The Tourkovounia Hills as an Interconnecting Element between Landscape and City
Diploma Design Thesis Project
University of Patras / School of Architecture
The 45-hectare site that was selected for my design thesis is characterized by the image it evokes concerning the relation between city and landscape. The Tourkovounia Hills, now an abandoned quarry, are the most extensive hill range in the geographic center of the basin of Athens, and in their current situation act as a "no man's land" between the western and eastern parts of the city. The aim of the project is the transition from this harsh contradiction to a seamless experience from the city to the landscape and vice versa.
On the one hand, the development boosts the neighboring areas by introducing new housing typologies and public uses, and on the other it enriches Athens' urban vocabulary, by creating a public space for the citizens and the necessary technology to support it.
The study focuses on the analysis of the rocky, steep and deformed from the mining activity landscape, as well as its boundaries with the city. Thus, five qualities came up which led to the architectural planning and design of the space: the peripheral road network, the entrances to the site and the network of man-made pathways, the plateaus, the peaks, and the views towards the city.
The project attempts to fill the urban void that the hills create and introduces a series of public and private uses to the city.