The shifting tectonics in the urban grain of an ancient city

1

Figure 1Cover, Composition of the first masterplan of Athens with a map, (Authors’ creation)

3

4

5

Figure 2View from the Acropolis, (Tselas.E, 2015)

6

7

Figure 3View over Athens, (Tselas.E, 2015)

Abstract Even in present many architectural designs are influenced from design creations that were constructed thousands of years ago. Athens is on of the most ancient cities in the world and still has buildings that affected the design approach and the architecture language on global scale through history.

The history and the tectonics of the city came through many different phases. Every different period is depicted through buildings that were constructed on the corresponding era. The composition of the monumental buildings that were constructed the last decade contribute to the creation of the current form of the city. The goal of this document is to determine the timeline and changes in the design from the first megaron that was built on the Acropolis until the construction of the new Acropolis Museum that was designed the last decade. The research based on the most monumental buildings from the creation of the city until present tries to identify the influences and the purposes of the certain approach of design during each different era. It was intended to discover the .

connection bond of the tectonics from one period to the other.

Based on three squares in the center of Athens, which are representative samples of the current image of the city, this research tries to get outcomes for the current image of Athens. The three squares that were chosen are the Monastiraki, Syntagma and Omonia. A brief analysis of the history of each square give us a feeling about the reasons that each of these spaces have today this image. Through questionnaires the citizens of Athens stated their opinion and their feelings about the atmosphere they perceived from these squares. In addition, three architects were interviewed in order to have a more expertise view about the subject.

Combining the research about the shifting tectonics through history and the opinions of the citizens and experts it was made an effort to comprehend the reasons that this ancient city has this certain image today and if the continuity to the design approach through the years has been lost.

8

Figure 4View of the Erechtheum, (Tselas.E, 2015)

9

Table of Contents

3. CASE STUDIES ........................................... 51

LIST OF FIGURES……,,,,,…………………….11

3.1. The architectural character of Monastiraki, Syntagma and Omonia square through the years ........................................... 51

1. INTRODUCTION .........................................16

3.2. Monastiraki Square ................................ 53

2. LITERATURE REVIEW............................... 17

3.3. Syntagma Square ....................................57

2.1 Information about Athens ........................ 17

3.4. Omonia Square ........................................ 61

2.2 Definition of the center of Athens .......... 18

4. Analysis of research findings.................... 65

2.3. A timeline of the history of Athens ........19 2.3.1. The different architectural periods of Athens that transformed the city..............19 2.3.2. Mycenean Era, 1500 - 600 B.C.E. .. 20 2.3.3. The Archaic Era, 600 - 480 B.C.E. .21 2.3.4. The Classical Era, 479 – 323 B.C.E. ..................................................................... 23 2.3.5. The Greek Architecture Orders from the Archaic era since the classical era ..... 27 2.3.6. The Golden Ratio ............................ 28 2.3.7. The Hellenistic Era 338, B.C.E. – A.D. 86 ........................................................ 29 2.3.9. The Byzantine Empire, 330 – 1453 A.D. ............................................................. 35 2.3.10. The Ottoman Empire 1453 – 1821 A.D. ............................................................. 37

4.1 Questionnaires Findings ......................... 67 4.2. Interviews Findings.................................75 5. OVERALL ANALYSIS ..................................77 6. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH ..................................................... 78 6. CONCLUSION ............................................ 79 9. REFERENCES .............................................81 10. APPENDIX ................................................ 85

2.3.11. ATHENS FROM THE 19TH CENTURY UNTIL PRESENT............................................ 40

10

Stakhov

11

12

13

14

Figure 5The Monastiraki Square by night, (Tselas.E, 2015)

15

1. Introduction Athens is one of the most historic cities in the world. Some of the architectural creations that exist in the city, influenced the history of architecture. The goal of this dissertation is to make an in-depth analysis, in order to find out in which way the architectural identity of the historic center of Athens has changed. Initially, through examination of the most monumental and representative buildings of each different era, the study will provide an opportunity to discover the architectural elements that determined the evolution of the character. It will be studied the changes on the architectural character, and the composition of the history and architecture through the centuries. It will be taken into consideration the economic, political and social influences that affected the way of designing in each different era. The research will focus on a chronological period, which includes all the phases

from the creation of Athens until today. Based on three squares will be tried to outline the image of the centre of Athens. The selected squares are the Monastiraki, Syntagma and Omonia squares.

Those squares were chosen as examples of characteristic public spaces of the centre of Athens. In order to find out what is the opinion of the citizens for their city, Athenians were asked to express their opinion about the curtain condition of each of the areas. Through the questionnaires we intended to understand the general feeling that the citizens have for these central spaces. Three architects that have lived in Athens in three different decades were interviewed. The purpose was to study a more professional aspect to cross validate the data that collected from the questionnaires. In general, this research will attempt to give answers, about which are the reasons that Athens has the certain image today.

16

2. Literature Review 2.1 Information about Athens Athens is the capital of Greece and also the biggest city in the country with a population of 3,753,783 (statistics.gr, 2015). It became the capital of free Greece in 1834 and since then it has grown into a modern metropolis (visitgreece - Athens, 2015). It is located on plain of the Attica prefecture, between the Kifisos and Ilissus rivers, near Saronic Gulf. Athens is surrounded from the mountains of Aigaleos, Parnis, Pentelikon and Hymettus. The capital is the administrative, economic and cultural center of Greece. The greater Athens includes Piraeus where the port is

located. There are various of different municipalities from which Athens is consisted that have been connected during the years. In addition, the suburbs, outside of Athens include the biggest industrial output of Greece. For instance, manufactures of wool, silk, cotton textiles, ships, steel, machinery, food products, beverages, pottery, chemicals, carpets and printed materials.

The Greater Athens is a transportation hub which is served by rail lines, highways, airports and ports. Water supplier of the city is the Marathon reservoir (encyclopedia - Athens, 2015).

Figure 6Aerial view of Athens, (www.airpano.com,2015)

17

2.2 Definition of the center of Athens The research will focus on the historic center of Athens. Based on examples of buildings, which were constructed during different eras, it will be defined the evolution of architectural style.

The research includes a variety of buildings; from the first megaron built on Acropolis, which constructed in around 1500 B.C.E. until the new

museum of Acropolis created in 2003. The map below (figure 2) indicates the boundaries of the study area, but also the location of the buildings and the squares that will be examined. The buildings are depicted in yellow color and the squares in red.

Figure 7Diagramme of the buildings that will be analysed, (Authors’ creation)

18

2.3. A timeline of the history of Athens 2.3.1. The different architectural periods of Athens that transformed the city At this section the research will focus on the evolution architectural character of Athens from the era of its creation until today. The architectural character and the influences of each different period will be examined. In addition, it will be studied the connection bond between different eras in order to comprehend the development of the city through the centuries, that resulted to the present image of the centre of Athens. Based on certain characteristic buildings of each era, it will attempt to discover the most significant architectural elements of each different

period. Furthermore, the different eras that will be explored are the Mycenean Era (1500 - 600 B.C.E.), The Archaic Era (600 - 480 B.C.E.), The Classical Era (479 – 323 B.C.E.), The Hellenistic Era (338, B.C.E. – A.D. 86), The Roman Era (86 B.C.E. – A.D. 267), The Byzantine Empire (330 – 1453 A.D.), The Ottoman Empire (1453 – 1821 A.D.) From the middle of 19th century to present it will be examined based on the different architectural movements the influenced the character of Athens.

19

2.3.2. Mycenean Era, 1500 - 600 B.C.E. The Acropolis was the centre of the city of Athens development and it was habited since 5000B.C.E. During the Mycenaean age (1500 – 1100 B.C.E.) citizens of the Acropolis built a multipart palace (figure 3) which consisted of a

megaron and numerous spaces such as altars and shrines. Around the buildings there were fortifications with two main entrances on the west and on the north side, in order to protect from the Dorian attacks (Darling, 2004).

Figure 8Mycenaean megaron on Acropolis, (www.deviantart.com, 2015)

20

2.3.3. The Archaic Era, 600 - 480 B.C.E. The sixth century B.C.E. was the first period when Athens began to grow. That was mirrored through the monuments erected for the goddess Athena who was the protector of the city.

Primarily, the first shrine for Athena was built in 570 B.C.E. Later a larger Doric temple for Athena was built on the side of the Acropolis where the Parthenon was built. During the tyranny of Pisistratos, a temple for Athena was built on the ruins of the Mycenean Palace. The temple was named Temple of Athena Polias, which means Athena the Founder of Athens and it is historically known as the old Temple of Athena. The construction started around 529 B.C.E. and finished in 520 B.C.E. This temple is one of the first examples of a Doric building with Ionic characteristics. This combination of different orders was used on a plethora of building on the Acropolis during the fifth- century B.C.E. (Darling, 2004). In 508 B.C.E when democracy flourished in Athens, the function and the significance of the Acropolis changed into a religious space instead of a fortress and a place for tyrants. In 485 B.C.E. started the construction of the entrance of Acropolis on the place of the old Mycenaean gate.

In addition, construction of a new temple began, with it being considered as the predecessor of the famous Parthenon due to the combination of Doric and Ionic characteristics and its design. In 480 B.C.E, before the Older Parthenon, as it was called, was completed the Persians occupied Athens and destroyed the Acropolis (Darling, 2004). Furthermore,

another very significant creation during the Archaic Era was the Theatre of Dionysus that was constructed in about 530 B.C. E. and it is known as the oldest theatre in the world (figure 4). It was constructed for the god Dionysus and accommodated festivals dedicated to him.

