New urban landscape in Quarry Selepitsari, Nikaia

Student: Danga Irena
Supervisors:  K.Moraitis, D.Karidis, J.Grigoriadis
School of Architecture, National Technical University of Athens
Date of presentation: November 2011

The subject of the diploma project is the design of public space with gardening, as a component tool of the composition. The intervention takes place in the hill Selepitsari, Nikaia, in two trouble spots of the urban fabric, creating new spaces of culture.

Public space: 'heart' of the city - mirror 'of society
Nature in the city: public space or a remnant of the building?

Thinking of the neglected public space with poor green, usually met in Greek cities, my diploma oriented in the design of new public space for the small community of Nikaia in the area 'Gipedo', over the quarry of hill Selepitsari.

Urban landscape
The district 'Gipedo' is a typical district of the Northwest suburbs of Attica that have developed at various stages on the Mountain Egaleo. The Hippodameian system adapts to the intense morphology of the mountain, creating an interesting network of roads. The patchwork of individual systems creates irregularly shaped land, that are left as green spaces or urban gap. The designed public spaces are few and with poor green. Also seen on the hilltop, the four-storey apartment buildings meet an arbitrary area of low buildings, now incorporated in the city planning, adding character to the area.

Nature landscape
The intense morphology offers plenty observation points of the Saronic Gulf and Mountain Egaleo. The move through to the hilltop offers interesting perspectives, constantly changing.

The building activity in recent decades and the mining, formed two sides of the hill. South, the carved rocks dominate the space like sculptures and provide a unified level for the park of Nikaia, where are the Katrakeio Theatre and Olympic Stadium of Weightlifting. The forest was reduced gradually to the west hill, separated from the rest green of the park.

Masterplan
The suggested idea is a cultural line that will connect the two sides of the hill. The first point is located in the center of the district, where is designed a square - garden with workshop for folk pottery and sculpture. The second point is the land left to the cliff, where a boulevard - park, includes the independent labs for sculpture (stone - wood - metal). The third point of the axis is the existing public park, where from time to time are hosted cultural events such as Sculpture Symposium in 2009.

The nature of the intervention is mild tending to highlight the intense morphology of the hill, as it is shaped form the quarrying activity, that stands as a sculpture in the area, giving a new identity in the region.

First point
The first point is an irregularly shaped land with a sharp cut in the natural slope, due to sample extraction of the miners. The abraded rock appears as a sculpure, while in front of it a square is shaped, there nature and rock overlap, overlooking the city and Mount Egaleo. Perpendicular to the rock, forming one front of the square, is placed the rectangular volume of the workshop. The building goes up one level from the level of the square, to allow the movement of pedestrians through a ramp to the plaza. The walls of the building, organize the linear arranged areas of the workshop and in the ground floor frame the view of pedestrians on the plaza.

In front of the square is formed a garden where walls and parallel to them rows of trees are placed perpendicular to the slope supporting the staircases leading to the square from the lower road. The trees also aimed at the natural shading of the south - west side of the building.

Second point
The second point is on the top of the hill, a linear plot with limit the cliff and fronts of the teeth resulting from the sideways designed blocks. The single area of the park is organized through three movements, which overlap.

The first is the ring road of the district, that separates the plot from two small triangular spaces, designed as gardens for residents. At this point in the park are placed linearly independent laboratories with outdoor space in front and row of trees to filter the view from the street.

The second movement is above the cliff, a promenade formed in two levels. On the second level, a ramp leads to the natural opening in the hilltop, an observation point, while another in a recess in the rock, which forms a sheltered area for reflection and memory of quarrying activity.

The third movement is the free passage from one end of the park to another, linking the square of the quarry in the forest of the hill (green corridor). The park is also organized by walls and tree rows lined by the third movement. Transverse to them are placed flower beds and individual trees that create micro-environments in the unified area of the park.