The subject of the following thesis is the search for a possible regeneration and rehabilitation of the former Ellinikon Airport site in Athens, Greece. Not only the territory is considered, but also the abandoned East Terminal projected by Eero Saarinen in 1968. In a city which is still recovering from a serious economical crisis, the vast urban void created by the site will form the new scene for restoring old and creating new connections at different scales and levels. The aim is to stimulate cultural growth in an inclusive way by developing spatial frames for new social and cultural interactions. At the largest scale the development of the current urban void will reconnect the surrounding municipalities of Alimos, Elliniko-Argyroupoli and Glyfada, by linking them together through the new public urban park. It would form a bridge between municipalities which have been physically disconnected for about twenty years. At a smaller level the new urban park creates new connections by serving as a socio-cultural platform for the people of Athens. The new public area provides places for gathering and the practise of different activities within the densely built context of the Athens. By redeveloping the former East Terminal into a cultural center new connections are created on the architectural-personal scale. With various functions such as an exhibition floor, an art academy, polyvalent spaces, conference rooms and a restaurant, it becomes a platform for socio-cultural activities. This variety of possibilities is extended outwards, where the new stage will bring together people for more specific cultural events. When no performance is happening it functions as a public square for the users of the park. The choice for the site was made for different reasons. First, its prominent location within the urban fabric of Athens, which has been an urban void for almost twenty years. Moreover, the fact that it had already been partly redeveloped for its short-lived function as Olympic area, which was then interrupted due to the economical situation of the country. Next, the East Terminal which had been designed by Eero Saarinen, in the same years as the two iconic airport terminals he designed in the United States. The former terminal was designed as a clear reinforced-concrete column-grid structure, which facilitates the redevelopment to a new use. Last is the fact that it had been used to shelter refugees, which clearly showed the need of the use of the area for the city. In order to be able to project on the site and inside the building, an extensive preliminary study was done for developing a greater understanding of the location and its history. At first, a historical-urban analysis was done on the location of the site in its urban context of Athens. A knowledge of both historical and contemporary aspects of the city led the description of the needs of the project. A historical-urban analysis of the site itself was done for understanding all the aspects of the area and forming a masterplan. The design of the new cultural center in the former East Terminal the building designed by Eero Saarinen was anticipated by a profound study of the structure. A three-dimensional reconstruction was made in Revit based on plans provided by the Urban Environment Laboratory Archive of the National Technical University of Athens. In combination with original materials found in the Yale University Archive, also the original layout was reestablished. Together with various other sources such as photographs and water color renderings an extensive understanding of the original terminal was created, which then formed the basis for the design of the new proposal.
L'argomento della tesi è la ricerca di una possibile rigenerazione e riabilitazione dell'ex sito dell'aeroporto di Ellinikon ad Atene, in Grecia. Non solo il territorio è considerato, ma anche il Terminal Est abbandonato progettato da Eero Saarinen nel 1968. In una città che si sta ancora riprendendo da una grave crisi economica, il vasto vuoto urbano creato dal sito costituirà la nuova scena per il ripristino di vecchi e creando nuove connessioni a diverse scale e livelli. L'obiettivo è quello di stimolare la crescita culturale in modo inclusivo sviluppando strutture spaziali per nuove interazioni sociali e culturali. Su larga scala, lo sviluppo dell'attuale vuoto urbano ricollegherà i comuni circostanti di Alimos, Elliniko-Argyroupoli e Glyfada, collegandoli insieme attraverso il nuovo parco urbano pubblico. Formerebbe un ponte tra i comuni che sono stati fisicamente disconnessi per circa venti anni. A un livello inferiore, il nuovo parco urbano crea connessioni fungendo da piattaforma socioculturale per il popolo di Atene. La nuova area pubblica offre spazi per la raccolta e la pratica di diverse attività nel contesto densamente costruito di Atene. Riqualificando l'ex terminal est in un centro culturale si creano nuove connessioni su scala architettonico-personale. Con varie funzioni come un piano espositivo, un'accademia d'arte, spazi polivalenti, sale conferenze e un ristorante, diventa una piattaforma per attività socioculturali. Questa varietà di possibilità si estende verso l'esterno, dove il nuovo palco riunirà le persone per eventi culturali più specifici. Quando non si realizzano spettacoli, funziona come una piazza pubblica per gli utenti del parco. La scelta del sito è stata fatta per diversi motivi. Innanzitutto, la sua posizione prominente nel tessuto urbano di Atene, che è stato un vuoto urbano per quasi vent'anni. Inoltre, il fatto che fosse già stato parzialmente riqualificato per la sua breve durata come area olimpica, che fu poi interrotto a causa della situazione economica del paese. Successivamente, il terminal est che era stato progettato da Eero Saarinen, negli stessi