Development Triggered by the Olympic Games

Location
Delta Falirou, Athens
Client
-
Status
Preliminary Design, 1997-1998

Critic: Andrew Cohen

Yannis Kaklamanis, Architect

The proposal was triggered by the 2004 Olympic Games and aimed at finding ways to reuse the empty site of the horse race track and consequently revitalizing the southern part of Athens. At the urban scale the project dealt with reconnecting the site back to the urban fabric while maintaining the memory of the race track. Four of the five indoor arenas required by the Olympic Committee were organized in a linear building while the fifth arena was expressed as a separate object. At the building scale the project focused on developing a scheme that could accommodate post Olympic programs according to the needs of the city (concerts, exhibitions, fashion shows, retail, and so on). The building is organized along a linear space, which is subdivided to accommodate the competition areas for the arenas. A system of bars accommodates private program, services, and retail at the ground level. The public access and circulation is achieved mainly through an elevated system of paths, which runs through the whole building. The rotation of the third arena defines an entry space and allows for the plaza to come into the building and connect the water front to the rest of the urban fabric through a pedestrian bridge over the highway.

No available drawings