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PROJECT: 3d prize at the competition for the ‘Revival of Old Strovolos’

CLIENT: Municipality of Strovolos

PLACE/TIME: Nicosia, Cyprus, 2016

BUDGET:  3,000,000 E

DESIGN TEAM: Christiana Ioannou, Christos Papastergiou

ASSOCIATES: Nikolas Kourtis, student of Architecture

CONSULTANTS: Dafne Kokkini, landscape architect

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Old Strovolos is the traditional core of Strovolos, the biggest municipality in the wider metropolitan area of Nicosia. The diversity and richness of the area are known although now hidden and undervalued. With our proposal we wanted firstly to put forward the public space agenda by upgrading the qualities of the public space and secondly to upgrade the experience of the area and enhance the use of senses, by bringing in various forms of nature even in wild forms, user friendly materials, water and soil.

We based our proposal in 10 strategic ideas that emerge from the above choices: 1.The creation of a polycentric system with many old and new, bigger or smaller centres of reference, 2. The creation of an ‘Old Strovolos Ring’ within which walking and the use of bicycle is favoured, 3. The creation of a ‘Cultural Triangle’ that focuses on cultural productions, events, nature and historical monuments, 4. The creation of ‘short-cuts’ that connect parts of the ring through the neighbourhoods, 5. The creation of ‘islands’ of use along the natural context of Pediaeos River, 6. A common pavement consisting of various patterns according to use that creates a common ‘carpet’ of public space, 7. Defining parking spaces along the ‘Ring’ in order to facilitate the change of means (car to foot and bicycle), 8. The ‘Niches’ and ‘Thresholds’, the leftover spaces in-between the public and the private that are offered for small ‘pocket-parks’, 9.  The creation of an index of abandoned leftover sites that can be used as a resource for the local community for temporary uses, and 10. The intrusion of nature in the old city in various forms and species, like big trees for shading or orchard and citrus trees along streets.

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You can find the competition boards here and the project description here

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‘Old Municipal Building’ square

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‘Panayia Chryseleousa & St. Georgios’ complex

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‘St Marina’ park

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‘New Municipal Building’ square and park

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‘Plant Nursery’ Park

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Urban furniture details

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East and West connections at Pediaeos River

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