Regeneration of Ilissos river, Athens -GR
Participating project in the Athens9 architectural network, 2006-7
Architects: Panos Dragonas, Varvara Christopoulou
Workshop participants: Manos Gogoulis, Dimitra Kalasounta, Petros Boskos, Marios Botis, Maria Paneta, Loukas Spathis, Marina Symeonidou
This project is part of a design research in new strategies of water management and the enhancement of water resources in Athens.
In the coming decades, Athens should reconsider basic infrastructure networks, such as automobile traffic and storm water runoff. The strategy for vehicular traffic includes new pedestrian streets and the undergrounding of main roads. The policy for water management includes the collection of rainwater from the collecting system in old riverbed streams that come back to daylight. Biological treatment process takes place in open public spaces, before the water is collected in the new riverbed. The water that is collected from the streets and rooftops is concentrated in artificial ponds where sun, air and bacteria decompose the organic compounds.
The surrounding park area of Rizari was studied as a model area of intervention. The new stream is designed as a complex network of public spaces, including footpaths, cycle routes, staging areas, extended green areas and flexible elements of urban furniture. A key feature of the network is the change of public spaces over time and, more specifically, the ability of the new riverbed to operate either flooded with water during the winter or dry during the summer months.
The final stage of the project was completed during the “Athens Update” workshop in collaboration with students from the University of Patras.
For more information on the project and the Athens9 network, you may visit athens9.blogspot.gr.