(Rabinowitz, 2008).

Figure 9The Old temple of Athena, (www.imageshack.com, 2015)

21

Figure 10The Theatre of Dionysus, (Tselas.E, 2015) Figure 5 Theatre of Dionysus, (Tselas.E, 2015)

22

2.3.4. The Classical Era, 479 – 323 B.C.E. The first significant period of Athens when the city gained power and democracy flourished is known as the Golden age and it was under the rule of the Athenian politician Pericles.

Under Pericles’s reign Athens became a centre of culture and witnessed a burst of creativity in science, art, philosophy and architecture (Ancient Greece an illustrated history, 2011). One of the most important achievements during the Golden century of Pericles was the redevelopment of the Acropolis. The renovation of the hill included four main buildings which were the Parthenon, the Propylea, the Temple of Athena Nike and the Erechteum. The architectural style of all the buildings that were constructed during this era is known as classical (Darling, 2004).

The Parthenon symbolised the prosperity of the period. The people who contributed in its creation were Pericles, the sculptor Phidias and the architects Ictinus and Callicrates. The building is a temple dedicated to Athena, with its key elements of design revolving around a symbolistic nature, which was implemented through theoretical and physical knowledge of the arts and politics of that era. The construction of Parthenon started in 447 B.C.E and was finished in 438 B.C.E. For the whole structure Pentelic marble was used.

Parthenon’s design is considered of great importance, due to the system of ratios applied in

all of its parts. This was done in order for all of its components to be cooperatively independent (Beard, 2010).

Another part of the redevelopment of Acropolis was the creation of Propylea. When the construction of the Parthenon was at its final stages, the creation of an entrance equal to the level of it began. This entrance replaced the older propylon and it had a symbolic meaning, as it separated the rest of the city from the religious space. The construction started on 437 B.C.E. and it was finished in 431 B.C.E. The architect of the building was Mnesicles and the project was not completed as it was originally envisioned because of the eruption of the Peloponnesian War (Rhodes, 1995).

Figure 11View of the Pathenon, (Tselas.E, 2015)

23

The Temple of Athena Nike, which mean Bringer of Victory, is a small building next to Propylea. Although, being part of Pericles’s plan for the Acropolis, it was constructed after his death in 429 B.C.E. The construction begun in 427 B.C.E and it concluded in 425 B.C.E. with Callicrates being the architect. It is believed that it was constructed later than the rest of the buildings, due to a lack of resources and energy (Dinsmoor, 1981).

The last building of the reconstruction of Acropolis during the fifth century B.C.E. was the creation of Erechtheum. The temple was built in place of the Temple of Athena Polias. Construction started in 421 B.C.E. but it was suspended in 413 B.C.E. because of the war with Syracuse. The construction started again in 409 B.C.E. and it was finished in 406 B.C.E. The views on Erechtheum are divided. Some critics believe that it was solving topographical issues that the site had, for instance the slope. Others believed that the design was not satisfactory, mostly due to a lack of harmony and its redundant decorations (Berve, Gruben, and Hirmer, 1963).

Figure 12Figure 7 View of the Propylea, (Tselas.E, 2015)

Figure 13Temple of Athena Nike, (Tselas.E, 2015)

Figure 14The Erechtheum, (Tselas.E, 2015)

24

Apart from the Acropolis another very important part of the centre of Athens is the Agora. The meaning of the Agora has to deal with the creation of a space that encloses social and religious activities in a common space. Due to the fact that the Agora evolved and adapted to each different era, it consisted of a variety of buildings which ranged in character from Archaic and Classical to Hellenistic and later Roman. The Agora of Athens provides an excellence in urban design. (Darling, 2004). One of the finest and well preserved examples of Doric order buildings is the temple of Hephaistos which employs Pentelic marble as its main material, similarly to the Parthenon and the rest of the Acropolis (Camp and Mauzy, 2003). The construction of the temple started two years before the Parthenon in 449 B.C.E. and the name of the architect is unknown (Darling, 2004).

Figure 15The temple of Hephaistos, (romanshymko.com, 2015)

25

26

Figure 16View of the agora, (Tselas.E, 2015)

2.3.5. The Greek Architecture Orders from the Archaic era since the classical era The research on the classical era of Athens focused on the most significant buildings of that period in order to define the architectural character and the influences that resulted in three architectural orders. The buildings of Acropolis are fine examples of the architectural character of that era. The main Greek architectural orders are Doric, Ionic and Corinthian. The Doric and Ionic architectural orders were established approximately in 600 B.C.E. The scale of the buildings was based on human proportions. All the parts of the buildings were connected. These bestowed the structures with a sense of harmony (Fletcher, 1987).

Doric is the earliest order. It was named after the Dorians who lived in the country. The different elements of the building harmoniously bond together. This bond is based on the repeating and logical nature of its hierarchical evolution. The Ionic order, which was derived from the Ionian Islands, was the second order to appear. In contrast with the Dorian order, it is more elegant with ornamentations, with more elongated, delicate and curvilinear components. The third and final order, the Corinthian, is best known from its design being inspired by the acanthus leaf.

The Corinthian order was predominantly employed in the interior of Greek buildings and it usually connoted wealth (Barletta, 2001).

Figure 17The Greek architectural orders, (Fletcher, 1987)

27

2.3.6. The Golden Ratio Another major characteristic of the architectural design during the classic period was the implementation of the Golden Ratio or Golden section. More specifically, the proportion of two parts of a line, where A is the longer part, and B is the the shorter part, is equal to the rate of the sum of A and B to the part A. The golden section can be also indicated with a mathematical formula

The value of the Golden Ratio is 1.618:1 or 8:5. The rectangle that has the length of its adjacent sides according to the Golden Ratio is called the Golden Rectangle. (figure 13) The idea of the Golden Ratio was very important for art and architecture throughout history because of the theory that every design based and divided in Golden Sections, is pleasant and appealing.

During the classical era, the ancient Greeks believed that the most elegant rectangle was the Golden Rectangle and they designed buildings, with the most significant example being the Parthenon, according to that (Adams, 2000).

Although plenty of research about the Parthenon differ in some aspects, they all align with the notion that the harmony and perfection this temple has is owed to the application of the Golden Section (Stakhov, 2003).

Figure 18The Golden Rectangle, (Stakhov, 2003)

28

2.3.7. The Hellenistic Era 338, B.C.E. – A.D. 86 The definition of the word Hellenistic, which meaning is “Greek-like”, was created during the nineteenth century A.D. in order to determine the history of Greece and the Near East, from the death of Alexander the Great in 323 B.C. until the death of Cleopatra VII who was the last emperor of Macedonia in Egypt in 30 B.C. Hellenistic describes the lifestyle, that is based on a combination of Greek traditions mixed with similar traditions that appeared during the invasions of the eastern Mediterranean from Alexander the Great (Martin, 2013).

In 322 B.C.E., a year after the death of Alexander the Great, the Athenians failed to retrieve their autonomy from the generals who were chosen to rule over the new kingdom. The most characteristic architectural examples of that period are the Stoa of Eumenes, the stoa of Attalos and the Tower of the winds (Camp, 2002).

The Attalid dynasty ruled one of the empires that was included in the land that Alexander the Great vanquished. Their kingdom, named Pergamon, was placed on north-western Turkey. The Attalids, due to their extensive knowledge about politics and art, transformed Pergamon into one of the most powerful kingdoms in their effort to regenerate the golden age of Athens. In doing so, they created a strong bond with the city of Athens.

The Attalids were Philhellines which mean “Lovers of Greece”. The ruler of Athens from 197

until 160 B.C.E. was the Eumenes II. After him, the leader of the city from 159 until 138 B.C.E. was Attalos II. Both of them, in their attempt to exhibit their devotion for Athens, built stoas. Stoas were buildings that were used as a part of the urban design. The shape of a stoa is elongated, with its back and side walls solid and a colonnade situated on the open front side. The role of stoas was very important because it protected people from sun and rain, in order to be able to hold their activities, for instance educational, religious or trade (Darling, 2004).

Amid the reign of Eumenes II, the stoa of Eumenes was constructed on the south side of the Acropolis hill. Due to the fact, that the engineers had previously built on the citadel of Pergamon it was easy to adapt to the morphological difficulties of the Acropolis of Athens. The back side of the stoa was an enormous retaining wall. The ground floor exterior was done in Doric order, which is in contrast with the Ionic order of the interior and first floor exterior colonnade. An interesting architectural detail can be found on the top, which is recognized as Pergamene and its influence come from the Egyptian palm-leaf capital (Camp, 2002).

Attalos constructed the Stoa of Attalos in the Agora of Athens. It was at this area that the rhetoric and philosophy schools were placed. The Stoa of Attalos was the most powerful

29

architectural design of ancient Greece after the Parthenon. The main material that was used was marble instead of limestone which was commonly used before. In comparison to the previous stoas, it was a double story building. The forty-five columns on the ground floor exterior were of Doric order in contradiction with the Ionic first floor. The stoa of Attalos was used for four centuries and it was destroyed by a barbarian invasion in 267 B.C.E. The Stoa of Attalos was rebuilt in 1953 – 1956 by the American School of Classical studies and is in very good condition today (Thompson, 1986).

Another exceptional structure was designed by the engineer and astronomer Andronicus of Cyrrhus. It was built in the midfirst century to clarify his idea about the eight winds and to roof a miraculous hourglass or clepsydra. The Horologion, whose meaning is “clock tower” or the tower of winds as it was named by Vitruvius, had an octagon shaped tower placed in a way that made it work similarly to a compass (Fletcher, 1987).

