In 2017 the municipality of Vari-Voula-Vouliagmeni decided to redesign the central square of Vouliagmeni known as Nimfon square. Under the care of its mayor Mr. G. Konstantellos, following numerous public consultations with the local community, its annotations where acculturated, the intentions where documented and the bureaucratic process was organized in order to achieve a strict and brief timeline. The final design proposal was a result of two diverse proposals numerous revisions until one of them was finally approved from the city council and the residents’ committee in 2018. The existing square was over 4 decades old and seemed not to meet sufficiently anymore the contemporary needs of the public space and the evolution of the region known as Athenian Riviera. Nimfon square was not functioning as a living space for rest, outlet and expression of the functions of public living, although it abuts with the private commercial zone. On the contrary the square was functioning simply as passage and it was not conceived as a place to visit. Its public hypostasis was losing ground to the private commercial activity. The new Nimfon square design challenge was to generate answers to its chronic pathogenies though functional and aesthetical design methodologies. The public space, by definition, owes to be addressed to everyone, vitiating segregations and preconceptions. Owes to act as a spinoff of social relations with solid public awareness. This was the main challenge of the architectural design. To generate a contemporary public space with focus to its strengthen public and environmental profile. A vivid point of reference for the whole region that places the user -no matter age- at the focal point. Nimfon square is not the type of square that is defined by its surrounding built environment. It is more like a self-referential public space defined by its big terrain inclination having only one interesting perspective to the sea through the existing trees. The proper exploitation of the inclination was a key design challenge. The architectural design was based on two design strategies, the emergence of the existing trees and the provision for an extended users’ workflow all over the living space of the square. The diversity and multitude of the existing trees functioned as dominant starting points of the design enriched with the new ones. All together were assorted in groups based on their size, shadow and position in order to generate proper heterogeneous spatial qualities of resting zones offering at the same time interaction with the trees, shadow exploitation during the day and diverse views of the sea and the square itself. In parallel, entrance points from every side of the square and free strolling all over were assured through diverse paths. The main path that crosses through the square, links the two close by commercial zones and the amphitheatrical stairs create an alternative entrance from the East that was blocked before. The main movement axis that cross through the square are made with a reddish pebbled floor same as the surrounding pavements in order to unify the pedestrian flow and lead it in the square. Complimentary, toned down paths and resting zones are generated in natural stabilized earth floors placed in between the green zones in order to empower the contact with nature. The plethora of the wooded sitting zones by exploiting the natural inclination of the ground aims to create diverse spatial qualities that will offer its users the experience of intimate moments that turn to deep memories. The consistent filling of intimacy is the way to turn public space into a neat personal space for all. The sitting zones are categorized in two kinds, the round ones that are developed around trees and the linear ones that are found on the main corridors. Color wise, the main pebble floor is carried out in a reddish hue as a reference to the red stone that was extracted from the local quarry of Vari and was used a lot to build the old houses of the area, as well as a reference to the natural color of the soil. As concerning the handling of the greenery, all of the trees are preserved and taken care of while new trees are being planted to empower the shading and cooling conditions of the square. All new plantings are acclimated to the Attica landscape and aligned to the existing ones of the square. Bushes and aromatic plants are planted in a way to surround the sitting benches and highlight selected trees and axis. The architectural lighting is also crucial in the emergence of the square’s spatial qualities and the ensurance of a delight experience for the user. The lighting design creates an indirect illumination of the significant trees and all the resting zones while developing a mild emergence of the diverse paths. The square is conceived as a space dedicated to the pedestrians. Therefore, all streets around are turned to traffic calmed zones at the same level with the square and are carried out in paving stones. In order to maximize the usable space of the square, parking on its boarders is banned and the old public parking lots are redesigned aesthetically as part of the square. The new square aims to gain an active, central role in the daily life of the residents and the visitors of the neighborhood. To act as a paradigm of public space that gains the respect and appreciation of it users by its spatial qualities, the right maintenance and the harmonic function of the place. To be the living proof that the public space carves social behaviors.
Implementing Entity: Municipality of Vari-Voula-Vouliagmeni Architectural
Design: Athens Creative – Alexandros Avlonitis, Aggeliki Anagnostopoulou | athenscreative.gr Design Team: Alexandros Avlonitis, Giorgos Tzavaras, Tatiana Vasiliadou, Melina Bona
Architectural Supervision: Alexandros Avlonitis, Giorgos Tzavaras
Mechanical Engineer: Stelios Venieris & Associates
Lighting Design: Athanassios Danilof | a-danilof.com
Construction: ARIO | www.ario.gr
Construction Supervision & Management: Dimitris Protonotarios | www.ario.gr Greenery Design: Anetta Roussou, Petros Fevranoglou
Traffic Study: NAMA Consulting Engineers and Planners SA | namanet.gr
Project Coordination & Consultancy: Athens Creative - Dimitris Anagnostopoulos
Photographs: Alexandros Avlonitis, Yiorgis Yerolymbos | www.yerolymbos.com
