Scarcity of Identity Our area is located in the western part of Thessaloniki’ s old historical city center and described by the streets of Egnatia, I.Dragoumi, Tsimiski and Dodekanisou. Those are our given borders for study. However, by taking a closer look at this part of the city, it was impossible to distinguish one single identity to justify those borders. This part of the city was not very different from its neighbors, and most of all: this part of the city was not uniform in any way. Therefore, we noticed a scarcity of Identity for this area. Therefore, those borders are artificial. Therefore, this area’s past and present should be investigated. Therefore, the issue of finding an identity for this area should be addressed.
Border: noun
1/a line separating two countries, administrative divisions, or other areas: Panama’ s western border with Costa Rica [as modifier]: border controls >a district near the border between two areas: a refugee camp on the border >(the Border) the boundary and adjoining districts between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. >(the Border or the Borders) the boundary and adjoining districts be tween Scotland and England. 2/the edge or boundary of something, or the part near it: the northern border of their distribution area
Source: http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/border
Identity:
noun (plural identities) 1/the fact of being who or what a person or thing is: he knows the identity of the bombers [mass noun]: she believes she is the victim of mistaken identity border controls >the characteristics determining who or what a person or thing is: he wanted to develop a more distinctive Scottish Tory identity >[as modifier] (of an object) serving to establish who the holder, owner, or wearer is by bearing their name and often other details such as a signature or photograph: an identity card 2/a close similarity or affinity: an identity between the company ’s own interests and those of the local community Source: http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/identity
0. Turkish Occupation
1. Jewish settlement
2. European Quarter "Fragomachalas"
3. North-Western Defensive Wall Demolition
4. The Great Fire
5. Hebrard’s City Plan
6. Holocaust- "Black Saturday"
7. Rise of Clothing-Craft Industry
8. "Antiparochi" Flat-for-land system
9. Thessaloniki Cultural Capital of Europe
10. Rise of Recreation Sector
11. Rise of Creative Sector
0_15th C./ Turkish Occupation
1_16th C./ Jewish settlement
2_19th C./ "Fragomachalas" European Quarter
3_1870/ North-Western Defensive Wall Demolition
"In 1430 the Turks occupied Thessaloniki...The city was almost left void of people. Only about 2000 inhabitants remained and the port was essentially out of business. Turkish settlers moved into the city. Thessaloniki, called Selanik in Turkish, became one of the most important cities in the Empire, viable as the foremost trade and commercial center in the Balkans. The railway reached the city in 1888 and new modern port facilities were built in 1896-1904; In 1821 the fight for Greek independence began, which led to the establishment of the Modern Greek State. In October of 1912 with the start of the First Balkan war, the city of Thessaloniki was liberated from Turkish rule."
"In 1492, Ferdinand and Isabella, the monarchs of Spain, signed the edict of expulsion ordering all Jews to leave their kingdom...After the expulsion from Spain and Portugal, great numbers of Jews streamed into the Ottoman Empire...During the 15th and 16th centuries many Jews expelled from Spain, Portugal, Italy, Sicily, and France, and refugees from North Africa, settled in Thessaloniki. The largest numbers came in 1492/93 and 1536...By mid-16th century Thessaloniki had become the Jewish center of Europe. Persecuted Jews from all over Europe come to Thessaloniki to live a normal life...It is estimated that by 1553 there were 20,000 Jews in Thessaloniki. At that time, there were three main concentrations of Jews in Thessaloniki: a quarter next to the city wall at the port, that is, very close to the main artery of trade; the Francomahalla, which means, the quarter of the "Francos" (foreigners from Europe), which presumably consisted of the elite of the Jewish inhabitants;..."
"In the European Quarter, known as "Fragomachalas", there was a wide settlement of the European citizens of the city during the 18th century. At the center of the quarter lies the catholic church of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, which is called by Thessalonians "Fragoklissia". During the 19th century Fragomachalas played an important role in development regarding the sectors of trade and crafts industry."
