Reuse of the Western Shipyards and its Surroundings. Architectural Design Competition | An Interior Opened up
The Shipyards of the city of Heraklion survive as shells/segments of the original buildings; as shells/segments of a function that no longer exists, as shells/segments of the possibility to expand the city towards the sea. A particular and intrinsic feature of the Shipyards is their internality, the concept of a building shell that is given shape and meaning by its own interior.
The redesign of the Western Shipyards:
– Reveals the traces of the axes of movement along which ships made their way into the Shipyards, as a recollection of their original function and as a reminder of their internal rhythm and the succession of their domed halls; at the same time the reconstructed traces form a guiding element for all designing gestures;
– Opens up the interior of the Shipyards towards the sea and towards the city through the creation of an internal square functioning as an open public interior;
– Creates a second section of interiors is within the shell/monument, that of the multi-purpose halls (for exhibitions, workshops, events), the ticket kiosks and the ancillary areas on the ground and second levels.
Collaborators: Anna Mponarou, architect