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Monastiraki Pedestrian Network
Monastiraki Pedestrian Network
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Other Projects by Constantine Bouras Studio
Monastiraki Pedestrian Network
STATUS
Concept
HISTORY FLOWS
HISTORY FLOWS is the awarded competition proposal for the Architectural Ideas Competition for the Aesthetic Unification and Functional Upgrade of Existing Pedestrian Streets in the Plaka – Monastiraki Neighborhood, by Constantine Bouras Studio & Evita Fanou Architecture & Design, focused on the redesigning of the pedestrian street network and two squares between the Plaka and Monastiraki areas in Athens, in an analogy with the network of rivers and streams that traversed the city in the past.
The design vocabulary that emerges from this fluvial analogy refers as well to the intense flow of people that permeates the area’s narrow streets and squares, from past to present.
Before 1900, more than seven hundred rivers, streams, torrents and tributaries were running through the city of Athens. The majority of these has now been buried, but are still present and active: Iridanos river, still on rainy days, overflows Stoa Poikile and the Ancient Agora archaeological sites. Our design proposal aspires to conceptually revive this lost underground wealth.
Using the idea of flows as the main concept tool, the streets and squares north of the Ancient Agora are reimagined as interconnected rivers and tributaries that flow into each other and all of them into the promenade of Adrianou.
The design proposal aims to respect the existing context and to highlight the distinct identity of the four focal areas of intervention: the axis of the “Covered Market” along Pandrosou and Ifestou streets, the axis of the “Ancient Promenade” along Adrianou street, Abyssinia square, as an important commercial urban node, and Saint Philip square, as a wider threshold to the Ancient Agora.
Designing with the concept of the flows, the proposal establishes a spatial arrangement that ensures smooth and unimpeded pedestrian movement while incorporating “islands” of relaxation and social interaction, offering moments of rest within the dynamic urban environment.
ANCIENT PROMENADE [ADRIANOU STREET]
In the proposal, Adrianou Street is reimagined as the city’s Ancient Promenade, between Monastiraki and Thisio squares, serving as a seamless connective spine along Athens’ significant archaeological treasures, while at the same time providing unobstructed views of the Acropolis, creating an enriched experience that intertwines history, culture, and contemporary urban life. Pedestrian flows are directed towards the center of the promenade, while two distinct side zones are created. The first zone, oriented along the archaeological sites, features fixed seating elements on soft ground surfaces of compacted earth and metal mesh suspended viewing platforms. The second zone is designated for outdoor HoReCa [hotel, restaurant, café] seating with fixed parasols.
COVERED MARKET [PANDROSOU-IFESTOU STREETS]
Within this zone, pedestrian flows become narrower. The storefronts are revitalized through a standardized modular facade system, which can better serve local shop owners while contributing to the visual and aesthetic unification of the market.
FREE FLOWS [ABYSSINIA SQUARE]
In our proposed design, Abyssinia square, where the Athens central flea market is taking place, becomes the culmination of the Covered Market axis [Pandrosou-Ifestou streets] and acts as a node for the connection of the Covered Market with the existing commercial axis of Ermou street. Through this connection, the historical and spatial importance of Abyssinia square is highlighted. Its design was developed in an open and flexible way, enhancing pedestrian flow and facilitating the operation of antique and thrift shops on the square. All existing trees are preserved in the square, combined with additional planting and seating areas for pedestrian rest.
AGORA’S THRESHOLD [SAINT PHILIP SQUARE]
In our design approach, Saint Philip square is conceived as an open plateau of Adrianou street [Ancient Promenade axis], creating a wider threshold to the Ancient Agora archaeological area. The existing fencing of the church courtyard is removed and instead the courtyard is defined by a slight recession of a softscape [natural soil] level - a reference to the natural soil of the adjacent Ancient Agora. The wider area around the church forms an intermediate buffer space between the bustling city and the quiet archaeological site of the Ancient Agora located at a lower level. This contrast makes the square a focal point of the design, where various flows converge, guiding visitors toward the entrance of the Ancient Agora as well as the archaeological site of the Stoa Poikile.
