D2 - T2 C.TSIRONI

D2-T2 tsironi – CHAMELEON

Design statement

Staircases , an archetypical symbol of transition , connectivity and change of level have always been an important structure in human settlements . The original conceptual idea formed by nature itself , passed into art and religion and evolved along the way incorporating technological developments.For the ancient Inkas temples ,the classical antiquity ,the medieval tower staircases and the renaissance elaborate artworks, the strong symbolism of stairs refers to enlightment, emotional and spiritual journeys , mystical transitions as they wind downwards and upwards .An evolution in materiality , design and technology lead from the stone steps of Petra , Jordan and La Scalinata , the marble Spanish Steps of Rome,Italy to the minimalistic floating steps of today.The rapidly aging European population is forced to deal with the issues that are connected with climbing steps forming an alliance with Design and Technology . The Extra-ordinary Staircase , a humble amphitheatrical staircase that channels the urban density into the aethereal sea scape , connecting the man-made with the natural , the public with the private , the intense with the tranquil . As a chameleon uses its hamble structure to evolve to the idea of transition to the liquid, the tranquil, to endless , to an ethereal state ….

The values of the Staircase symbolism and the notion of transition and connectivity stand out in the Stair-Place Site , a quiet island that stands empty and deserted between the city and the sea . Spatial and social relationships are observed while researching a precious piece of land that patiently awaits its re-development. Right in the centre of Glyfada , nobody seems to be aware of its existence . As a chameleon changes its practical existence from a square , to aparking lot , to a dog walking park , to anything…

The Building, embodying sustainable Design and Technology values , will form a decompression tank , a safe passage to tranquility , an experiential vessel of light and images , sounds and textures As a chameleon will follow the seasons , the night and day , the multitude of visitors and residents needs , a wish upon the rainbow pot ….

Task 1- The extraordinary staircase

https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=rP5MLeXDs2M

The Extra-ordinary Staircase = an element of transition

The Extra-ordinary Staircase = a construction as a product of intellect

The Extra-ordinary Staircase = a symbolic construction

An amphitheater that links: urban / seascape dense urban environment / tranquility noisy / quiet public / private high / low ground / water

Tranquility

Where / Location

A public stair in Vouliagmeni, the southern coastal suburb of Athens that sits just 20km south of central Athens and 50 km of the ancient Temple of Poseidon . The area is part of the Athenian Riviera. It is named after a natural lake that formed ages ago due to a landslide, now used as a freshwater swimming location. The landscape is breathtaking with a small gulf and peninsula forming a lace-like coast.

The Extra-Ordinary Staircase

Map of Vouliagmeni p. 2

When The steps have been created in 2004 as part of the redevelopment of the Athenian capital for the Olympic Games 2004 . Why

According to Mrs Voutiraki , member of the Municipality Council, the inspiration for the staircase was the Odeon of Herodes Atticus , an ancient stone theatre structure located on the southwest slope of the Acropolis of Athens which is considered one of the best open-air theatres worldwide . Built by the wealthy public benefactor Herodes Atticus as a memorial to his wife, Regilla. In its original form, it had a cedar roof and a three-storey facade of arches. Hollowed out of the rocky southern face of the Acropolis hill, it's one of the world's oldest and finest open-air theatres.The approx 5,000seat theatre was fully restored in 1952-1953 and is the primary venue of the annual Athens Epidaurus Festival.

Who / Users

Due to its natural beauty the area was a holiday destination for the Athenians since the fifties , the flaneur having a coffee at the Latsithi Café , the tourists that rent the Margi Villa on the right side of the steps. Stairs tie communities together. The up-coming development named The Hellinikon Project could be a threat to the locals breathing space oasis .

Topography

The stairs function as a vertical axis standing between the Lasithi Cafe on the left, a very public local space open to everyone and the very exclusive and private Margi Villa on the right . They are hidden form the eyes of the people that walk by, do their running exercise or walk their dogs. They are exposed to the sea and the wind.The lack of railings at the end of the “theatrical stage” at the bottom of the steps give it a very dramatic look.

Terrain imaging technologies

A significant sticking point in revealing underlying things-that-matter is the medium of topography itself. By definition topo-graphy describes not only landform, but also includes all physical features on the earth’s topos (place). As planetary urbanism accelerates, the topos becomes increasingly cluttered with things-as-matter in the form of buildings, facilities, infrastructures, and so forth. To be certain, new terrain imaging technologies (such as aerial LiDAR) are able to capture this landscape of things-as-matter as a continuous point-cloud surface. However, although this high-fidelity landscape image is useful, it ultimately fuses things together and conceals the underlying land-shape.