anni dei due terminal di aeroporti iconici che aveva progettato negli Stati Uniti. L'edificio è stato progettato come una struttura modulare in cemento armato, che facilita la riqualificazione per un nuovo utilizzo. L'ultimo motivo è il fatto che era stato utilizzato per proteggere i rifugiati, il che ha mostrato chiaramente la necessità dell'uso dell'area per la città. Per poter progettare sul sito e all'interno dell'edificio, è stato condotto un ampio studio preliminare per sviluppare una maggiore comprensione dell'area e della sua storia. Inizialmente, è stata effettuata un'analisi storico-urbana sulla posizione del sito nel suo contesto urbano di Atene. Una conoscenza degli aspetti storici e contemporanei della città ha portato alla descrizione delle esigenze del progetto. È stata effettuata un'analisi storico-urbana del aeroporto stesso per comprendere tutti gli aspetti dell'area e formare un piano generale. La progettazione del nuovo centro culturale nell'ex terminal est dell'edificio progettato da Eero Saarinen è stata anticipata da un profondo studio della sua architettura. Una ricostruzione tridimensionale è stata fatta in Revit sulla base dei piani forniti dall'Archivio del Laboratorio per l'Ambiente Urbano dell'Università Tecnica Nazionale di Atene. In combinazione con i materiali originali trovati nell'archivio dell'Università di Yale, è stato ristabilito anche il layout originale. Insieme a varie altre fonti, come fotografie e rendering ad acquerello, è stata creata una comprensione approfondita del terminale originale, che ha poi costituito la base per la progettazione della nuova proposta.
Tra di noi. Between us. A proposal for the regeneration of the former Ellinikon Airport site in Athens, Greece
MELISTAS, EFTHYMIA KATERINA
2019/2020
Abstract
The subject of the following thesis is the search for a possible regeneration and rehabilitation of the former Ellinikon Airport site in Athens, Greece. Not only the territory is considered, but also the abandoned East Terminal projected by Eero Saarinen in 1968. In a city which is still recovering from a serious economical crisis, the vast urban void created by the site will form the new scene for restoring old and creating new connections at different scales and levels. The aim is to stimulate cultural growth in an inclusive way by developing spatial frames for new social and cultural interactions. At the largest scale the development of the current urban void will reconnect the surrounding municipalities of Alimos, Elliniko-Argyroupoli and Glyfada, by linking them together through the new public urban park. It would form a bridge between municipalities which have been physically disconnected for about twenty years. At a smaller level the new urban park creates new connections by serving as a socio-cultural platform for the people of Athens. The new public area provides places for gathering and the practise of different activities within the densely built context of the Athens. By redeveloping the former East Terminal into a cultural center new connections are created on the architectural-personal scale. With various functions such as an exhibition floor, an art academy, polyvalent spaces, conference rooms and a restaurant, it becomes a platform for socio-cultural activities. This variety of possibilities is extended outwards, where the new stage will bring together people for more specific cultural events. When no performance is happening it functions as a public square for the users of the park. The choice for the site was made for different reasons. First, its prominent location within the urban fabric of Athens, which has been an urban void for almost twenty years. Moreover, the fact that it had already been partly redeveloped for its short-lived function as Olympic area, which was then interrupted due to the economical situation of the country. Next, the East Terminal which had been designed by Eero Saarinen, in the same years as the two iconic airport terminals he designed in the United States. The former terminal was designed as a clear reinforced-concrete column-grid structure, which facilitates the redevelopment to a new use. Last is the fact that it had been used to shelter refugees, which clearly showed the need of the use of the area for the city. In order to be able to project on the site and inside the building, an extensive preliminary study was done for developing a greater understanding of the location and its history. At first, a historical-urban analysis was done on the location of the site in its urban context of Athens. A knowledge of both historical and contemporary aspects of the city led the description of the needs of the project. A historical-urban analysis of the site itself was done for understanding all the aspects of the area and forming a masterplan. The design of the new cultural center in the former East Terminal the building designed by Eero Saarinen was anticipated by a profound study of the structure. A three-dimensional reconstruction was made in Revit based on plans provided by the Urban Environment Laboratory Archive of the National Technical University of Athens. In combination with original materials found in the Yale University Archive, also the original layout was reestablished. Together with various other sources such as photographs and water color renderings an extensive understanding of the original terminal was created, which then formed the basis for the design of the new proposal.| File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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Efthymia-Melistas_thesis_final-plans_A1.pdf
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Efthymia-Melistas_thesis_final-book.pdf
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https://hdl.handle.net/10589/165031