" In 1869, at a time in which Thessaloniki was part of the Ottoman Empire, the demolition of the North-Western wall was decided." Almost the half of the city walls were torn down, the biggest part of which was spreading along the sea, from the City Port until the White Tower. "This important urban intervention offered the city a wide seaside front and re-established its connection with the sea."
Source: http://el.wikipedia.org/wiki/Φραγκομαχαλάς
Sources: http://1dimplagiarist.blogspot.gr/2011/11/t.html http://parapoesis.tumblr.com/
Source : http://www.teithe.gr/modules/content/index.php?id=43
Source: http://www.jmth.gr/web/thejews/pages/pages/history.htm
4_1917/ The Great Fire
5_1918-1923/ Hebrard’s City Plan
6_1942/ Holocaust (Black Saturday)
7_50s/ Rise of Clothing Craft Industry
"On 18 August [O.S. 5 August] 1917, the city faced one of it most destructive events, were most of the city was destroyed by a single fire accidentally sparked by French soldiers in encampments at the city. The fire left some 72,000 homeless, many of them Turkish, of a population of approximately 271,157 at the time. Venizelos forbade the reconstruction of the town center until a full modern city plan was prepared. This was accomplished a few years later by French architect and archeologist Ernest Hebrard. The Hebrard plan, although never fully completed, swept away the oriental features of Thessaloniki and transformed it into the modern European metropolis that it is today. One effect of the great fire, came to be dubbed the Great Thessaloniki Fire of 1917, was that nearly half of the city’s Jewish homes and livelihoods were destroyed, leading to massive Jewish emigration."
"After the Big Fire of 1917, the work of a new city plan for Thessaloniki was appointed to Ernest Hebrard by the Greek government."..."The majority of Thessaloniki was largely destroyed in the fire. The Greek Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos forbade the reconstruction of the city center until a modern city plan was approved. The plan did away with the Oriental(Ottoman) features of Thessaloniki, preserved its Byzantine heritage, and transformed it into a European-style city, with boulevards and contemporary roadways, squares and parks."... "The plan was only partly applied, but it succeeded in replacing the old image of the city with a modern homogenous space."
After the Nazi occupation of Greece in 1941, anti-Jewish measures were applied from the very first days. On the "Black Saturday" of July 11, 1942 all male Jews between 18 and 45 years of age were ordered to present themselves at Eleftherias Square. After being humiliated at gunpoint, their names were taken down and they were led to labour camps. At the end of the same year all Jewish businesses were confiscated and the old Jewish Cemetery was destroyed. During the course of 1943 trains were leading the rest of the Jews to the death camps of Auschwitz and Birkenau. Their destination was the place of their extermination. A very small number managed to escape. The great majority of the Jewish community, almost 50,000 people died.
"...Small scale industry (in Thessaloniki) sees great growth, especially in the fields of textile, dyeing services of fibres and yarns, leather industry, wood carving, wine-making and folk art."..."In the post-war period there was a revival of trade in the old area of Fragomachalas, especially in the sector of the clothing-craft industry. Its residues can still be traced in today’ s area around Valaoritou street."
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_H%C3%A9brard http://www.lpth.gr/en/texts/Yerolympos_en.pdf http://anthrocivitas.net/forum/showthread.php?p=180976
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Thessaloniki
8_60s/"Antiparochi"-Flat-for-Land System-Massive Building and Reconstruction "Thessaloniki was rebuilt and recovered fairly quickly after WW II, with this resurgence taking in both a rapid growth in its population and a large-scale development of new infrastructure and industry throughout the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Most of the urban development of that period was however without an allembracing plan, contributing to the traffic and zoning problems remaining to this day." Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Thessaloniki
Source:http://farosthermaikou.blogspot.gr/2012/10/blog-post_7095.html http://www.artivist.gr/odos-valawritou-apo-to-fragomaxala-stis-viotexnieskai-ta-bar/#.Ups3gcQW0YN
Sources: http://www.hri.org/culture97/eng/eidika_programmata/koinothtes/ jewish_community/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Jews_of_Thessaloniki
9_1997/ Thessaloniki as Cultural Capital of Europe
10_2008/ Rise of Recreation Sector
11_2009/ Rise of Creative Sector
Thessaloniki was chosen as the Cultural Capital of Europe in 1997, an incident which resulted in a series of dynamic transformations within the city such as: urban interventions regarding the public space and archeological sites, restoration of historical monuments, creation of cultural infrastructure and in general the emergence of the city’ s historical character.