Karl Kullmann (2018) The landscape of things, Journal of Landscape Architecture, 13:1, 58-67, DOI: 10.1080/18626033.2018.1476033

https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=rP5MLeXDs2M

On Change in the Landscape

p 6

The main point to be made here is that everychangetoalandscapeproducesconsequencesorreactionsthatare,themselves,changes . An analogy may be drawn with a pool or snooker table: when the cue ball is struck the initial impact is predictable, but as the sequence of collisions continues, the force of change tends to diminish, as does the predictability of the impacts. In the real world, with the passage of time, the changes caused in response to a preceding change will similarly tend to decrease in magnitude, while the precise causes of responses become less clear cut. Each adjustment to change re-organizes the setting within which future developments occur. Thus, if an intervention was repeated, its consequences would be different. The changes affecting the visible landscape may have cultural or physical origins. Many are themselves precipitated or catalysed by preceding cycles of transformation. Cultural landscapes are composed of interlocking facets of many kinds. Interventions have consequences that reverberate through the system producing many more consequences, some predicted, others unimagined. To appreciate the nature of change we need to develop and resort to more dynamic perspectives. Changes can have a dialectical character, with the end products of a phase of action and reaction providing the starting point for a new generation of reactions.

Richard Muir (2003) On change in the landscape, Landscape Research, 28:4, 383-403, DOI: 10.1080/0142639032000150130

Lasithi Café

Villa Margi

Topos Meta-use: Cityscape to seascape

The route and the transition from the urban environment to tranquility through the staircase.

Τhe nature of transitional public urban spaces allows for interactions of the chaotic urban dense fabric with the community of residents and visitors that long for the feeling of tranquility .

p.10

Surrounding space, The Extraordinary Staircase, Vouliagmeni, Athens Greece p.11

Materiality p.12

“A cornerstone of architectural innovation for centuries, concrete has transformed the structural capabilities of buildings worldwide. As one of the more versatile and durable building materials, concrete has aided architects and engineers in pushing the traditional boundaries of design. Today, it is the most widely used construction material on the planet. According to the Guardian, concrete is also a “lifestyle concept,” using its “gritty, urban” aesthetic to shape the imagination of all our architectures at every scale.”

https://www.archdaily.com/tag/exposed-concrete

“Concrete resists weathering action, chemical attack, and abrasion while maintaining its desired engineering properties. Different concretes require different degrees of durability depending on the exposure environment and the properties desired. Concrete ingredients, their proportioning, interactions between them, placing and curing practices, and the service environment determine the ultimate durability and life of the concrete.

Concrete has been used in seawater exposures for decades with excellent performance. However, special care in mix design and material selection is necessary for these severe environments. A structure exposed to seawater or seawater spray is most vulnerable in the tidal or splash zone where there are repeated cycles of wetting and drying and/or freezing and thawing. Sulfates and chlorides in seawater require the use of low permeability concrete to minimize steel corrosion and sulfate attack.”

https://www.cement.org/learn/concretetechnology/durability

Materiality

Transition to the use of concrete. The relationship to concrete Use of concrete.

Concrete being the new marble Small scale experimentation Traditional step manufacture methods.

The Extraordinary Staircase , Vouliagmeni , Athens Greece : concrete

Public space , whether for pedestrians or not, is characterized by its size, its shape and its proportions, independently from its function as a street, a square, a passage or an interior court or patio.One can examine the square from a purely formal point of view, independently from its function.

In the shaping of the public urban shape ,the view at the end of the street becomes most important.Stairways or, rather , steps as elements of city architecture , aside from serving pedestrian circulation in public areas , have a just as important additional purpose. This is their role as seating facilities , in the form of tiers for watching various public performances , processions or just what goes on in the public space in front of them or only just for rest or meditation .Whoever sits on these steps and watches what is going on in the town or city, is after all part of the life of the city and contributes to keeping the city alive .

Constantin N. Dekavalla

The architecture of pedestrian space

Walking in towns and cities

MELISSA Publishing House

Athens , 2015

An outward looking set of steps providing an urban escape route to the sea .

The change of perspective as you walk away from the dense urban environment.

Physical Qualities p.14

To be tested

The Extraordinary Staircase has character and an inviting personality.

Its curvature invites and embraces the users.

Convexity # Curvature

What would the effect be of : different pavement material / grass / a railing at the end of the stage ?

Lack of curvature

Not an amphitheater

The lack of railings at the point where the “stage “touches the sea give the feeling of a journey that leads straight to the water. The journey goes on …

Stairs being a physical manifestation of an esoteric “journey” to tranquility, they function as the transition to the open liquid space.

