The aim of this study was to envision a new design for Klatfthmonos square, one of the largest open-air public spaces of the historic city center of Athens, in close proximity to the Hansen brothers' neoclassical Trilogy.

 

The main problem we identified was the malfunction of the square's role as a public space, that is, as a capacitor of the flow of pedestrians passing through, and of outdoor activities in general. As a result, we adapted our design approach accordingly, preserving at the same time as many planted trees as possible and the low vegetation that already existed.

 

The strongest gesture of our proposal was the placement of two longitudinal red walls, which help define a direction and encourage the movement inside the square, simultaneously dividing it in smaller sections, more familiar to the human scale. One of these sections “sinks”, in order to reveal the ancient wall of Athens - parts of which have been dug out by archaeological excavations in the past - while at the same time acquiring the use of an open-air amphitheater.

 

Lastly, we designed a wooden platform elevated from the ground level, acting as an open-air extension of the new coffee-shop that we placed in the small two-storey concrete tower. This platform offers an unobstructed view of the Trilogy and also provides shading for the space underneath it.