Expanding network of meeting points
Ephemeral minimal interventions in the Greek landscape.
Thesis | 2018
Team: Gaglia E., Klaoudatou M., Vergos K.
Studying the Greek landscape and its many elements such as the natural variety, the mild climate, the connection with the sea, the outdoor living and from the other side the intense touristic development, we propose a sustainable model that will combine and balance these elements. We chose the Pagasetic Gulf and the area of Pelion in general as a starting point, as it concentrates many of the qualities and characteristics that we are interested in. Ιt is an area that combines rich natural resources, variety of landscapes and activities, wealth of history and traditions, combination of sea, road and path networks, direct connection with the sea and by-the-sea living. Our vision is to create a vivid network with possibilities of expansion, in the context of which different subjects will interact and activities will be combined.
Supporting the idea of a network, we propose the construction of small shelters along the coastline. Those infrastructures will provide shelter to hikers, bikers, paddlers, climbers etc and to those who visit the area in order to get in touch with the local people, traditions, lifestyle and products, not in the common touristic terms but through pleasure and physical experience. The selection of the spots that we propose is based on the survey that we conducted in the area and the information that we collected about the existing activities, events and other networks around Pagasetic. So we put the shelters in spots where they can serve different subjects and activities. The shelters that we propose are minimal, in simple and functional forms, accessible from both the land and the sea and easy to construct and disassemble. We want the shelters to become part of the landscape without burdening it. The structures follow every landscape and adapts to it, offering protection and beautiful views. We create a typology about the different parts of the structure, but the way they will be combined in each case, depends on the morphology of the ground, the needs and uses, offering many variations. The idea is to build some of them at first and gradually, based on the needs and the feedback that we will get through an online interactive platform, to expand the network.
It is an approach that exceeds the limits of an architectural and morphological proposal and examines the potentials of a new way of designing according to the needs and the special characteristics of each place and culture, integrating the users in the design. Our proposal is a critical approach on touristic development, which usually overlooks the local habitants, culture and environment and is developed in a hegemonic way. We propose a model with social, cultural and spatial expansions which is a counterproposal to the new culture of vacation which uses the place in a utilitarian way and consumes the culture and the landscape as a product. It is about a sustainable development that will help each local community thrive and it will supplementary attract and serve visitors.