The

The

The

The

Soundscape p.15

The Lasithi Café

The Margi Villa

The dense Urban environment

waves

pedestrians

swimmers

dogs

Visualizing scents p.16

“Since Aristotle, scientists and perfumers have been trying to split up smells into these fundamental pieces, not just "smells good" or "smells bad" or "smells like strawberries" but categories like Aristotle's list of sweet, sharp, pungent, bitter, and oily.” https://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/oscillator/seeing-smells/

The first images of smell appeared in the 10 September 1938 issue of The Illustrated London News and were exhibited at the 83rd Annual International Exhibition of the Royal Photographic Society, and were made by H. Devaux The History of Ideas, John Ptak

Smells

The coffee and the smell of cigarettes.

The sea breeze brings the Mediterranean closer .

The restaurants’s kitchens

The pipe exhaustions

Urban escapism p.17

Urban escapism in a renewed relationship with nature.In the entanglements of the natureurban distinction, dynamics of power and resistance take shape in a continuous production of the urban space, highlighting the creative potential and limits of outdoor activities.

Fabio Bertoni (2022) Escape s into nature or green reclusion? Slacklining, nonurban imaginaries, and the potential of bodies in the city, Annals of Leisure Research, 25:4, 508528, DOI: 10.1080/117453 98.2021.1934883

Transition p.18

Although at times it is messy, as cultural life often is (Smith 2008), it is somewhat clear that often a binary distinction between good and bad, purity and pollution, sacred and profane, or authentic and inauthentic guides the Seachange story. The dichotomy between the city and the country is one entrenched in a long history, but is also colored continuously by new themes and narratives. For instance, the pristine and clearness of the country as opposed to the evergrowing and pollutionridden city is one example of the binaries in action. The contrasts between the two are perhaps exaggerated and romanticized or demonized; however, as Durkheim suggests in his account of religion, understanding the constructed nature of these binaries by no means diminishes the power of their influence on human and social behavior.

Osbaldiston, N. (2012). The Seachange Story: Authenticity, Place, and the Self. In: Seeking Authenticity in Place, Culture, and the Self. Cultural Sociology. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137007636_

The Seachange demographic phenomenon

For some, immersing oneself into a different world surrounded by objective cultures and environs that are distinct from the city means a complete transformation of the self. Like Smith’s (1999) proposition of the sacred place and its impact upon reflexive processes and body awareness, the Seachange locale alters behavior and maximizes a sense of self. However, the transformative power of these places varies for different groups and individuals. Furthermore, as we witnessed in chapters 5 and 6 , areas with high amenity can become havens not for those from the heartless world, but for those who seek capital gain. The urge to own property by the sea or amid snow-capped mountains can transform onceserene landscapes and diverse communities into a homogenized paradise for the rich.

Osbaldiston, N. (2012).

The Seachange Story: Authenticity, Place, and the Self. In: Seeking Authenticity in Place, Culture, and the Self. Cultural Sociology. Palgrave Macmillan, New York.

The sea change: a strong, clear and definite change in a situation https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/

In August 2007, the Minister for Environment and Water Resources, The Hon Malcolm Turnbull MP, referred to the Committee an inquiry into the Environmental Implications of the ‘Sea Change’ Phenomenon.

The committee will inquire into and report on issues and policies related to environmental pressures experienced by Australian coastal areas as a result of the ‘sea change’ phenomenon. The inquiry will have particular regard to:

• the environmental impacts of an increasing coastal population

• measures to reduce the environmental impacts of an expanding coastal population

• mechanisms to promote sustainable coastal communities and protect Australia’s coastline. The inquiry was referred to the committee by the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources on 9 August 2007.

https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/ House_of_representatives_Committees?url=environ/seachange /tor.htm

Land transformation - dense development – a series of cranes Government policies

Public / Private p.19

The Lasithi café and the Margi Villa .

The lack of the Staircase .

The Staircase facilitates the dialogue of the urban elements .

Contour map p.20

Observation

At the bottom of the steps there is a theater stage connected to the sea. The top of the steps lead to another set of steps that connect us with the dense urban environment.

Models – 3d printing – carton- plaster

Landings p.21

PRECEDENTS p.22

The theater of Epidaurus, Greece.

The Odeon of Herodes Atticus , Athens , Greece.

Land and sea surface temperature p.23

Land and sea surface temperature hotter than ever before July was a recording breaking month for both land and sea temperatures, according to EU climate observers Copernicus. Water temperatures in the Mediterranean — considered a climate hotspot — also soared.