The architecture of the Hellenistic era influenced neoclassical architecture in its design approach, especially in the creation of impressive public buildings. Architects during the Hellenistic period combined the Doric and Ionic orders on a building and used the Corinthian order to add extravagant decoration (Martin, 2013).

Figure 20The stoa of Eumenes, (www.grieksegids.info, 2015)

Figure 19The stoa of Attalos, (Tselas.E, 2015)

Figure 21The Horologion, (uploadwikimedia.org, 2015)

30

2.3.8. The Roman Era, 86 B.C.E. – A.D. 267 The Romans were heavily involved in the battles between the Greeks and the successors of Alexander the Great. Greece became part of the Roman Empire. From an archaeological aspect it is not clear when Athens came under the rule of the Romans. All the influences the Roman Empire had on the people of Athens was a process that lasted for many years and did not happen suddenly. The best approximation of an accurate date that Athens became part of the Roman Empire is on 86 B.C.E. when the Roman admiral Sulla conquered the city (Camp, 2002).

Apart from the destruction that was caused in Athens and Greece in general, the Romans greatly improved the city by creating many important buildings. The most significant contributions that will be mentioned are Hadrian’s Library, the Arch of Hadrian, the Odeum of Herodus Atticus but also the restoration of the Temple of Olympian Zeus and the Panathenaic Stadium or Kallimarmaro as it is known. Many Roman leaders supported the Greek architecture.

Most well-known for his offer to Greek architecture was Emperor Hadrian, whose nickname was “the Greekling”, due to his love for the Greek culture. Furthermore, Herodes Atticus who was a Romanized Athenian, was involved in the development of Athens (Darling, 2004).

Hadrian was the 14th emperor of the Roman Empire from 117 to 138 A.D. He was a philhellene and it is known that he visited Athens at least three times. Many buildings, temples and

altars were built during Hadrians’ reign with the most important being the Hadrians’ Arch and the Library of Hadrian. These were constructed in 131 or 132 A.D. The arch faces the east side of the Acropolis. Its pilasters and columns follow the Corinthian order. In contrast with most Roman arches Hadrian’s arch is much thinner (Camp, 2002).

Figure 22The Hadrians’ Arch, (uploadwikimedia.org, 2015)

31

One of the most important buildings that Hadrian gave to Athens was the Library.

According to Pausanias, who was a Greek traveller and topographer, it was described as a building used for storing books with many detailed decorations and one hundred columns. Based on other sources the building is described clearly as a library and it was built in 132 A.D. The library is at the north side of the Roman Agora. The building has one entrance on the west side. In front of the entrance, there is a propylon with four columns of Corinthian order. Various materials were used for this building, such as marble from Pentelic, marble from Asia Minor, limestone and veined marble from Karystos (Camp, 2002).

Another significant personality of that period, as was mentioned above, was Herodes Atticus. He was a rich Athenian and it is speculated that he was inspired by Hadrian’s offer to the city and wanted to follow in his steps. A year after his wife’s death, in 161 A.D., Herodes decided to build an odeum in her memory. The Odeum of Herodes Atticus is a Roman theater that is impressive due to its size as it is approximately four times larger than a classic concert hall. The capacity of the odeum was that of forty-eight hundred people. It was built at the south side of the Acropolis and took advantage of the hill to form the sitting. The building next to the stage was rectangular and it was used as backdrop for the plays, but also for preparations for the artists and also storage. Based on the biography of Herodes, written by Philostratus, the odeum is described as enormous and exceedingly elegant. Furthermore, it mentions

that it had a cedar roof. Today, the odeum does not have a roof and part of the building has been destroyed. Some are of the opinion that the odeum was destroyed during Heulian’s invasion in 267 A.D (Tobin, 1997).

Figure 24The Hadrians΄ library, (Tselas.E, 2015)

Figure 23The Odeum of Herodes Atticus, (Tselas.E, 2015)

32

Throughout the architectural history of Athens, there are some buildings that are difficult to classify historically in a certain period, as they were transformed through the different eras and attained characteristics from different chronological ages. Two clear examples are the Temple of Olympian Zeus and the Panathenaic Stadium or Kallimarmaro.

The Temple of Olympian Zeus is located at the southeast of Acropolis. It is a construction that lasted for more than seven centuries. It started approximately in 520 B.C.E. during the tyranny of Hippas and Hipparchos, the sons of Pisistratus. The project was an enormous temple designed by Antistates, Callaescrus, Antimachides and Porinus. This temple was designed after the Doric order and it was meant to be made out of limestone. After the end of their reign, the construction halted only to start again based on the design from the Archaic era in 174 B.C.E. from the Roman architect Decimus Cossutius, who was chosen by the emperor Antiochus IV Epiphanes.

This design used Pentelic marble and Corinthian instead of the Doric order. Again the construction stopped in 164 B.C.E. when Antiochus died. The half completed temple was destroyed by Sulla’s raid in 86 B.C.E. Under Hadrian, the construction of the Temple of Olympian Zeus started again, but it was destroyed again in Herulian’s invasion in 267 A.D. Although in our days only fifteen columns are preserved out of one hundred four, the Temple is a great example about how each different era influenced the architectural elements of each building. This building is influenced from the

Archaic, Hellenistic and Roman era (Birley, 2000).

The Panathenaic Stadium, is the most expansive building that was ever built in the centre of Athens. Its development comes along with the architectural history of many different eras. In the beginning, it was built during the reign of Lycurgus, in the middle of the fourth century to serve the Great Panathenaea. This was a festival dedicated to the goddess Athena, held every four years.

Figure 25The temple of Olympian Zeus, (www.upload.wikimedia.org, 2015)

Figure 26The Panathenaic Stadium, (www.gtp.gr, 2015)

33

Before the construction of the stadium the viewers were seated on the slopes and the track was in the valley. The stadium was made out of limestone and it had U-shaped seats. During the Roman era, Herodes Atticus wanted to repair all the damages that were made to the stadium. The building became an astonishing creation, as it had kept its size, but all the limestone was replaced by Pentelic marble. The reconstruction of Herodes’s stadium lasted four years, from 140 until 144 A.D. Throughout the history of Athens the stadium was destroyed again in the fourth century and was excavated by the German Ernst Ziller. The excavation was funded by Evangelis Zappas, a wealthy Greek, who offered a lot of his property for the recreation of the Olympic Games in Athens.

Anastase Metaxas, a Greek architect, doubled the size of the initial stadium. The stadium was given the name Kallimarmaro, which translates to beautiful marble. The stadium was a symbol for the national community during the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 in Athens (Darling, 2004).

The Roman architecture, or Romanesque did not discover the arch, but it employed it in a way that improved the construction of their buildings and it was the key to accomplish difficult projects, such as amphitheatres, theatres, baths, basilicas, bridges and aqueducts. Romanesque architecture had a different approach when compared to Greek architecture because it used specific characteristics in order to build a variety of different typologies of buildings. For this reason the buildings that were erected during the Roman Empire do not have the fineness and elegance that

the Parthenon had. This attention to detail was impossible to achieve due to the volume of buildings that were created during that period (Jackson, 2007).

34

2.3.9. The Byzantine Empire, 330 – 1453 A.D. Christianity became the formal religion of the Roman Empire when Theodosius the Great became the ruler. This affected the architecture of the Empire in an extreme way, as Theodosius in 394 A.D. closed all the temples and the sanctuaries. Although the new Empire was considered a continuation of the Roman Empire, it actually exhibited a different character, mostly due to the differences in theology, which was the starting point of its separation from the Latin west (Darling, 2004).

The religious architecture in Athens amid the early Byzantine period is not exceptional. The Byzantine Empire came through many conflicts with its enemies. Athens did not receive any help from Constantinople, which was the capital at the time. In addition, Greece faced many disastrous situations, such as crop failures, earthquakes, droughts and the bubonic plague. All of the above affected the lives of the Athenians and inevitably the architecture of the city. That period in seventh and eighth centuries is known as the Dark Ages. It was only after the Ninth century, when the reconstruction of the Empire begin, that the first Byzantine architectural examples appeared. One very significant point in architectural history, is that the Parthenon was transformed into a Byzantine church (Darling, 2004). The research will focus on the three most remarkable buildings of byzantine architecture in the historic centre of Athens.

The church Agioi Apostoloi, which is dedicated to the Holy Apostles, is located on the south-east side of the agora. The exact date of its construction is unknown, but it is believed that it was built at some point between 1000-1020 A.D. .

Although of a small size, the church is considered as an exceptional sample of byzantine architecture (Hetherington, 1992).

Figure 27The church of Agioi Apostoloi, (Tselas.E, 2015)

35

In the centre of Athens, in Ermou street, which connects Syntagma Square with Monastiraki Square, another significant example of Byzantine architecture is located, the church Kapnikarea.

The church of Pantanassa is placed in the Square of Monastiraki, which took its name after it. The construction of the church is dated around the 10th century. The church came through many transitions during the different eras. This is reflected in its form, which demonstrates the difference between the initial design of basilicas in contrast with the cross-in-square design that was used during in the Byzantine Empire (BYZANTINE MONUMENTS OF ATTICA, no date).

Although byzantine art differs from the art of previous eras, as far as the content is concerned, its aesthetics were still based on Greek and Roman art. The strict rules and the criteria that the design of a church should meet, in contrast with the fluidity of Greek and Roman architecture, made the differences more evident.

The straight connection of the church with its function and the symbolism that the building was supposed to have, introduced new architectural characteristics like the dome, the niche of the sanctuary and the cruciform plan. All these characteristics were not part of the designs of previous eras, because these requirements did not exist. In addition, byzantine architecture has had many comparisons to classic Greek architecture not only for the smaller size of its buildings but also, due to its lack of funds during the 11th and 12th century (ΜΠΟΥΡΑΣ, 1969).

