REDESIGN OF VALKANIKI SQUARE IN SYKEES OF THESSALONIKI
INTERNATIONAL ARCHITECTURAL COMPETITION

ARCHITECTS TEAM:

  • Dimitris Sagonas

  • Stavros Gyftopoulos

  • Kalliopi Nomikou

• Formation of a new landscape relief that will document / combine its 4 different characters and will be classified in an immediate and wider area constituting an identifiable space. Through its sculpturesque form and the way it classifies in the field, it engages with the wider area.

• The segmentation of the total in 4 sections which are functionally independent, but combined in a synthetic and morphological level in a way that the impression of the single is not cancelled. A series of architectural "episodes" provide spatial varations that are necessary for the proper function of the sections.

• The four basic units that are organised on central route are:

1. The Town Hall Square, an urban square with mild formations that maintain the large existing trees of the area.

2. A linear strip of green. Along the Kastamonis street the terrain relief unsticks and lifts to the northwest side, creating a linear strip of green that in a lower level receives the entry - exit to the underground parking and the cafeteria. Local sections in this ground relief create the small open air amphitheater of environmental courses and the playground, both protected from the visual impact of the surrounding roads. A water tank denotes the cafeteria area, creating a significant surface of evaporation and cooling.

3. The Balkan Square. The third major section addresses to the events of the Festival of the Balkan countries and is denoted by the open theater of 2,000 seatsand by the linear "market" of the exhibtion stands in the northwest part of the square. The linear spatial organization of the market is the threshold for intervention in the sports facilities area.

4. The football training stadium. It is placed in the best possible orientation, and its basic horizontal plane can be opened and function together with the rows of the theater. At the same time, a linear roof separates and, also, unites these two sections. The land around the stadium creates foldings in order to receive the auxiliary areas of the court and in order to create a sloping surface with spectator seats providing a good view. Beneath this folding exists, also, one of the exits from the underground public parking.