a distance from the geomorphology of Cyclades and proposes organized networks of floating wind parks and pelamis that convert waves' energy into usable form of energy. The Aegean sea is famous for the strong winds and waves that has all year around. That is why it is proposed in several areas of potential cores of energy production that can be adjusted in terms of quantities, depending on the needs of each period. The wind parks are situated in a certain way so as not to create traffic difficulties in the circulation of the ships, as the distance that has been formed make it possible to pass through both the wind parks and the pelamis farms. Moreover, the way that these elements are situated and orientated, make possible the maximum exploitation of the natural forces.

As far as the second proposed island is concerned, it is surrounded by the islands of Delos, Mykonos, Paros, Naxos and Ios. It will serve as a new airport and port that will provide easier and faster connection to the southern islands of Cyclades. As now, only a few airports and ports can receive large scale airplanes and ships respectively.

Homer, the epic writer of literature and poetry, is said to have died at the island of Ios. At that point, a new land is being created, devoted to the experience of travelling as if all the ships of the Aegean have settled for one and only goal. By creating axes from the grave of Homer and the long distance of the island of Ios, two main key points are being formed. This distance generates the grid, through which the island reveals itself.  At the land where Homer died, under the warm Cycladic sun, this island is the perfect place for the first root of the tree to blossom and absorb all the knowledge and the history of the islands from its roots. This island will grow its roots on the southern part of Ios where migrating birds will nest. These birds will be ready to fly and make their own journey; their own Odyssey.

The goal of this project was not to provide the one and only solution of the problems that the Cyclades network face, but to create new ideas.