"During the second part of the 2000’s decade, an important number of individuals invested in the area, focusing mainly in the field of recreation, catering and entertainment. This resulted to a short-lasted economic boom in the area. This rapid development was limited the years that followed because of the late economic crisis."
Source: http://www.tovima.gr/opinions/article/?aid=95133 http://www.greeka.com
Source:http://www.artivist.gr/odos-valawritou-apo-to-fragomaxala-stis-viotexnieskai-ta-bar/#.Ups3gcQW0YN
A tendency which is visible in the area of Valaoritou during the last years (2010 - ) is the establishment of a creative community within the old commercial and industrial center of Thessaloniki. Architectural offices, art and cultural groups, businesses related to new technologies were set up in the area developing a "creative cluster", through the design and operation of bottom-up and enhancement tools. Source: http://dynamoprojectspace.blogspot.gr/
Borders: The limits of this city specimen area are defined. Land: The Land is given by the State for 99 years for this endeavor. This is the maximum duration that anyone can use a land site without being able to claim ownership. Rules: The building’s empty spaces are given under special leasing without any rental expenses. The occupants choose freely the location and size of their space, according to their needs. The occupants have to cover the operational expenses and-if wantedthe expenses for the place’s restoration. Residential aspect: The stuff of Research Institutes that work in the area can be facilitate in residential spaces in the area. Restored spaces can be rented to third parties for private, residential use. The profit from renting occupied and restored space to third parties will be given to the occupant institutions that restored it. Research initiative: Invitation to research institutes, universities and independent researchers from throughout the globe that could have any interest in any of the area’s research attractions, or need cheap space to work. WHY INVITE RESEARCH 1_Large crowds of highly educated people. 2_It tends to create mixed living-working environments. 3_Research will bring out, signify and restore cultural heritage. 4_Research projects attract international population.
THE PROCESS OF TRANFORMATION 1)Limit area 2)Give land and space for free use 3)Invite research activities Restore build environment Create residential sector Add to the city;s heritage and historic consciousness Create city’s archives Research institutions come occupies space restores it and creates residential spaces rents surplus of residential space creates residential zone RESULT OF TRANSFORMATION A mixed work-living area, touristic attraction, city’s heritage zone, academic multicultural, community, open to public area.
Byzantine-Ottoman remains /Restoration projects /Relevant studies projects /Theological studies projects etc.
Jewish memory sites
Historical and preserved buildings
/Jewish Heritagestudies projects /Jewish Cultural organizations /Jewish Museum expansion etc.
/Restoration projects /European heritage projects /European Community studies /Architectural Schools /Cultural Heritage Management projects /Relevant industry in-situ product testing etc.
Our Area’s RESEARCH ATTRACTORS for Universities, Institutes and Research Centers.
Empty spaces in old modernistic industrial buildings /Researchers" residencies /Laboratories that need large spaces /Reinforced concrete restoration projects /Relevant industry in-situ product testing /State Services and Archives etc.
Previous textile industry facilities
The Area itself as an urban experiment
/Creative Industry research projects /Textile equipment for sale /Industrial Archeology projects etc.
/Social sciences projects /Urban sciences projects /Architectural Schools etc.
Student Team:
Doura Ifigeneia Vasilis Liatsos Georgia Vlassi University of Thessaly_ Department of Architecture_ Post-Graduate Program_Instead Volos, Thessaly_December 2013