At first glance, the news published by the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) is disturbing: On July 31, 2023, the average temperature of the global ocean surface was exactly 20.9648 degrees Celsius (69.73664 degrees Fahrenheit), above the previous record set in 2016.

Water temperatures in the Mediterranean Sea also broke records in 2023 The Mediterranean region, which experienced record heatwaves in July, has long been considered a climate change hotspot.

https://www.dw.com/en/land-and-sea-surface-temperature-hotter-than-before/a-66444694

Location a city - centre site where changing level would desirable... as it would form a barrier to the dense city life linking the city center / the community / the sea

The city center p.25

In the center of Glyfada , an abandoned square and a side street turned into parking space that will be part of the Athenian Riviera re-development .

“ A new world-class destination. A new ‘smart’ and ‘green’ city on the Athens Riviera constitutes the largest urban regeneration project in Europe. With views of the endless blue of the Aegean Sea and breathtaking sunsets, The Ellinikon is the ultimate year-round destination where lives can be truly well lived in an amazing setting. And where new generations will find greater opportunities.The Ellinikon will reposition the country on the international investment map and will lead to an increased tourism footprint and a significantly healthier economy. We invite you to follow our progress. And I hope you will find your special future at The Ellinikon. ” The Hellinikon Project , 2024

https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=zEz1FhgnjoC

Matterport digital exploration

Observation and documentation of site conditions,

Observation and documentation of qualities : physical - social - cultural - conceptual Observation and documentation of associations

 anintimateunderstanding of the Stair-Place Site that the Building will occupy and respond to.

 Informs the brief and conceptual agenda for the Building

Agenda

The intrusion of intense development that affects the quality of life of the residents in the coastal urban neighbourhoods of Athens. Their right to access to the coastline and the sea located in the vicinity of Athens.

The ongoing privatisation of public spaces by the sea, The development of high rise and out of context complexes for tourists that obstruct the views and access of residents to the places that they have used and experienced as part of their everyday lives to swim, to fish, to play, to relax to transition from city density to coastline tranquillity.

The journey from the intense urban environment to the sea tranquillity becomes the focus of the investigation of how this transition is experienced by the local residents as it affects their sound, view, smell ,their wellbeing and their sense of freedom and belonging. The transition has been identified within the selected staircase in the neighbourhood of Kavouri , in Vouliagmeni. as it expresses the value of transitional elements in architectural design.

The political agenda that calls for participatory architecture, connecting it to what the residents value and need.The governmental policies and their strong connection to urban developers affects the growth of cities investing in the adaptability of the urban environment.

The project is focusing on how the transitions offered by public space are slowly but surely being ripped away from the local communities. The values of the staircase become for this project an important focal point, a transition of importance and a reason for the community to fight back and reclaim access to the coastline as the regeneration of it is threatening the access to what has always been part of their lives

Practical understandings of place p.27

“Sense of place refers to the emotive bonds and attachments people develop or experience in particular locations and environments, at scales ranging from the home to the nation. Sense of place is also used to describe the distinctiveness or unique character of particular localities and regions. Sense of place can refer to positive bonds of comfort, safety, and well-being engendered by place, home, and dwelling, as well as negative feelings of fear, dysphoria, and placelessness.”

K.E. Foote, M. Azaryahu (2009) International Encyclopedia of Human Geography

“ Whether residents have a sense of place toward their area affects their willingness to conserve coastal areas for future generations. Based on the results of this study, strategic outreach/participatory conservation activities targeting that foster people’s sense of place toward an area need to be implemented to increase residents’ willingness to conserve coastal areas. For example, activities that connect people’s lifestyle (hobbies, jobs, etc.) with the local area are important. Programs that involve local companies (e.g., employees participating in volunteer activities in the local area) or activities by residents’ associations that families could join would be effective. Such outreach activities should be conducted to foster residents’ sense of place toward the target area and their willingness to conserve the coastal area for future generations. “

Sakurai et al. (2017), Exploring Model Identification Analysis

“ …Place and Understanding are intimately connected ,that this is what determines the interconnection between topology and hermeneutics and that this also implies an intimate belonging of place and thinking , of place and experience , of place and the very possibility of appearance , of presence , of being . of presence.”

Malpas, J. (2017). Placing Understanding/Understanding Place. Sophia. 56. 10.1007/s11841-016-0546-9.

“ Place perceptions and spatial analysis are seldom integrated into community leadership policy and decision making where reactionary, ineffective, postindustrial policy continues its monological economic focus.Yet, these spatial relationships and social transactions are equally necessary towards community wellness as the magnetic pull of persistent, exclusionary activities of physical borders and social barriers have increased. Central to this phenomenon is the oversimplified homogenization effect of sameness while community’s simultaneous craving for something special remains.”