This church is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and it was constructed during the start of 12th century (Gkioles, 2007).

Figure 28The church of Kapnikarea, (Tselas.E, 2015)

Figure 29The church of Pantanassa, (Tselas.E, 2015)

36

2.3.10. The Ottoman Empire 1453 – 1821 A.D. In 1453, the Ottoman Turks occupied Constantinople (Darling, 2004). It took them approximately one century to conquer the cities of the Greek territory. Athens was subjugated during 1456 - 1458. The development of Athens, like other Greek towns, was based on the perception and organization of the Ottoman Empire. Changing each town according to their philosophy through interventions, was characteristic of the Ottoman Empire (Androudis, 2015).

Under the Ottoman Empire, houses and streets were built around the Parthenon, which was transformed into a mosque (Darling, 2004). The analysis is going to focus on the two strongest architectural examples of Ottoman architecture which are the Tzistarakis Mosque and the Fethiye Mosque.

The Turkish overlord Moustafa Agas, or Tzistarakis, constructed in Monastiraki Square, in 1759, the Kato Sintrivaniou Mosque or, as it is known, the Tzistarakis Mosque. Moustafa Agas removed a 17th century column from the Temple of Zeus in order to use it for lime. The building is consisted of a loggia that is standing on four columns and two series of windows at the two sides. The Museum of Traditional Ceramics is situated in the mosque since 1981 (Organisation G.N.T, 2005).

Another example of Ottoman architecture, is the Fethiye Mosque. It is located close to the Roman Agora and it was created in 1456 on the remnants of an old aisled church. It

was dedicated to Mohamed II the Conqueror.

Throughout the years its function changed as in 1834 until the beginning of the 20th century it was a militia base and today it shelters a selection of findings of the Archaeological Service (Organisation G.N.T, 2005).

Figure 30The Tzistarakis Mosque, (Tselas.E, 2015)

Figure 31The Fetiye Mosque, (morgansabnis.files.wordpress.com, 2015)

37

The architectural characteristics of the Ottoman Empire affected the architecture in Athens, as the subjugation continued until 1821 when the War of Independence started. During the classic period in 16th and 17th centuries, Ottoman architecture was influenced from Byzantine architectural elements.

In addition, architectural details were influenced from other countries as well, for instance the stalactites decoration of the Arabs and the colorful wall tile decoration of the Seljuks. The creativity of the arts and the architecture were firmly connected with the financial condition of the Ottoman Empire (Androudis, 2015).

38

Figure 32View from Acropolis, (Tselas.E, 2015)

39

2.3.11. Athens from the 19th century until present After a long period of subjugation, on April 25th 1821 and while the revolution had begun in other Greek regions, the rebellion in Athens started. The war continued until May 31st 1833, when England, France and Russia interfered. This led to the declaration of Athens as the capital of the now free Greece, in September 18th 1834 (Kokkinos, D. 1974).

40

2.3.11.1The Urban development of Athens At this point it is important to briefly mention the evolution of the urban planning of Athens over the years. John Travlos in his book about the urban development of Athens, clearly demonstrates, through maps, the evolution of planning for the city. It is evident that the centre of Athens was the Acropolis and the area of the agora. The rest of the city started to evolve chaotically around 1456. The new plan for Athens was designed by Kleanthes and Schaubert and it was crucial because it was the first extensive planning attempt for the future of the city (Travlos, 2005).

Stamatios Kleanthes and Eduard Schaubert were assigned by the transitional Greek Government to design the master plan. Their goal was for the plan to correspond with the reputation and the greatness of Athens and also to be valued for the period that it was designed. They were influenced by architect and professor Karl Friedrich Schinkel as well as from other European cities like Munich, Vienna and Rome, about how a European capital should be designed (Bastéa, 1999).

3.500 – 600 B.C.E.

Figure 33 Athens Urban Development, 3500 - 600 B.C.E. (Travlos,1993)

479 - 338 B.C.E.

Figure 35 Athens Urban Development, 479 - 338 B.C.E. (Travlos,1993)

86 B.C.E. – 267 A.D.

Figure 34 Athens Urban Development, 86 - 267 A.D. (Travlos,1993)

267 – 408 A.D.

Figure 36 Athens Urban Development, 267 - 408 A.D. (Travlos,1993)

41

565 - 1205 A.D.

1205 - 1456 A.D.

Figure 39 Athens Urban Development, 565 - 1205 A.D. (Travlos,1993)

Figure 40 Athens Urban Development, 1205 - 1456 A.D. (Travlos,1993)

1456 - 1687 A.D.

1687 - 1833 A.D.

Figure 38 Athens Urban Development, 1456 - 1687 A.D. (Travlos,1993)

Figure 37 Athens Urban Development, 1687 - 1833 A.D. (Travlos,1993)

42

Their third and final proposal for the new Athens was the approved plan. The main design was a symmetrical plan, and combined the current buildings and the topography of the city.

It proposed a northern and eastern expansion of the city. In contrast with the old city that was situated on the hill of the Acropolis, the rest of the city was designed on a comparatively level area.

The construction of the new Palace played a significant role in the overall design (Bastéa, 1999).

The ultimate goal of was the connection of the future of Athens with its past. The old Ottoman city had to be transformed into a European capital. Another goal of the master plan was for all the new monumental buildings to be admired and considered as creations of the Classic Era. In addition, all these significant buildings were placed on central streets of the plan (Roubien, 2013).

Although the population of Athens was 7.000 citizens, the new plan of Athens was a designed for 35.000 to 40.000 citizens, which was an accurate prediction. The plan was a great design for the future of Athens, but only a part of it was ever accomplished because of problems that were created, such as the land value close to the centre increasing tenfold. This plan was applied differently in the end, with the most important buildings moving to different locations, based on changes by the consultant of Ludwig of Bavaria, Leo Von Klenze (Philippidēs, 2001).

Figure 41 Stamatios Kleanthes and Eduart Schaubert Final Plan for the new city of Athens 1833,(Munich, Staatliche Graphische Sammlung. Inv. N. 27119

Figure 42 Leo von Klenze, final plan for the New city of Athens 1834, (Munich, Bayerische Staats bibliothek, Mapp. XVIII, 28)

43

2.3.11.2 The architectural movements of Athens the last century Τhe architectural character of Athens came through many different iterations, as is expressed in the form that it has today. During the 20th century, the architects of each period demonstrated different styles in relevance to Greek architecture. Due to the political, social and economic circumstances of Greece, European styles were used later chronologically, in contrast with the period that they were introduced in other European cities. In addition, the ever present struggle over which architectural styles could be considered as Greek and which ones not, led to a multitude of architectural styles coexisting during the same period (Philippidēs, 2001).

Initially, after the Greek Independence, Neoclassicism was introduced, an already established style in Europe. Neoclassicism flourished, because it worked as a bond to the past of Athens, but at the same time integrated the city in a European context. Neoclassical Architecture was based on the design of Greek temples. The rhythms of classic architecture were used in accordance with the principles of symmetry and proportion of individual parts of the design (Τραυλός, 1967).

The characteristics of the Neoclassical Architecture are stability, robustness and magnificence and they stem from the intention to create a world of purity, simplicity and grandness, which corresponds to the classics. The design features of a building are the clean and monochrome surfaces, with linear decorations

and some relief elements of the gable and the open colonnades that are encountered in ancient classical times (Μπίρης, 2002).

The Neoclassical style prevailed in Greek architecture for over 80 years and created a new tradition. As it happens with every style that is used in Greek architecture, Neoclassicism was reshaped and adapted to the Greek values, making it stand out from the corresponding European standards (Τσαρούχης, 1965).

The evolution of the different architectural characteristics will be examined through buildings that were constructed in Athens over the last two centuries. The inquiry will focus on certain monumental buildings that were built during the period of Neoclassicism and will mention in brief buildings that gave Athens its architectural essence during that period.

44

The Old Palace of Otto, which in present houses the Greek Parliament, was designed by Friedrich von Gärtner, an architect of Ludwig of Bavaria. In 1836, the construction of the Old Palace began and it was finished in 1847. The plain facades are overshadowed by the protractions of the central components of the building and crowned by a pediment over the Doric balconies (culture2000.tee.gr, no date).

Theophilos and Christian Hansen had a leading role as far as the reconstruction of Athens was concerned. Apart from their contribution to the renovation of the Parthenon, the Temple of Athena Nike and the Erechtheum, their most tremendous scheme was the creation known as the Athenian Trilogy. This was a combination of three buildings that were located in one of the main streets of the plan for the new Athens, Panepistimiou Street or University Street. The three buildings are the University of Athens, the Academy of Athens and the National Library. First to begin its construction was the University of Athens in 1839 and it was finished in 1864. It was designed by Christian Hansen. The other two buildings were designed by his brother Theophilos Hansen. The Academy of Athens was constructed between 1859 and 1885 and the National Library from 1885 until 1892. The Athens Trilogy is constructed from Pentelic marble and is considered as the most exceptional example of Hellenic neoclassicism, with its human scale, imperial simplicity and values of the Classic Greek architecture being of special note (Jørgensen, Porphyrios, and Jorgensen, 1987).

