Honorable Mention Architectural Competition
“Ephemeral Structures in the City of Athens for Olympic Games of 2004”
Location: Athens, Greece
Credits: Yannis Zavoleas, Alexandros Tsamis, Lydia Kallipoliti, Alexandra Sinisterra, John Fernandez, Vana Tentokali
The subway’s excavation process in Athens has revealed the presence of “other” cities of the past, below the contemporary level. Based on the historic palimpsest, this project aims to create an active receptive version of the palimpsest; a registration device of activities that are registered directly in the urban context. “Fecund Cityscapes” are flexible “wall borders” that integrate “seeds” of urban activity in their structure. A “seed” is defined as a pneumatic ring being placed in the floor components of the structure that can be activated by the visitors. The visitors may walk in the structure, press buttons and get information about the city events. This activity causes the structure to “impregnate” and transform in two ways; change of mass due to the inflation and change of texture (color) due to temperature shifts in the interior. These changes are registered on the structure’s epidermis, which conveys to the urban environment traces of the ephemeral activities of the interior. These structures are placed at urban voids close to subway stations. An urban network is created supported by the existing one, offering an alternative kind of navigation “in time” for the city.
YANNIS ZAVOLEAS 