R.S. Carter ( 2016) , Human Geography “Place” and “Space” understandings , Alvernia University.

Spatial Dimension

Documentation of defining elements p.29

“Setting geographic boundaries provides a spatial context to the technical assessment, a sense of place to the community involved, and a framework in which to gather, organize, and depict information necessary for decision making. “

R.J. Naiman,G.E.Likens,(2005) Riparia

Topography

Geology

Boundaries of buildings

Roads

city limits / boundaries

Landscape and the Thing

Cultural landscapes are composed of interlocking facets of many kinds.Interventions have consequences that reverberate through the system producing many more consequences, some predicted, others unimagined. To appreciate the nature of change we need to develop and resort to more dynamic perspectives. Changes can have a dialectical character, with the end products of a phase of action and reaction providing the starting point for a new generation of reactions.

As found in the Nordic tradition of the Ting and the protoparliamentary German Ding,Things once pertained to landscape-based community assemblies for discussing matters of importance. Over time, as these forums moved indoors, the meaning of the word thing drifted towards its current use to refer to inanimate objects or events to which we are indifferent. Divested of its thingness, the concept of landscape also shifted from an active agent in cultural practice to a physical scene.

As Heidegger notes, this semantic legacy is also retained in the English word thing , in the sense that a person ‘knows [their] things’; that is, ‘[they] understand the matters’ at hand.

In place of permanent sites, re-envisioning contemporary assemblages as inflections implies more agile and ambulatory situations for landscapethings. These situations are potentially more conducive to adapting to the various matters-of-concern that arise and dissipate over time. For example, the humans and things that assemble around the issue of climate change are quite distinct from those that gather around the issue of community safety. Nevertheless, the task of finding, designing, and representing the shape of inflected landscape-things is complicated by the tendency for things to stick to other things. Just as ancient Thing parliaments were thick with material things, so too are landscapes of all kinds. As Edward

Casey notes: ‘Upon scrutiny . . . even the most barren wasteland displays a considerable variety of things.’51 Although this thickened topography of intertwined thingsas-matter enriches the overall experience of landscape, it also potentially conceals the underlying things-that-matter.

Karl Kullmann (2018) The landscape of things, Journal of Landscape Architecture, 13:1, 58-67, DOI: 10.1080/18626033.2018.1476033

The Stair-place as the epicenter of a communication network p.30

Transition

The Stair-place and the paths/streets form a communication network

A transitional element that links the water element to the urban environment and leads to both the individual and collective city life .

Both life styles call for rest / entertainment /relaxation / introspection

The Site - Place is the epicenter of a transitional procedure : city-scape to sea-scape .

Chameleon

constant re-invention

transition

to re-generated urban forms

Glyfada is a metropolitan area in the southern part of Athens. (Figure 3). The 25 Km2 2 area has a population of roughly 80.000 inhabitants A unique combination of natural landscape and urban fabrication.

The socio-political and historical aspects of the area’s urban development is characterized by periodical extreme changes .A traditional fishing village , that hosted the main airport of Greece and the main American military base for the Southern Mediterrenean . A lot of interesting stories , political scandals , policies and political agenmdas have been developed under the hot sun of Glyfada .

“ Right by the sea and only 10 minutes drive from the old airport, the population was then [ in the 70’s ] made up of local Greeks, American GIs from the old American base that was by the airport, US and Canadian oil riggers who worked in the Middle East, British lorry drivers who transported goods from the UK and various other ex-pats. With the islands not yet on the radar of most tour operators, it was also a key destination for British holidaymakers. Eventually though, the Americans left, fewer riggers worked in the Middle East and tourists discovered the islands. You’d think a town would struggle with that kind of exodus but Glyfada reinvented itself as a posh seaside suburb. “ https://britishspartathlonteam.org/race-reports/articles/a-guide-toglyfada/

And as the airport moved away for Glyfada , Glyfada re-invented itself again with rocket-sky flat prices , high-end night clubs , golf courses and a unique coastline with exclusive marinas …

And now it is about to re-invent itself once again with The Hellinikon Project as a investment destination for Southern Europe . A combination of urban city center elements and peripheral areas of assorted morphologies within a unique coastal environment that tth f th t f Pi t th Tl f Si

Government policies and the intense development Agenda . The myth of the Hellinikon Project p.32

People and community p.34

The people that are living/working on, linked and associated with the Place

Themes of Discussion

The Stair - Place associations : political agendas / investment decisions

The Stair-Place constraints : non – participatory architecture / residents rights

The Stair-Place reality : Intense development

The Stair-Place context : an example of lost opportunities regarding sustainable development

The sculptor that created the glass sculpture at the Port of Otrando in the memory of the Albanian immigrants that were lost at sea. Interview in July 2024 exploring issues related to the cultural and social tissue of the area. A resident of the Southern suburbs of Athens and an international artist that uses glass to express the liquidity of water .