Figure 44 The Greek Parliament, (Tselas.E, 2015)

Figure 43 The University of Athens, (Tselas.E, 2015)

Figure 46 The Academy of Athens, (Tselas.E, 2015)

Figure 45 The National Library, (Tselas.E, 2015)

45

Hellenic Neoclassicism in architecture was a very important period for the reconstruction of Athens and its connection with the past, in order for its citizens to understand the importance of their history (Τραυλός, 1967). Other important buildings of that period, that give a clear idea of the architecture of the period, are the National Technical Univeristy of Athens (18611885) designed by Lysandros Kaftantzoglou and the Zappeion Megaro (1874 - 1888) designed by Theophilos Hansen (culture2000.tee.gr, no date).

The architectural style that followed Neoclassicism was the Greek-Roman, which was a bond with the past of Athens, and generally of Greece, and it presented a solution for the design of churches during the period between 1840 until 1870. The Greek-Roman rhythm was a reaction to Neoclassicism but also symbolised the unity of Greece. In addition, the Greek- Roman rhythm, was the first sample of Romanticism that was the architectural style that prevailed at that period in Europe (Philippidēs, 2001). One of the most significant examples of Greek Roman Rhythm is the Cathedral of Athens that was built between 1842 and 1862.

Figure 47 The Technical University of Athens, (www.foititikanea.gr, 2015

Figure 49 The Zappeion Megaro, (www.uploadwikimedia.org, 2015)

Figure 48 The Cathedral of Athens, (www.neplains.com, 2015)

46

The term Romanticism that was introduced during the 17th century in England and it describes the emotional exaltation and the desperate desire to achieve the highest ideals but also intertwined with passion and melancholy.

The goal of Romanticism was the release from the classic standards and the connection with nature, in response to the growing urbanization. The architectural choices were dependent on the preference of an architect for a particular style, the desire to emphasize and express through art, or the particular function of each building (Jørgensen, Porphyrios, and Jorgensen, 1987). Two examples of the Romantism movement are the Schliemann House or Numismatic Museum (1878-1880), the National or Royal Theatre of Athens (1891 - 1901)

by Ernst Ziller (culture2000.tee.gr, no date).

Figure 51 The Numismatic Museum, (Tselas.E, 2015)

Figure 50 The National Theatre, (www.touristorama.com, 2015)

47

Historism succeeded Romanticism and it was represented by Ernst Ziller. Historism was applied in Greek architecture for over 40 years and delayed the appearacne of Neo Baroque, which was prevalent in Europe at that time. NeoGothic architecture, which appeared during 1830 in Europe, was expressed through folk architecture or Laiki, because of the lack of Gothic history in Greece. In 1850, due to the variety of the different architectural styles at the same period, it was given the term of Eclecticism or as it is known Beaux – Arts or New Baroc (Condaratos and Wang, 2000).

Two examples of Eclecticism are the mansion of Othon Stathatos which was constructed in 1887 and the mansion of Vassilios Melas that today houses the administrative centre of the national bank of Greece, (1884 – 1887) both designed by Ernst Ziller (culture2000.tee.gr, no date).

Figure 53 The Mansion of Othon Stathatos, (Tselas.E, 2015)

Figure 52 The Mansion of Vassilios Stathatos, (Tselas. E, 2015)

48

One of the most important styles that affected the architecture of Athens during 1920 was Modernism. Modernism was expressed from architects that were influenced from the new style during 1930, for instance Ioannis Despotopoulos who graduated from Bauhaus, one of the most popular movements of Modernism. During the interwar period, the creations of the Greek architects were influenced by the theories of Le Corbusier and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. In 1960 Greek architecture is influenced from Japanese architecture, but also by English Brutalism, which was applied to many new constructions in Athens.

After 1960 the most significant architectural examples are introduced in Athens by Walter Gropious, with the composition based on the theory of Mies va der Rohe that less is more, and the use of curtain wall (Simeoforidis and Aesopos, 1999).

The philosophy of modernism was based on simple lines, clear expression of the form and lack of unnecessary decoration. Although that it was applied in reality, modernism had the goal to restrict the use of architectural styles that do not respond to the context of Athens. (Philippidēs, 2001).

Some characteristic samples of modernsim are the cinema ”Rex” (1935 - 1937) by the architects Vasileios Kassandras and Leonidas Bonis, the “Hilton”hotel (1958 – 1963) designed the architectural team of Prokopis Vasileiadis, Anthony Georgiades, Spyro Staikos and Emmanuel Vourekas and the American Embassy (1959 - 19691) designed by Walter Gropious

Figure 54 The cinema ”Rex”, (Tselas.E, 2015)

Figure 55 The “Hilton”hotel, (Tselas.E, 2015)

(ΑΡΧΑΙΟΛΟΓΙΑ ΤΗΣ ΠΟΛΗΣ ΤΩΝ ΑΘΗΝΩΝ, no date).

Figure 56 The American Embassy, (Tselas.E, 2015)

49

The movement of the Functionalism, which flourished during 1950 to 1980, criticized the way that Modernism design was applied and how important context is for the design. The movement that attempted to solve the problems of Modernism was named Post – Modernism.

During this period, however, architecture in Athens was unable, for the most part, to adapt to the philosophy of this new movement. In general, this was mostly due to a lack of consideration of a design that responds to the social values and the natural context (Philippidēs, 2001). The Athens concert hall which was constructed in 1991 by Ilias Skroumpelos and Emmanouil Vourekas and the new museum of Arcopolis that opened in 2003 designed by BernardTschumi is an example of post – modernism architecture.

It is very important to mention the different architectural movements of the last century, because it is clear that most of them were applied in the architecture of Athens. It is difficult to make a clear separation of the periods that each architectural style was employed, because buildings that were constructed in Athens during the same period, had influences from completely different architectural movements, depending on the architect.

Figure 58 The Athens concert Hall, (Tselas.E, 2015)

Figure 57 The museum of Acropolis, (Tselas.E, 2015)

50

3. Case Studies 3.1. The architectural character of Monastiraki, Syntagma and Omonia square through the years In the second chapter, the research will focus on three public spaces of Athens. The squares that will be examined are the Monastiraki, Syntagma and Omonia. These three certain squares were chosen because they representative samples of the main area of the center. By using the knowledge of the architectural evolution of Athens it will be examined the changes throughout each different chronological period since the creation of each square. It will be considered how the composition of different architectural characters on the buildings around each square changed.

Figure 59 Plan that shows the location of the case studies, (Authors΄ creation)

51

52

3.2. Monastiraki Square The Monastiraki Square is one of the most central areas of Athens today, but also during the urban development of the center of the city through the years. Its name has change many times base on the circumstances of each different era. Some of its names are Fountain Square, carriage Square and Hadrian’s Square. It was a central point throughout the years of history, as it is located between the agora of classic Athens and the Roman Agora. The Square is a vivid example of the history of Athens, as there are building from many different architectural periods of Athens.

The Square, is surrounded from the Library of Hadrian an architectural example of Roman era, the church of Pantanassa that it was build during the Byzantine Empire and the Tzistarakis Mosque on of the most significant examples of Ottoman architecture in Athens. The train station at the centre of the square is a classic Romantic building that was built between 1890 and 1895. (www.athensattica.gr, no date). In addition, in the square

there are three modern buildings that two of them had refurbished facade which are examples of the results of the planning law of 1960. (Νικολάου, 2015).

After, the construction of the train station Monastiraki becomes one of the most central areas of Athens. Until 1985 it was an intersection of the central streets of the city. Since then it started getting the form of a proper square with important dates in 2004 when it was refurbished for first time and in 2008 is applied the designed proposal for the square with the creation of a mosaic drawing in the square. (Γιαννουλάτου, Δεστούνη, and Ντετσάβες, 2012). The character of the square is a composition of historic and commercial. It is lively space in the centre of Athens as it is the destination for everyday people that go to their work, but also a place of history for tourists and visitors of the city that want to experience the old Athens and do shopping. At the figure it is shown the evolution of the architectural character of the square through the last century.

Figure 60View of the Tzistarakis Mosque and the train station, (Tselas.E, 2015)

53

54

Figure 61 Aerial view of the Monastiraki Square, (Tselas.E, 2015)

The Monastiraki Square through the years.

1947

1912

Figure 65 The Monastiraki Square in 1920, (www.newsbeast.gr, 2015)

Figure 64 The Monastiraki Square in 1947, (www.santokoraki.blogspot.com, 2015)

1968

2015

5

Figure 62 The Monastiraki Square in 2015, (www.balkon3.com,2015)

Figure 63 The Monastiraki Square in 1968, (www.thesecretrealtruth.blogspot.com, 2015)

55

Approximate diagramme of the construction date of the buildings in the Monastiraki Square

Figure 66 Approximate diagramme of the construction date of the buildings in the Monastiraki Square, (Authors’ creation)

56

3.3. Syntagma Square The Syntagma Square that means “The Square of Constitution” is connected with many important political events of the recent history of Greece. It is an intellectual, cultural, political centre of the new Athens. Its history begins in 1833 when it was designed as a part of the main urban scheme for the city, by Kleanthis and Schaubert. (Terzoglou, 2001).

In 1836 it begins the construction of the Old Palace for king Otto next to the Royal Garden as it was known that era. In 1843, when Otto agreed to a concession constitution after a revolution a part of the Royal Garden was renamed to “Square of Constitutuion” From then until today, there have been periodically a lot of improvements of the urban design of the square. One of the most significant changes of the square was the construction of the monument of unknown soldier, between 1894 – 1961. (Γιαννουλάτου, Δεστούνη, and Ντετσάβες, 2012).

