Landmark Athena

[en]The concept was to generate through the envelope an urban scale landmark that is not only a visual sign, but a real urban mark that has enough force for gathering public. The design has a special symbolic power by the indirect use of the old symbol of the Piraeus harbor – the lion (the statue that is currently in Venice). We reinterpreted the lion by applying the image of the lion’s constellation on the envelope. This image also marks the pedestrian public and touristic route between the detached envelope and the façade. The envelope is entirely covered with holes, so that at night the building disappears in its surroundings, the piercings of the façade resembling stars and becoming a background for the constellation/public path that slices it.
The envelope has a double role – that of shading and redirecting solar beams and that of generating an exterior urban space with ascending ramps. The resulting path connects the public spaces inside the building and opens lookout spots towards the city. The path was designed to be contained within the envelope and to have the proper inclination for the pedestrian ramps.

[ro]Ideea principala a proiectului este aceea de a crea prin anvelopa propusa un landmark la scara urbana, nu atat ca semn pur vizual cat mai ales un reper urban care prin forta sa sa adune publicul in jurul sau. Credem ca ideea de a folosi intr-un mod indirect vechiul simbol al portului Piraeu - leul (statuie aflata in prezent la Venetia) da solutiei o forta simbolica aparte. Am reinterpretat imaginea acestuia preluand schema constelatiei leului, creand totodata un traseu public-turistic intre anvelopa detasata si fatada. Noaptea cladirea se pierde in peisaj, datorita perforatiile din anvelopa, asemanatoare stelelor ajuta la acest lucru ramanand vizibila doar schema constelatiei – a traseului public in fapt . Anvelopa capata astfel un dublu rol. Pe de o parte are rol in umbrire si directionarea solara iar pe de alta pare constituie un spatiu urban exterior, ascendent prin rampele sale. Acest traseu leaga spatile publice ale cladirii (magazinele, cafenelele, restaurantul si terasa) si in acelasi timp deschide puncte de belvedere asupra orasului. Traseul a fost astfel configurat incat sa inchida acest circuit pe fatada si sa ofere o panta corespunzatoare traseului pietonal. Anvelopa imbraca aceast traseu decupandu-se in zona sa si umbrind restul fatadei.

PROJECT TEAM: PARASITE STUDIO
ADRESS: Athena GR