Costas Varotsos – Architect / Sculptor

Politics , policies and human settlements . p.35

“The world is urbanizing at an unprecedented rate, with the migration of millions of individuals to cities and urban centres bringing enormous pressure to bear on inhabitants, politicians, city managers, urban planners and policymakers. At the same time, cities function as beacons of innovation and opportunity that hold the transformative power of positive change and inclusion.”

M. Sharif (2008) Promoting Sustainable Human Settlements, UN .org

A political settlement is defined as “an ongoingagreement among a society’s most powerful groups over a set of political and economic institutions expected to generate for them a minimally acceptable levelofbenefits,whichtherebyendsorpreventsgeneralizedcivilwar and/orpoliticalandeconomicdisorder . “

T. Kelsall ,N. Schulz , W. Ferguson, M.Von Hau, S.Hichey, B. Levy (2022 )The Idea of a Political Settlement

“ Landscape change is caused by a complex combination of technological, social, cultural, political and spatial processes. They are mostly divided into five main groups socio-economic, political, technological, natural and cultural. In the recent 20 years, an intensification of landscape changes and increasing pressure on landscape values have been observed. The perception of landscape change may impact the perceived attractiveness of the living environment which is one of the most important factors affecting residential satisfaction. Future landscape planning should consider citizens’ approaches towards landscape change and implement their statements to achieve better societal approval and a higher quality of life.”

I.Solecka (2022 ) , Citizens’ Perceptions of Landscape Changes and Their Driving Forces: Evidence from Poland , https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8834937/#

A resident of Glyfada in an interview retracing the different phases of the area transformation

Petros N Lymperis Psychiatrist Interview in July 2024

As the development agenda evolves around the re-designing of the public and private spaces the Place and the residents experience neglect .

https://www.kuadradorealestate.com/

Neglected public spaces in anticipation of the development of the area . New buildings

Fixed route means of public transportation out of use due to the re-design of the main traffic arteries

«The underlying objective of providing improved public transit service is to improve the mobility and accessibility of the public. While there has been an increased interest in development of flexible route transit services, there are various challenges that need to be addressed for real world implementation of such services. This compendium broadly classifies the key challenges as technology, infrastructure, market dynamics, and governance.»

Spectrum of Public Transit Operations: From Fixed Route to Microtransit (2020)

USDOT Tier 1 University Transportation Center

p.37 tram

A majority of the tram stops are within the South and Central Athens regional units At the moment the Southern Line has seized its operations due to the upcoming development of the area.

3d studio max exploration

Site 3d modelling

The town as a whole

The Stair-Place as a fragment of the larger whole

“Clearly there are similarities between place leadership theory and proactive community sustainability initiatives and broad human geography that can enact transformation. The full impact that place leadership can have on a physical place is far from realized. What is known is that individual and collective concepts of place are evolving and local leadership must equally evolve in seeking meaningful solutions specific to a governed place and move away from responding to crisis with sole economic solutions.” R.Carter (2016) , Community Leadership and Human Geography

“The time for shifting responsibility to others or covering up deep problems with simplistic solutions that only make problems ‘go away’ for a short time, is running out.” P. Senge, B. Smith , N. Kruschwitz , J. Laur , S. Schley (2008) , How Individuals and Organizations Are Working Together to Create a Sustainable World

p.39 Digital exploration / 3D Studio Max

The understanding of materials

Wood/metal/glass/stone

Layers of materials Τhe adaptability qualities of the chameleon.

“If global carbon emissions were currency, most of the ‘money’ could be found in our office buildings, malls, hotels, factories, apartment buildings and private homes.”

P. Senge, B. Smith, N. Kruschwitz, J. Laur, S. Schley (2008), How Individuals and Organizations Are Working Together to Create a Sustainable World

“Raw materials and resources are essential for modern economies, but they come with environmental impacts. It is crucial that Europe sources and uses them responsibly to successfully transition towards a circular economy, climate neutrality and sustainability. We need to recycle these materials more while reducing extraction and consumption. …

https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/topics/in-depth/resource-use-and-materials

Buildings and construction are closely linked to the economy, local employment, and quality of life.

Europe has many old cities with old buildings. Its building stock is also getting older, and many old buildings are not built for efficient use of energy or a warmer climate.

