Dora Kounavi
Hellinikon_the urban gab in-between Hymettus Mt., Saronic Golf and Attica’s urban grid
Hellinikon is not an empty space. It has a past that is connected to the Golden Era of Greek aviation. It has a present as an enormous urban gab in-between the Hymettus Mt., Saronic Gulf and Attica’s urban grid. In- between nature’s formations and human installations. Our generation must make sure that it shall also have a future with great potential in aspects of alternative, sustainable and dynamic development.
The designing process of an urban park forms a comparative advantage for the entire Attica landscape. The formation of a naturally designed Mediterranean area is a challenging bet for the Greek politics and bureaucrats. The challenge should be accepted. The dialogue between the parc and the surrounding neighborhoods benefits both parts and has an unknown dynamic. Furthermore, the linear promenade in the axis of Hymettus Mt. - Saronic Golf intents to connect these elements by the means of human movement. But human engagement is the reason of urban design process afterall.
Tower_the formation of a human micro-society in vertical
The architectural archetype of a tower, in its Greek roots of “pyrgos” is the version of an emblematic construction for the supervision of an area. In the same way but allegorically, the contemporary tower installed nearby the waterfront of Hellinikon dominates the surrounding area with its vertical form but mostly with its enormous shadow imprint on the ground level. This is an environmental issue as the total imprint of the tower in CF-U1 area is two times plus the total size of this area. The impact on the surrounding neighborhoods, although temporary – as it follows the sun’s daily route – must be considered in the design process.
The program of the tower complies with the land uses of CF-U1 area regarding the housing as dominant use. The profile of the user is the young scientist or entrepreneur, the new immigrant type, who either returns from abroad or leaves his / hers hometown for the big city – metropolis-to-be Athens. The mixing of public and private areas evolves around the central patio – a vertical garden – which connects vertically the floors and horizontally the housing units of the tower. The tower changes shape all the way up as the “Form Follows the Function”. Bella vista is the purpose. The foyer plays the key-role with the open-space entrance.