The character of the square is highly bound to the political condition of every period since the day it was created. This square embraced a civic symbolism to the public due to the location of the Old Palace, which became the Hellenic Parliament in 1929. The square is surrounded by buildings that are telling a story about the architecture of Athens the last 150 years. The existence of some neoclassical creations gives an essence of that period about the image of Athens during that era. In the midst of the postwar period, between 1958 and 1963, ten neoclassical mansions

were demolished. All these were replaced by modernist buildings. (Βατόπουλος, 2015). Judging by the image of the buildings around the square the composition of the two styles make easier to comprehend the architectural character evolution of these two different periods. Apart the building of the Hellenic Parliament, two historic building distinguish between the uniformity of the rest building that was created by the flourish of modernism. The “mansion of Palli” was built in 1913 and it was one of the best examples of neoclassical buildings with elements of eclecticism. The hotel “Grande Bretagne” was built in 1957 in the place of a smaller neoclassical building that was built in 1842. The significance of the building is that it kept the architectural elements of its predecessor. (Κόκουβας, 2013). The figure shows the transformation of the surrounding buildings of the square through the last century.

Figure 68 The “mansion of Palli”, (Tselas.E, 2015)

57

Figure 67 The hotel “Grande Bretagne”, (Tselas.E, 2015)

58

Figure 69 Aerial view of the Syntagma Square, (www.discovergreekculture.com, 2015)

The Syntagma Square through the years.

1950

1912

Figure 73 The Syntagma Square in 1912, (www.metaxourgeio.wordpress.com,2015)

Figure 72 The Syntagma Square in 1960, (www.pisostapalia.blogspot.com, 2015)

1977

Figure 71 The Syntagma Square in 1977, (www.pronews.gr, Tselas.E)

59

2015

Figure 70 TheSyntagma Square in 2015, (www.google.com/maps/streetview.com, 2015)

Approximate diagramme of the construction date of the buildings in the Syntagma Square

Figure 74 Approximate diagramme of the construction date of the buildings in the Syntagma Square, (Author s’ creation)

60

3.4. Omonia Square The Omonia Square or “Concord Square” is on of the oldest squares of Athens. It was configured as a square in 1846 and it was named the “Palace Square” and later on as the “Square of Otto”. In 1862 it was renamed “Omonia Square “, when the heads of two different political opponents took an oath of “concord”. (Βουγιούκα and Μεγαρίδη, 1993).

Initially, at the plan by Kleanthis and Schaubert, the region of the square is located was destined for the construction of the Royal Palace. However, the changes of the plan by Leo Von Klenze used that area as a square and transferred the location of the Palace to the Syntagma Square. The image of the square today, is affected by the surrounding buildings, which constructed in the place of many neoclassical buildings. The reconstruction of the city during ‘50s and ‘60s change the image of the square, because many older buildings were demolished, without the right evaluation of their value. The Omonia Square is characteristic example of the centre of Athens, with the mixedland uses that are consisted from services, retail commerce but also department stores. (Terzoglou, 2001).

The Concord Square has always been a challenge for the urban designers. A proof is the many times that it has been redesigned through the years. The new uses, the traffic, the social characteristics and the trend towards modernization, were some aspects that affected the design approach of the square during each different period. According to the requirements of

every decade, the form of the square was changed. (Γιάννου, 2008). At the figure it is clearer the changes of the design of the square. In addition, it is clear the evolution of the architectural styles through the years. Due to the fact that the square is located at the top of the triangle of the masterplan is considered as a symbol of modernization and the heart of the commercial center. It is one of the main entrances to the city and one of the most important traffic hub of the centre. (Γιαννουλάτου, Δεστούνη, and Ντετσάβες, 2012).

61

Figure 75Aerial view of the Omonia Square, (George Voudouris, 2014)

62

The Omonia Square through the years.

1930

1903

Figure 77 The Omonia Square in 1903, (www.lidoriki.gr, 2015)

Figure 79 The Omonia Square in 1903, (www.lidoriki.gr, 2015)

2015

1960

Figure 78 The Omonia Square in 1960, (www.boro.gr, 2015)

Figure 76 The OmoniaSquare in 2015, (www.blog.tresorhotels.com, 2015)

63

Approximate diagramme of the construction date of the buildings in the Omonia Square

Figure 80Approximate diagramme of the construction date of the buildings in the Omonia Square, (Author s’ creation)

64

4. Analysis of research findings The research methodology that it was followed is consisted of the primary and secondary research. The primary research was made by visiting the Monastiraki, Syntagma and Omonia square. In addition, data was collected through questionnaires, in order to understand the general feeling of the citizens about the certain squares, and their opinion about what improvements could be done. The third approach of the primary research was made by interviewing architects that live in Athens it was achieved to comprehend more professionally the opinion about the case studies, but also to be compared their opinion with the views of the Athenians.

65

66Figure 81 View of the Acropolis through the buildings, (Tselas.E, 2015)

4.1 Questionnaires Findings The goal of the research through the questionnaires was the understanding about the preference of the Athenians about the image of their city. By knowing their opinion about the three most central squares of Athens we can comprehend their opinion about the center of the city as a whole. The questions gave them the freedom to remove one or more buildings from each square in order to understand which one is

Figure 82 Diagramme 1

architectural language that residents prefer. It is notable to be mentioned that from the 153 residents that were asked the percentage of the questioners that have live a period from their life in Athens is 96.7% In addition, it is important to know how long have lived in Athens all the group of people, but also their age. The results are shown at the figures below.

Figure 83 Diagramme 2

67

Figure 84 Diagramme 3

In one of the general questions, they were asked about which of the three different regions of Athens would choose to live without knowing which one is each area. The three areas were chosen, based on the architectural character of each area. They had to choose between, a neighborhood with neoclassical style, a region with multistoried modern buildings and a newer modern era with better urban designed than the second one, with more green spaces and wider

streets. The choice 78.4% of the participants is to live in a neoclassical neighborhood that gives a clear image about the environment that they would prefer to live. An 11.8% chose the multistoried buildings region and only 0.7% chose the neighborhood the concrete shameless buildings, with the narrow street and without any green spaces. 11.8% would not select any of the choices to live.

Figure 85 Diagramme 4

68

At the question, if they are satisfied with the builings around the Monastiraki Square, 76.5% ansewered negative. According to the opinion of the residents of Athens, if they have the choice to remove one or more buildings from the square, their first choice would be the complex of three

modern building with a percentage of 83% which means 127 out of 153 questioners. It was interesting the survey for the certain square, due to the variety of architectural styles are combined.

The results for the rest buildings are shown at the graph.

Figure 86 Diagramme 5

69

The people are not satisfied with the image of the buildings around the Syntagma Square with a percentage of 62.1%. The results of the choices for the Syntagma square gives a clearer example about the opinion of the Athenians for the architectural style. The most of the people would prefer to remove all the modern

buildings from the square. The percentage of the supporters about the removal of modern buildings is more than 50%. Analytically, through the graphic it is shown that the residents would like the surrounding buildings to have a more neoclassical character.

Figure 87 Diagramme 6

70

The results about the transformation of Omonia Square from the citizens have many in common with the results of the Syntagma Square.

The percentage of the modern buildings are extremely higher than the neoclassical. This great difference, makes even clearer their preference for

a more neoclassical character instead of a modern one. The percentage of the removal of modern buildings ranging between 47.1 % and 70.6% in contrast with the neoclassical buildings that their percentage do not go higher that 11.8%.

Figure 88 Diagramme 7

71

In addition, the sample of Athens were asked about if they would choose each one of these squares to have it as view from their house. The comparison of the answers between the three squares is very interesting. The Monastiraki Square with a percentage of 69.3% is first as a choice with a large difference with other two Squares. The percentage of the square of Omonia is the lowest with 10.5%. It is discovered that when the number of modern building is increased around a square, less people choose to have it as a view.

Figure 89 Diagramme 8

72

At the graphs below it is shown the opinion of the participants about the atmosphere of each square. An interesting data is that low percentage of satisfaction of the image of the buildings around its square it is connected with

the atmosphere of each square. In general, our research base on the opinion of Athenians makes clear that the most residents would prefer the centre of their city to have a more neoclassical character instead of a modern..

Figure 92 Diagramme 9

Figure 91 Diagramme 10

Figure 90 DIagramme 11

73

74

Figure 93 View of Athens and Likavitos hill, (Tselas.E, 2015)

4.2. Interviews Findings In order to have an overall outcome, apart from the opinion of the citizens of Athens in general, three architects were interviewed about these three squares with more in depth questions.

Both, of the three architects have lived in the city and have experienced these certain squares. The answers were made in a way in order to let them express their opinion about the three regions of Athens in general, but also to comprehend their opinion about the evolution of the architectural character of each square throughout the years. In addition, based on a series of photos from four different periods of the last century, the architects were asked about the evolution of the squares In general, all of the architects have common opinions about the character of the three squares. The first interviewee is an architect that has forty years of experience and lived in Athens for 12 years, from 1973 until 1980. The first time she visited the Monastiraki square was 1961 and the last one in 2015. About the character of the square she believes that it is a mixture of neoclassical, eclectistic buildings and post war buildings that were changed with the addition of cheap extensions due to the increase of commerce.

The old buildings before 1950, despite the efforts made, are poorly maintained with not suitable materials chosen, such as metal constructions for awnings and frames changes. The buildings and additions of 1960 are in deplorable abandonment with obviously the signs of the ravages of time.

Based on the other architect that has an experience of forty-three years and lived in Athens in the 60s for 16 years the character of the Monastiraki square has changed dramatically. In 1920 it hade a pure morphology and aesthetic. In 1947 when the number of cars increased the space decreased. In around 1968 were done big changes in order to adapt to the growing needs of trade. In present, the square has become a centre for sight seeing and shopping. The third architect that lived in the city during 90s believes that the significant buildings from different architectural periods, softens the mistakes of interventions of the last decades.