Almost 75% of the building stock is currently energy inefficient and more than 85% of today's buildings are likely to still be in use in 2050.

Energy renovation of buildings is ongoing but at a very slow rate.”

https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/topics/in-depth/buildings-and-construction

The need to move beyond the greenhouse gas emissions generated from the use of buildings and to adopt a life cycle perspective, in which emissions embedded in construction materials are addressed, is increasingly being recognised by construction sector stakeholders World Green Building Council, 2022

Knowledge of buildings’ life cycle greenhouse gas emissions is therefore important from both policy and industry perspectives. EEA briefing, 2022

On the Stair-Place site the Building is a dual use experiential space :

>> an exhibition centre

>> a transition vessel linking the dense urban environment to the tranquil seascape

The use of wood + glass+ experimental materials creates a sustainable, living cube that

>> hosts a community of artists

>> forms a barrier / transitional element [ urban to water element link ] transforming the daily experience of the city

Drawing on the critical qualities and story of the Extraordinary Stair and Stair-Place the Building functions as a transformative medium. Leaving the dense city centre behind us we explore the sea- scape , we submerge into the sea-view feeling the sand , listening to water sounds , feeling the change in humidity and temperature.

ISSUES

TO BE RESEARCHED / EXPLORED GRAPHICALLY

CommunityInterviewstobeconducted

SpatialperceptionsoftheBuilding/Siterelationship

CulturalperceptionsoftheBuilding/Site relationship

Socialperceptionsoftheplace

Activities[residents/visitors]

Expectations[residents/visitors]

Drawbacks / issues to be resolved

Building+ Governmental Policies

Building+Agenda:adaptability/transition

Building+Individual[Visitor – Resident]

The Stair-place as the epicenter of a communication network

The Stair-place and the paths/streets form a communication network that links the water element to the urban environment and leads to both the individual and collective city life . Both life styles call for rest / entertainment /relaxation / introspection

The Site - Place is the epicenter of a transitional procedure : city-scape to sea-scape .

Human movement in public space

A transition to the urban activities

Swimmers in the sea  exercise, yoga, walking  sitting , talking , walking to work, driving

Metaphysical dimension of transitional spaces

Steps /spirituality / metaphysical dimension / Scala Sancta Flaneurs

Points of entry to the Pavillion

Transparent surfaces

Light/shadows

Metal Frame / Wood

Textures

Weaving

A lightweight structure characterised by its inviting form, calls for relaxation and play. Placed in the centre of the Site injects it with a sense of playful dynamism.

The airy shell construction leaves the light to penetrate it and makes room for the existing trees. Its dual nature as an artistic installation and an architectural creation fosters social interaction and enables the transition to the tranquil seaside.

Transitional meanings

Liquid to solid

Light to heavy

Stressed to tranquil

Day to night

Openings

Modular features

Transclusent surfaces

Inviting façade

Connections to surroundings

Minimal disruption

Smooth transition to sea.

p.46

The Building integrated in the environment

Environmental impact of the construction materials .

Earth materials

Clay

Sand

Brick

Bamboo

Pebbles

Play elements in Aalto's design complements the unbalanced formula between form and function in architecture by covering humanitarian and psychological aspects. These elements are often proved to be astonishingly rational as he maintained, and symbolically functional in many cases. Nonetheless, all the discourses concerning Aalto's architecture eventually converge on original matters concerning architecture, man and nature –architecture mediates man and nature. This relationship is reflected in Aalto's design, directly and indirectly as well as practically and metaphorically, which is more fundamental than any other superlative theories.

Hyon-Sob Kim (2009) Alvar Aalto and Humanizing of Architecture, 2018 Architectural Institute of Japan , Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering, 8:1, 9-16, DOI: 10.3130/jaabe.8.9

Alvar Aalto

Théâtre de Verdure , MONTREAL , CANADA

CASA MALAPARTE – MERPRIS Degrees of initiation into urban living at higher levels of materiality

Villa Posillipo , Corfu , Greece

Alvar Aalto and Humanizing of Architecture

Digital Heterotopia

When Michel Foucault first introduced the notion of heterotopia in 1969, he addressed to real places that separate users from usual time and create imaginary orders in which many fragmentary possible worlds come together in an “impossible place” without being interrupted with the passage and destruction of time. With the development in recent years in augmented reality and new ways of representing and experiencing space, the possibility to transmit architecture into something more have been found. From post-truth to augmented reality there is a wide spectrum of illusion in architecture where the representation of an idea is more important than the idea itself. Thus, formulating and representing architectural space in different formats becomes crucial. This research aims to understand what these everchanging, multi-layered spaces that are filled with dynamic visual and audial qualities in the era of high-tech information, offer to its dwellers. As the notion of heterotopia is reanalyzed as “digital heterotopia”, this research questions what the future holds for the practice and theory of architecture.

