DELTA FLOW_ Redefining the CITY’s relation to the SEA

The port of Thessaloniki is a particular coastal scape; an artificial, industrial environment, which has proceeded with great landfill earthworks, in order to satisfy the increasing commercial demands of the city. The course addresses the design of open public spaces with minor interventions at the second pier of the port. It aims to uncover new ways for the city to reconnect to the water element, through the design of a place of reference; a welcoming hub for multiple activities for people of all ages, promoting spaces for wandering, relaxation and encounter. A complex of urban pools, event spaces and areas for the enjoyment of nature are combined with pedestrian and cycle routes, transportation networks and small-scale building facilities.
The proposal takes advantage of the pier’s special characteristics and transforms its landscape into a transitional space between the city and the sea, where people are exposed and encouraged to get in contact with the water element through various conditions.
Following the traces of a pre-existing stream, which used to flow and extend to the sea, we create a hybrid space between the industrial and the natural. The design is based on the concept of the delta flow, a particular interaction between water and land, which continually changes through time, offering a great variety of spatial qualities and formations.