Although that the tree interviewees lived in the city during three different decades they have the same feeling about the Syntagma Square. It is a square connected with political circumstances. It gives an essence from neoclassical Athens due to the Greek Parliament, the Hotel Grende Bretagne and some other neoclassical buildings. Due to the fact that the buildings have some distance from the square makes it more spacious. Generally, they believe that there is a balance between the modern and the neoclassical buildings although that in many cases the design is not successful and do not respond to the context. According to participants, the square is connected with the economy of the city and is influenced direct from it. In 1960 when flourished from the tourism and in 1977 when was developed with the construction of new buildings,

75

is different than today that is empty for many hours during day.

The Omonia Square is described by the architects as a cultural centre of the city. It has characteristics from the classic Athens, but also is the commercial centre of the city from every aspect as it is the apex of the masterplan triangle.

The design of the square express the culture of each different period of Athens. A proof is the frequency that make interventions in the square.

All the architect are of the opinion that when all the modernism flourished in Athens they tried to improved the square with new, tall buildings that did not respect the character and the past of it. The architects of Athens during the postwar period tried to create the new architectural expression of Athens based on modernism and concrete. In

many case their design did not take into consideration the past of Athens. Due to the demolition of many neoclassical buildings and the creation of modern based on a common pattern, the image of Athens change dramatically. Omonia is one the most characteristic samples of the centre of the city that proves that.

In general, the opinion of the architects is that the centre is very interesting due to the transformation architectural character. Through the buildings is expressed the effort in order to make the change to the city, under different economical, political, social circumstances. The variety of buildings is the history of the development of modern Athens and all these three squares express that with their composition of buildings that include.

76

5. Overall analysis This section will provide an analysis of all the process of the primary and secondary research, the goals and the results of this dissertation. Based on literature review it was discovered that Athens is an ancient city with a history over 3500 years. Through its history the architectural character of the city changed according the circumstances of each different era.

There were periods that the architectural language was extraordinary and it was expressed through magnificent creations. However, there were periods that the architecture of the city was the application of influences from abroad. The image of the city today is composed by all the remaining buildings from each era.

By focusing on the three squares that are representative samples of the the centre it was examined the current form, the history, the architectural character and the evolution.

Through questionnaires to Athenians it was made clear that the residents are not satisfied with the form of the buildings in the chosen case studies. It was discovered that they would prefer their city to have an image from the past, when Neoclassicism flourished.

In addition, the opinions of the architects helped the research to determine the reasons that gave to Athens the form that it has now. Wrong

decisions from the architects during crucial eras throughout the last century, cut the bond with the architectural character of the past. It cannot be assumed that there was architectural character crisis because all the buildings of the centre reflect the economical, political and social conditions.

The circumstances of the society were influenced every different period from the historic events that took place. The architects of each through each era made an effort in order, to create the new beginning of Athens that would be expressed through the architectural creations.

Criticizing now if their choices were right, would misjudge their intentions as it has to be taken into consideration, under what variables of that era were made those choices.

Athens is a significant exemplar of an ancient city and all these changes to the urban development and the evolution of the architectural character give useful results, in order to examine other cities with such a long history. As the British politician and writer Benjamin Disraeli said: “A great city whose image dwells in the memory of man, is the type of some great idea. Rome represents conquest; Faith hovers over towers of Jerusalem; and Athens embodies the preeminent quality of the antique world, Art�.

77

6. Recommendations for further research There are many aspects that this research did not manage to complete. A more in-depth research on this certain topic could focus on more specific case studies, that concern buildings that were built in the centre of Athens in the last century. That research could focus on the influences of each historical events and the intentions of the architect at each different decade.

It could examine the factor that affect these architectural choices from the architects.

78

6. Conclusion The intension of this dissertation was to discover the evolution of the architectural character of the centre of the city of Athens.

Initially, at the first chapter it was defined which is study area in Athens. The research focused on the history of Athens from the date of its creation until its current form. Based on, the most monumental buildings of each period it was examined the architectural style. The goal was to discover the bond and the relation of the architectural elements from the one period to the next. It was examined the reasons behind the creation and the use of architectural elements of each era. It was analysed how these design elements improved the form and the function of the buildings according to their needs. The research focused on the circumstances of each period in order to find the influences that the society had on the design approach of the most important and characteristic buildings.

At the beginning, the architectural character of each period was studied based on the different chronological eras. The reason was that there were not specific and recognizable architectural styles, to make an analysis based on them. Due to the fact that in Athens the last century were implied simultaneously a variety of different architectural styles, the new Athens was explored according to the architectural movements that influenced the city. At the second chapter the research investigated three different

central squares. The squares of Monastiraki, Syntagma and Omonia. These certain squares were chosen because they are representative samples of the public spaces of the centre of the city. The research focuses on the history and the character of each one of the squares from the day of their creation till today. These case studies were analyzed in a way to understand the reasons and the influences during each different decade that gave them their current form.

At the third chapter, through questionnaires it was intended to learn the opinion of the residents for these three squares.

The questions focused on their opinion about the image of each square. The results showed that at each one of them, the citizens prefer the neoclassical style instead of the modern and prefer their city to have an architectural character that has many influences from the past. In order to have a more professional opinion about the architectural character of these squares, three architects that have lived in Athens were interviewed. Their answers gave the same essence of disappointment for the present image as the answers of the Athenians about the development and the architectural designs during the period that modernism flourished in Athens.

To conclude, the research showed that the architectural character and the urban development of an ancient city as Athens, is expressed through the buildings of each era.

79

During each different era, the ambitions and the dreams of the citizens and architects for the future of their city were different. The present image of the city is depicted through the design tectonics of each different period. Their creations should not be examined based on the current image of the city, but on the conditions of the era that were created. After the research and the outcomes that came of, a question was occurred.

Based on the mistakes of the past, from now on how could we design buildings in Athens that will respect the history and the culture of the city. With that way we might find again the bond of the shifting tectonics that was lost. The goal will be to have a continuity with the past designs.

80

9. References Adams, L. (2000) A history of western art. 2nd edn. Madison, WI: McGraw Hill Higher Education

Berve, H., Gruben, G. and Hirmer, M. (1963) Greek temples theatres and shrines. London: Thames and Hudson.

Ancient Athens 3D (no date) Available at: http://www.ancientathens3d.com (Accessed: 10 November 2015).

Birley, A. R. (2000) Hadrian: The restless emperor (Roman imperial biographies) (Roman imperial biographies). New York, NY: Routledge.

Ancient Greece an illustrated history (2011) New York: Marshall Cavendish Reference.

BYZANTINE MONUMENTS OF ATTICA (no date) Available at: http://www.eie.gr/byzantineattica/view.asp?cgp k=490&xsl=detail&obpk=531&lg=en (Accessed: 23 November 2015).

Androudis, P. (2015) ‘Κοσμική Οθωμανική Αρχιτεκτονική στην Ελλάδα / secular Ottoman architecture in Greece’, .

Athens (2016) Available at: http://www.visitgreece.gr/en/main_cities/athen s (Accessed: 7 November 2015).

Camp, J. M. (2002) The archaeology of Athens.

New Haven: Yale University Press.

Camp, J. M. and Mauzy, C. A. (2003) The Athenian Agora: A short guide to the excavations (Agora picture book, 16). 2nd edn. Athens, Greece: American School of Classical Studies at Athens, in collaboration with the Packard Humanities Institute.

Barletta, B. A. (2001) The origins of the Greek architectural orders. 1st edn. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Bastéa, E. (1999) The creation of modern Athens: Planning the myth. 1st edn. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.

Condaratos, S. and Wang, W. (2000) Greece: 20Th-Century architecture (20th-century architecture, 6). New York: Prestel.

Beard, M. (2010) The Parthenon. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Darling, J. K. (2004) Architecture of Greece (reference guides to national architecture). United States: Greenwood Publishing Group.

81

Dinsmoor, W. B. (1981) The architecture of ancient Greece: An account of its historic development. 3rd edn. London: B.T. Batsford.

Martin, T. R. (2013) Ancient Greece: From prehistoric to Hellenistic times. 2nd edn. New Haven: Yale University Press.

Fletcher, S. B. (1987) Sir banister Fletcher’s A history of architecture. Edited by John Musgrove and Jane Farron. 19th edn. London: Butterworths, London.

National Statistics (no date) Available at: http://www.statistics.gr/portal/page/portal/ESY E/BUCKET/General/FEK_monimos_rev.pdf (Accessed: 5 October 2015).

Gkioles, N. (2007) ‘The church of Kapnikarea in Athens: Remarks on its history, typology and form’, Zograf, (31), pp. 15–27. doi: 10.2298/zog0731015g.

Organisation, G. N. T. (2005) Athens/Attica Greece (Athens/Attica Greece). 2nd edn. Greece?

Greek National Tourism Organisation.

Philippidēs, D. (2001) Neoellenike architektonikē: Architektonike theoria kai praxe (1830 - 1980) san antanaklase ton ideologikon epilogon tes neoellenikes kulturas. Greece: Ekdotikos Oikos Melissa.

Hetherington, P. (1992) Byzantine and Mediaeval Greece: Churches, castles and art of the mainland and the Peloponnese. London: Pub Overstock Unlimited.

Jackson, S. T. G. (2007) Byzantine and Romanesque architecture. United Kingdom: Read Books, United Kingdom.

Programme Culture 2000 of the European Union (no date) Athens Discovering Contemporary Architecture. Available at: http://www.culture2000.tee.gr/ATHENS/ENGLI SH/main2.html (Accessed: 13 November 2015).