An Extraordinary Staircase , an abandoned city-center site , intense development and social consequences . The adaptability of a suburb that re-invents itself as a chameleon that changes its shades to attract friends and warn enemies.

Özmen, Elif Gülce , Staging Architecture as Illusion from mirror to digital Heterotopia.

Routeways

Any re-organization of central places in a territory must find responses and resonance in the system of communications. Some destinations will have vanished, while new ones will have emerged. Then, as the old routeways are removed and their successors installed, other significant implications will arise, for example the possible attraction of roadside sites to settlement.

The components of the communication system have spatial dimensions. They cover land used, hitherto, for other purposes. The land that they occupy has its owners and tenants, and these deserve to be compensated for the loss of property.

They serve as barriers, dividing the fields upon which they are superimposed and demanding that new farming arrangements be adopted. These new arrangements will have implications at all levels for other components of the cultural and ecological systems.

Richard Muir (2003) On change in the landscape, Landscape Research, 28:4, 383-403, DOI: 10.1080/0142639032000150130

Τhe role of beauty and aesthetics in a sustainability agenda

Sustainable landscape design is generally understood in relation to three principles - ecological health, social justice and economic prosperity. Rarely do aesthetics factor into sustainability discourse, except in negative asides conflating the visible with the aesthetic and rendering both superfluous.It will take more than ecologically regenerative designs for culture to be sustainable…what is needed are designed landscapes that provoke those who experience them to become more aware of how their actions affect the environment, and to care enough to make changes.

Beauty is rarely discussed in the discourse of landscape design sustainability and, if it is, dismissed as a superficial concern. What is the value of the visual and formal when human, regional and global health are at stake? Doesn’t the discussion of the beautiful trivialize landscape architecture as ornamentation, as the superficial practice of gardening?

Beauty is a key component in developing an environmental ethic. I believe that works of landscape architecture are more than designed ecosystems, more than strategies for open-ended processes. They are cultural products with distinct forms and experiences that evoke attitude and feelings through space, sequence and form. Like literature and art, images and narratives, landscape architecture can play a role in building sustained public support for the environment.

The performance of a landscape’s appearance, and the experience of beauty, should have as much currency in debates about what a sustainable landscape might, and should, be as the performance of its ecological systems.

Elizabeth K. Meyer (2008) Sustaining beauty. The performance of appearance, Journal of Landscape Architecture, 3:1, 6-23, DOI: 10.1080/18626033.2008.9723392

Chameleon

Why this Staircase?

Why this Site?

What a Building?

A personal perception.

As you pass through the Gates of Transition your Chameleon nature allows you to keep fighting back, to keep on changing, to keep on evolving …

Issues that form an AGENDA ? p.50

How can one cultivate adaptability and resilience in the face of challenges?

How do we embrace change as a catalyst for social growth?

What strategies can be employed to evolve and strengthen the social tissue?

How does a place maintain a sense of identity while adapting to new conditions and social demands?

What are the challenges that the built environment faces in its effort to adapt and evolve ?

the space which today appears to form the horizon of our concerns, our theory, our systems, is not an innovation; space itself has a history in Western experience, and it is not possible to disregard the fatal intersection of time with space.

One could say, by way of retracing this history of space very roughly, that in the Middle Ages there was a hierarchic ensemble of places: sacred places and profane places: protected places and open, exposed places: urban places and rural places (all these concern the real life of men).

In cosmological theory, there were supercelestial places as opposed to the celestial, and the celestial place was in its turn opposed to the terrestrial place. There were places where things had been put because they had been violently displaced, and then on the contrary places where things found their natural ground and stability. It was this complete hierarchy, this opposition, this intersection of places that constituted what could very roughly be called medieval space: the space of emplacement.

This space of emplacement was opened up by Galileo.

For the real scandal of Galileo’s work lay not so much in his discovery, or rediscovery, that the earth revolved around the sun, but in his constitution of an infinite, and infinitely open space. In such a space the place of the Middle Ages turned out to be dissolved, as it were; a thing’s place was no longer anything but a point in its movement, just as the stability of a thing was only its movement indefinitely slowed down. In other words, starting with Galileo and the seventeenth century, extension was substituted for localization.

Today the site has been substituted for extension which itself had replaced emplacement. The site is defined by relations of proximity between points or elements.

Michel Foucault , (1984) , “Des Espace Autres,” Continuité