Larnaca salt lakes are located in the southwest
of the city of Larnaca. The area is a complex habitat, consisting of the Great
Lake, the lake Orphani (orphan), the lake Soros and the lake Spiros. It is the
second largest of the 4 coastal halophytic wetland systems in Cyprus. The
uniqueness of the area is enhanced by the fact that it contains the only
super-salty lake in Cyprus, Aliki. The ecosystem is part of the network
"Natura 2000", while the Great Lake has also been included, since
2001, in the list of Wetlands of International Importance under the provisions
of the Ramsar Treaty.
The landscape is characterized by low altitude
and low topography, while the area is near the old Larnaca airport, the picnic
area of the Tekke, the mosque of Hala Sultan and the Pattichion Auditorium.
The Salt Lake was a major source of salt for Cyprus until 1980 when salt
production stopped, due to the contamination of habitat from the adjacent urban
infrastructures.
Because the Great Lake is not a colony of
migratory birds (picture No.2_Colonies), but just a stop, time is divided into
3 periods (picture No.3_ Allocation of time in 3 Periods). The first period
runs from December to March, the second from April to May and from October to
November and the third from June to September. Characteristic of the first
period is the large amount of water and migratory birds. The second is
characterized by the presence of water without the existence of migratory birds
and the third period is characterized by the presence of water for a short time
and the appearance of salt. A common feature of all three periods is the fact
that people seem to be undesirable as there is no proper access to the habitat.
The proposal, by maintaining the characteristics of the three periods and
through three seasonal routes, aims to make people compatible with the habitat.
The first proposed interventions are concerning
the restoration of the Great Lake. Initially at the entrances of the streams
are placed artificial islands so the waters stagnate and cleaned just because the
halophytes are fed with pollutants. This prevents further contamination of the
habitat. It is also proposed to remove the alien species of vegetation from important
parts of the habitat such as feeding areas. At the boundary between the lake
and the highway the shoreline will be restored by planting halophytes (picture
No.5_ Coastline Restoration). In that way the habitat is pulled away from the
motorway and the noise. Finally, the last intervention concerning the
restoration of the habitat is the revival of salt harvesting (picture No.6_Salt
Harvesting) in order to harvest the salt and remove large volumes of
contaminated material from the wetland.
The reason for my preoccupation with this
subject was the importance of the wetland and the upcoming construction of the Environmental
Information Center next to the Great Lake. The center will be built in the picnic
area of the Tekke. The Center aims to inform visitors about the landscape
features, while allowing access to a small portion of the lake. Wanting to
strengthen the role of the Center but also to increase the space that people
can access, my proposal refers to the Great Lake of the habitat. It is the most
important part of the wetland and the piece that has direct contact with the Environmental
Information Center.
First point of intervention is the tower,
placed at the beginning of the path and directly opposite of the Environmental
Centre (picture No.7_Tower_Starting Point). Due to its size and position, the
tower acts as a "decoy" and invites the visitor to the habitat
(picture No.8_Tower_View from Highway). Its role in the operation of the route
is quite significant as it marks the starting point, invites the visitor and
offers views on important points of the area. Through these views, the visitor
can understand the importance of the proposal in general and the importance of
wetlands for the city of Larnaca.
After the tower and along the
proposed route we meet the second construction, which is a wooden pier. The
Pier is the start point of the second "seasonal" route and if we are
at the pier during October, November, April or May, visitors take a canoe. This
route can be done by water since the absence of birds during these months
allows the entry of man into the water. The pier has three structures
internally related to water and the fluctuation of water level (picture No.9_Pier's
Internal Structures). The second route comprises two main stops (picture No.10_2nd
Seasonal Route_One of the 2 main stops).
If we are not in the months that
activate the floating path we continue to the first route. Along the way we see
the Hala Sultan Mosque where the path gives us the option if we want to visit
it. After the Mosque we find the birdwatch bridge (picture No.11_Wooden Bridge).
It is placed in an area where artificial islands enhance the habitat and
increase the population of birds in that region. The entrance to the bridge is
made from the existing structure, built from the British to divert the
incoming stream . The wooden panels are removable and so offer flexibility and
ease of birdwatching. The units that are placed at the top can be dragged
upwards, while the third part which is located at the bottom can be rotated to
create an outer seat. If the conditions permit it (low concentration of birds),
the visitor can sit outside and enjoy the view of artificial islands and birds.