Jørgensen, L. B., Porphyrios, D. and Jorgensen, L. B. (1987) Neoclassical architecture in Copenhagen and Athens (architectural design profile). New York: St. Martin’s Press.

Rabinowitz, N. S. (2008) Greek tragedy. United Kingdom: Wiley-Blackwell.

Kokkinos, D. (1974) The Greek Revolution, Greece: Ekdotikos Oikos Melissa.

RESEARCH CATEGORIES (no date) Available at: http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Athens.aspx (Accessed: 12 October 2015).

Martin, R. (1988) ‘Greek architecture: Architecture of Crete, Greece, and the Greek world’. London: Faber & Faber.

82

Rhodes, R. F. (1995) Architecture and meaning on the Athenian Acropolis. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Travlos, I. N. (2005) Poleodomikē exelixis tōn Athēnōn: Apo tōn proistorikōn chronōn mechri tōn archōn tou 19ou aiōnos. 2nd edn. Greece: Production Kapon Editions.

Roubien, D. (2013) ‘The origins of the “monumental axis” of neo-classical Athens and its relationship with the antiquities’, The Journal of Architecture, 18(2), pp. 225–253. doi: 10.1080/13602365.2013.791337.

ΑΡΧΑΙΟΛΟΓΙΑ ΤΗΣ ΠΟΛΗΣ ΤΩΝ ΑΘΗΝΩΝ (no date) Available at: http://www.eie.gr/archaeologia (Accessed: 12 October 2015).

Simeoforidis, Y. and Aesopos, Y. (1999) Landscapes of Modernisation: Greek architecture, 1960s and 1990s. Greece: Metapolis Press,Greece.

Βατόπουλος, Ν. (2015) Η ιστορική πλατεία χωρίς αστική μνήμη. Available at: http://www.kathimerini.gr/808017/article/politi smos/polh/h-istorikh-plateia-xwris-astikhmnhmh (Accessed: 8 November 2015).

Stakhov, A. P. (2003) Museum of harmony and the golden section: Mathematical connections in nature, science and art. Vinnitsa: ITI.

Βουγιούκα, Μ. and Μεγαρίδη, Β. (1993) Οδωνυμικά - Η σημασία των ονομάτων των οδών της Αθήνας. Β’ Εκδοση edn. Αθήνα: Δήμος Αθηναίων – Πνευματικό Κέντρο.

Terzoglou, (2001) Available at: https://eprints.mdx.ac.uk/6488/1/Terzogloumanaging_change..Athens.phd.pdf (Accessed: 9 November 2015).

Γιάννου, Ε. (2008) Η Πλατεία Ομονοίας στο Επίκεντρο του Σχεδιασμού των ∆ημοσίων Χώρων της Αθήνας. Available at: https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&e src=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved =0ahUKEwjN5unu7crJAhUBkRQKHX_zA_0QFgg jMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcourses.arch.ntua.g r%2Ffsr%2F132662%2F05_GIANNOY.pdf&usg= AFQjCNHpCrLiP4ApB9QumzqZSdwkDu5L5A&si g2=Bqk46jcYiP9-2su1GHBdsg (Accessed: 8 October 2015).

Terzoglou, J. N. (2001) Open public spaces in Athens from 1940 to 2000. .

Thompson, H. A. (1986) The Athenian Agora.

United States: American School of Classical Studies at Athens.

Tobin, J. (1997) Herodes Attikos and the city of Athens: Patronage and conflict under the Antonines. Amsterdam: Brill Academic Publishers.

83

Γιαννουλάτου, Δεστούνη, Α. and Ντετσάβες, Μ.

(2012) Ο ρόλος των αρχιτεκτονικών διαγωνισμών στο σχεδιασμό του δημόσιου χώρου. Available at: http://issuu.com/mistrio/docs/94.14.02/1?e=1171 2454/9076673 (Accessed: 13 November 2015).

Τραυλός, Ι. (1967) Νεοκλασσική Αρχιτεκτονική στην Ελλάδα. Αθήνα: Εμπορική Τράπεζα της Ελλάδος. Τσαρούχης, Γ. (1965) Αρχιτεκτονικές Σπουδές, Η σημασία της νεοκλασικής αρχιτεκτονικής και η στάση των σύγχρονων απέναντί της. ΑΘήνα: .

Κόκουβας, Γ. (2013) 12 ιστορίες που γράφτηκαν στην πλατεία Συντάγματος. Available at: http://www.in2life.gr/features/notes/article/302 921/12-istories-poy-grafthkan-sthn-plateiasyntagmatos.html (Accessed: 9 October 2015). Μπίρης, Μ. (2002) Νεοκλασσική Αρχιτεκτονική στην Ελλάδα/ Neoclassical Architecture in Greece. Αθήνα: Μέλισσα. ΜΠΟΥΡΑΣ, Χ. (1969) ‘Βυζαντινές «Αναγεννήσεις» και η αρχιτεκτονική του 11ου και 12ου αιώνος’, Δελτίον Χριστιανικής Αρχαιολογικής Εταιρείας, 23, p. 247. doi: 10.12681/dchae.795. Νικολάου, Σ. (2015) Μοναστηράκι: Η ιστορία της Αθήνας σε μια ματιά. Available at: http://balkon3.com/gr/monastiraki-i-istoria-tisathinas-se-mia-matia/ (Accessed: 22 November 2015). Περιφέρεια Αττικής Αθήνα (no date) Σταθμός Μετρό Μοναστηράκι. Available at: http://www.athensattica.gr/el/ειστε-εδω/τι-ναδειτε/αξιοθέατα/item/6046-the-monastirakimetro-station (Accessed: 25 November 2015).

84

Questionnaires 1) What is your gender?

Male/Female 2) What is your age?

3) What is your profession?

4) Are you a resident of Athens? yes/no If yes: 4a) How long have you been a resident?

years

5) Are you interested in architecture or have any architectural knowledge?

6) Are you interested of the history of Athens or have any historical knowledge about Athens?

Monastiraki Square

85

7) Are you familiar with the Monastiraki Square? yes/no If yes: 7a) How many times have you been to the Monastiraki Square?

8) Choose the any appropriate Green Spaces: Many / Enough / Limited / Appropriate Atmosphere: Warm / Cold / Indifferent / Pleasant / Unpleasant / Threatening Accessibility: Easy / Difficult Spacious: Much / Satisfactory / Insufficient

86

9) Are you satisfied with the surrounding buildings? yes/no

If no: 9a) Which of the buildings (if any) would you remove? 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

10 ) If possible would you choose the Monastiraki Square as a view from your house?

87

Syntagma Square 11) Are you familiar with the Syntagma Square? yes/no If yes: 11a) How many times have you been to the Syntagma Square?

12) Choose the any appropriate Green Spaces: Many / Enough / Limited / Appropriate Atmosphere: Warm / Cold / Indifferent / Pleasant / Unpleasant / Threatening Accessibility: Easy / Difficult Spacious: Much / Satisfactory / Insufficient

88

13) Are you satisfied with the surrounding buildings? yes/no If no: 13a) Which of the buildings (if any) would you remove? 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 14) If possible would you choose the Syntagma Square as a view from your house?

89

Omonia Square 15) Are you familiar with the Omonia Square? yes/no If yes: 15a) How many times have you been to the Omonia Square?

16) Choose the any appropriate Green Spaces: Many / Enough / Limited / Appropriate Atmosphere: Warm / Cold / Indifferent / Pleasant / Unpleasant / Threatening Accessibility: Easy / Difficult Spacious: Much / Satisfactory / Insufficient

90

17) Are you satisfied with the surrounding buildings? yes/no If no: 17a) Which of the buildings (if any) would you remove? 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7

18) If possible would you choose the Omonia Square as a view from your house?

91

Interview 1) What is your professional title?

2) How many years of working experience do you have?

3) How many years have you lived in Athens Which dates:

92

years

years

93

Monastiraki Square 4) When was the first and the last time you visited the Monastiraki Square?

5) How would you describe the Monastiraki Square with its current form with a few words in terms of: Character:

Genious loci (spirit of the place)

Environment

Enclosure

Traffic Movement:

Materiality:

94

6) How do you feel about the character of the Monastiraki Square in the periods depicted?

7) What do you think is the common architectural characteristic(s) between those decades?

8) In your opinion which is the most important aspect of the Monastiraki Square?

9) What do you consider about the following terms through the years: Evolution

Architectural identity crisis Urban blight

95

96

Syntagma Square 10) When was the first and the last time you visited the Syntagma Square?

11) How would you describe the Syntagma Square with its current form with a few words in terms of: Character:

Genious loci (spirit of the place)

Environment

Enclosure

Traffic Movement:

Materiality:

97

12) How do you feel about the character of the Syntagma Square in the periods depicted?

13) What do you think is the common architectural characteristic(s) between those decades?

14) In your opinion which is the most important aspect of the Syntagma Square?

15) What do you consider about the following terms through the years: Evolution Architectural identity crisis Urban blight

98

99

Omonia Square 16) When was the first and the last time you visited the Omonia Square?

17) How would you describe the Omonia Square with its current form with a few words in terms of: Character:

Genious loci (spirit of the place)

Environment

Enclosure

Traffic Movement:

Materiality:

100

18) How do you feel about the character of the Omonia Square in the periods depicted?

19) What do you think is the common architectural characteristic(s) between those decades?

20) In your opinion which is the most important aspect of the Omonia Square?

21) What do you consider about the following terms through the years: Evolution Architectural identity crisis Urban blight

101