diploma project
supervisors: Nelly Marda, Androniki Miltiadou
team: Andreas Anagnostopoulos, Marina Mersiadou, Giorgos Michailidis
Athens, Greece
2018-2019

MINION used to be the first shopping mall of Athens. After a huge fire in 1980 and some bankruptcies it finally closed in 1994. Since then, this building, is a 14.000m² unused public property. Its ground floor is a 2000m² void trapped in the center of Athens, next to Omonia square. The pedestrian streets surrounding the building lack public activity but seem to offer a great infrastructure for the scavengers’ market. In the same way this market activates the hostile landscape of Elaionas, it can activate this huge urban void. This building is approached as public space.
Adding the most socially dense land uses of the neighbourhood in the building’s public program would ensure better integration of the flea market in the area.
The tool for expanding public space vertically is the ramp, which occupies the internal unbuilt spacevoid of the Athenian building block. It has similar characteristics to a street; it offers a smooth transition between public spaces/floors, it is not covered and it’s exposed to weather conditions.

Ground floor is the common ground/floor between city and building, public and less public. The scavengers’ flea market therefore, densifies public space. It almost entirely occupies the building’s ground floor and both adjacent pedestrian streets. Urban equipment such as street lights, trees and shrubs, benches, tents, loading areas and storage spaces makes this ground suitable for the flea market. A hair salon, food, coffee shops and other uses ensure that public space operates even when market is closed. Scavengers’ market expands on 1st and 2nd floor where an upcycling/second-hand market, a lab and the Scavengers’ Union are also alocated.

The ramp/street ends on a public square 15m above the ground, on 3rd floor. As a public floor it hosts part of the scavengers’ market. As a public square it hosts food canteens, coffee kiosks, tables and picnic benches, large trees and tall shrubs.
Above the public square two light volumes are constructed around the two existing elevator/staircase shafts, dedicated to more private uses; a 500m2 flexible space for temporary events/activities and 1000m² for housing. The increasing popularity of inner-city living underlines the importance of hybridity in cities. Co-existence of residential and public is more sustainable. Demand is growing for small apartments and shared facilities. 1st housing floor is therefore divided in 8 35m2 single apartments while 2nd floor is organized in 2 large co-living apartments.
3rd floor is both an infrastructural and structural system. It provides mechanical installations and soil to the elevated public square while bearing two CLT (cross-laminated timber) volumes. This structural floor consists of 3m high trusses standing on the existing concrete building. Both new volumes look like acrobats; they must be light and carefully step on very specific axes/points.

Landscape Urbanism: Koutavos Bay through Parc de la Villette