If the concentration of birds is increased, the panels remain in their original
vertical position and the visitor can look through the existing openings in the
timber units (picture No.13_View from the existing Openings).
The bridge leads the visitor to the
opposite shore of the salt lake. This prevents the pedestrians from entering
the salt lake. Thus we avoid the destruction of halophytes and the disturbance
of the animal community. On the opposite shore we find the halophytic crops
(picture No.14_Halophytic Crops). They are placed in the area where today
farmers cultivate cereal using heavy machinery, which is detrimental to the
wetland. The proposed halophytic crops are placed away from the coastline and
therefore away from the areas where the birds nest, while the cultivation is
done without the use of machinery with the participation of volunteers and
visitors.
Close to the crops, in the area
known as the "TONGUE", are placed bird observatories (picture
No.1_Thumbnail_Bird Observatories). This region was selected because is the
region with the most nests. The central region as the most important point is
formed as a place for observation and education. This region is used to date as
a farmland. The activity is incompatible with the landscape and it is proposed
to cease. Due to the high concentration of nests in the area, the path that
leads to the observatories is dug so that the visitor will not be perceived by
the birds. The visitor enters into the observatory from the bottom, using the
ladder inside the trench, while the shades alter the shape of the human body so
that the human figure cannot be understood even when people are located within
the observatory. The observatories are lightweight structures, formed by a
metal frame and covered by wooden horizontal blinds. They are structures for
one or two people. The proposed observatories are located approximately 20
meters from each other to avoid large concentration of people and to reduce
noise in a sensitive area such as this.
Next intervention in the region is the
Observation Tower that is mounted on the peninsula of the salt lake (picture
No.15). The tower consists of two parallel cores. The first core has a stairway
and is enclosed by blinds, while the second one is the continuation of the
staircase and allows views at certain points (through the absence of the
shades). The structure is formed by three parallel arrays of pillars (picture
No.16_Exploded Axonometric). The tower is placed on the highest point of the
region and acts as an observatory for the region and the city. The tier on the
exterior of the tower faces the area where the birds are fed, while the last
level (observation platform) provides oversight of the whole region. The
location and height of the tower make this building as a sign of navigation in
the wetland and is visible from every point of the proposal (picture No.17_Observation
Tower).
The last stop of the first route are the
sloping surfaces. The sloping surfaces are
placed in front of the second stream that enters the wetland. This creates a
game between the visitor and the water, the water level determines which
surface is accessible and which not. From this point, visitors can follow the
trail that leads them to the exit after crossing the bridge that is placed at
the feeding area.
However, if the visitor is found here in June,
July, August or September due to the evaporation of water the path of salt (3rd
seasonal route) is revealed in front of him (picture No.18_3rd Seasonal
Route_Salt Path). The path is formed within the water basin by placing stones
and is delimited by placing floating islands (picture No.19_Floating Islands).
The floating islands are placed inside the wetland and float near the areas
where urban development has destroyed the halophytic vegetation. In this way we
manage to restore the vegetation that is gone and the birds can find a place to
nest. The fact that the base of the islands is made of grid allows the entry of
water for plant growth. At the same time plant residues enter into the water
offering food for the water species, species that are the main food of
migratory birds. In this way it is created a kind of chain between the birds,
the halophytes and the fauna of the wetland.
Part of the proposal is the revival of salt
harvesting. The process begins with the celebration of a festival that takes
place on the last week of July, when the route is revealed and the water has
evaporated. During the ceremony people form the "salt flats" and the
salt harvesting starts. The ceremony signifies the end of the previous annual
cycle of the wetland and the beginning of the next. At the same time a contest
will be conducted, where visitors will compete for the best salt sculpture
(picture No.20_ Salt Sculptures into the Salt Flats). By the end of the 5th
week the salt is removed from the wetland and destroyed as is unfit for
consumption. The process of harvesting and the removal of salt contributes to
the gradual restoration of the wetland, as a large volume of contaminated
material is removed from the site. Over the years this process can lead to
positive results and the salt can become suitable for consumption.