Credits:
Architects: Constantine Bouras Studio, Evita Fanou Architecture & Design
Collaborators: Charikleia Berikou, Marina Karamani, Alexandros Lamprinos, Amalia Tranou
HISTORY FLOWS is the awarded competition proposal for the Architectural Ideas Competition for the Aesthetic Unification and Functional Upgrade of Existing Pedestrian Streets in the Plaka – Monastiraki Neighborhood, by Constantine Bouras Studio & Evita Fanou Architecture & Design, focused on the redesigning of the pedestrian street network and two squares between the Plaka and Monastiraki areas in Athens, in an analogy with the network of rivers and streams that traversed the city in the past.
The design vocabulary that emerges from this fluvial analogy refers as well to the intense flow of people that permeates the area’s narrow streets and squares, from past to present.
Before 1900, more than seven hundred rivers, streams, torrents and tributaries were running through the city of Athens. The majority of these has now been buried, but are still present and active: Iridanos river, still on rainy days, overflows Stoa Poikile and the Ancient Agora archaeological sites. Our design proposal aspires to conceptually revive this lost underground wealth.
Using the idea of flows as the main concept tool, the streets and squares north of the Ancient Agora are reimagined as interconnected rivers and tributaries that flow into each other and all of them into the promenade of Adrianou.
The design proposal aims to respect the existing context and to highlight the distinct identity of the four focal areas of intervention: the axis of the “Covered Market” along Pandrosou and Ifestou streets, the axis of the “Ancient Promenade” along Adrianou street, Abyssinia square, as an important commercial urban node, and Saint Philip square, as a wider threshold to the Ancient Agora.
Designing with the concept of the flows, the proposal establishes a spatial arrangement that ensures smooth and unimpeded pedestrian movement while incorporating “islands” of relaxation and social interaction, offering moments of rest within the dynamic urban environment.
ANCIENT PROMENADE [ADRIANOU STREET]
In the proposal, Adrianou Street is reimagined as the city’s Ancient Promenade, between Monastiraki and Thisio squares, serving as a seamless connective spine along Athens’ significant archaeological treasures, while at the same time providing unobstructed views of the Acropolis, creating an enriched experience that intertwines history, culture, and contemporary urban life. Pedestrian flows are directed towards the center of the promenade, while two distinct side zones are created. The first zone, oriented along the archaeological sites, features fixed seating elements on soft ground surfaces of compacted earth and metal mesh suspended viewing platforms. The second zone is designated for outdoor HoReCa [hotel, restaurant, café] seating with fixed parasols.
COVERED MARKET [PANDROSOU-IFESTOU STREETS]
Within this zone, pedestrian flows become narrower. The storefronts are revitalized through a standardized modular facade system, which can better serve local shop owners while contributing to the visual and aesthetic unification of the market.
FREE FLOWS [ABYSSINIA SQUARE]
In our proposed design, Abyssinia square, where the Athens central flea market is taking place, becomes the culmination of the Covered Market axis [Pandrosou-Ifestou streets] and acts as a node for the connection of the Covered Market with the existing commercial axis of Ermou street. Through this connection, the historical and spatial importance of Abyssinia square is highlighted. Its design was developed in an open and flexible way, enhancing pedestrian flow and facilitating the operation of antique and thrift shops on the square. All existing trees are preserved in the square, combined with additional planting and seating areas for pedestrian rest.
AGORA’S THRESHOLD [SAINT PHILIP SQUARE]
In our design approach, Saint Philip square is conceived as an open plateau of Adrianou street [Ancient Promenade axis], creating a wider threshold to the Ancient Agora archaeological area. The existing fencing of the church courtyard is removed and instead the courtyard is defined by a slight recession of a softscape [natural soil] level - a reference to the natural soil of the adjacent Ancient Agora. The wider area around the church forms an intermediate buffer space between the bustling city and the quiet archaeological site of the Ancient Agora located at a lower level. This contrast makes the square a focal point of the design, where various flows converge, guiding visitors toward the entrance of the Ancient Agora as well as the archaeological site of the Stoa Poikile.
Credits:
Architects: Constantine Bouras Studio, Evita Fanou Architecture & Design
Collaborators: Charikleia Berikou, Marina Karamani, Alexandros Lamprinos, Amalia Tranou
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