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modulation | thessaloniki's Old Waterfront
diploma project, AUTh School of Architecture
The diploma project is a conceptual proposal for the city waterfront area, spanning from the White Tower monument till the ‘A Dock of the Thessaloniki port, known as the Old Waterfront. The idea emerged with the announcement of the future pedestrianization and redevelopment of Nikis Avenue, due to the construction of an underwater arterial road bypassing the city’s historical center.
The main ideas were formed after thorough research of social, political and economic factors that shaped the current urban area though radical changes in history. The central and most prominent influence of the project thesis were the profound social and religious transformations occurring during the twentieth century and altering substantially the image of the city and the development of the waterfront area. The use of philosophic diagrams defines the basic module devised throughout the project, a ninety meter long designed component, further modulated in eleven sub-modules traversing the waterfront.
In the proposal, Nikis Avenue is pedestrianized and designated by five consecutive activity and functional zones, namely a retail zone adjacent to the buildings, a green zone, a cycling zone, a light-rail zone, and finally a pedestrian zone next to the sea. The pedestrian zone, where the module is implemented, is further composed by two different levels, the next to sea level being a wooden platform encompassing seating areas, piers, street lighting and urban accessories additionally developed and designed by the author in the context of the project.
