PORT OF LIGHT
Elena Tsolaki - Vasilis Panayides - George Kyriakides
Our unit asked to choose a category of people where we will analyse, and design based on our observations, problems, and challenges that those people are facing. We selected the elderly and blind people. When designing for the old port, we added elements that are specially design to help those categories and promote a more pleasing experience. Our design aims to increase awareness of the old port and attract more people to visit it. The main idea was to create a lighthouse that will be used as a landmark, observation tower and a beacon at night. As you explore and interact with the lighthouse there is a game between different openings and views towards different directions of the port, which helps to frame some specific moments on the site. The lighthouse also represents the old and forgotten history of the port. The materiality was carefully selected in order to give emphasis on important elements such as the playground and the paths. We left the existing texture, but we also added soft materials such as grass and timber as well as water elements. An elevator was added in the middle of the lighthouse to help those that cannot enter the observatory room and the roof garden. The paths are specially design for blind people as the edges are curved upwards to help them walk freely into the site giving them a feeling of independence. We wanted to promote the use of the senses but also to give more emphasis on the sense of sound, touch, and hearing. The fountains and the green walls help to block the sounds coming from the city and invite you more into the port. On the first entrance, we decided to place the lighthouse in the canal so that we can connect the marina with the old port. The access to the main square used to be empty and people were moving fast through it. With our proposal, the flow is slowed down, allowing the users to experience and explore the space. Further, on the second entrance, the lighthouse is connected with the cantilever wall of the existing building next to it. The wall is used as an exhibition space that people can visit and educate themselves by learning about the history of the port and the design criteria that we took into consideration for our final design. The roof of the existing building is used as a garden area where it can host different types of activities. It can be adjusted based on the requirements of the users. It can change from a public open-air cinema to a private formal cocktail party. The second entrance also proposed a playground for children where they can play and explore the area with a different approach as they can climb on different surfaces. We observed that the port and the city were not interconnected and there was a gap between them. Therefore, we introduced the water element on the second entrance to blend the transition of the strict and busy city with the more relaxed and fluid atmosphere of the port.
