[ (Re)Coding the City ]
MArch I
Through the lens of a new map, Athens reveals itself as a city of blurred realms.
Pavement becomes parking lot.
City square becomes shelter.
Architecture becomes abandonment.
Using a notational system, the map charts the unexpected uses of spaces that are generally considered public and brings to light instances where space has been re-appropriated by the city’s inhabitants. The people of Athens are not afraid to leave their mark on the city. While the presence of unexpected conditions enriched the understanding of how public spaces are being used, the gaps in expected occupations also brought into focus the current situation facing the people of Athens and how the conditions of crisis alter the way a city is inhabited
[ Anticipating the Unexpected ]
Through the use of public squares and abandoned buildings as sites, the interventions into the city look to balance permanent program with the anticipation of the unexpected. Allowing for spaces of programmatic indeterminacy in each, the sites respond to the current issues facing residents, but also look toward transforming into spaces which maintain their relevance in a post-crisis Athens. The spirit of procession and protest is maintained in the schemes as each offers opportunities for ‘escape’ under protest conditions. The escape of users is not a function of avoiding protest, but rather allows for different vantage points and varying levels of participation in the event. In some instances, rather than an escape from the crowd, the evacuation allows an escape from the safety of the building and into the reality of the city. Crowds and protest are an important function of social spaces in Athens and these proposals aim to integrate their repercussions into complementary designs.
All work completed in collaboration with Olivia Laughlin