teaching / master course

“The ‘urban project’ is unthinkable without the knowledge of the key urban phenomena. Its starting point is always a problem that emerges from a specific situation”.
A. Corboz, 1988

The task of the Urban Design Studio was to develop and present scenarios for the urban transformation of Eleonas based on synthetic thinking and action. The whole project was related to a cooperation agreement between the cities of Vienna and Athens [organised within the framework of the program CapaCity – Urban Competence, which is implemented by Urban Innovation Vienna and funded by the City of Vienna, City Department European Affairs (MA27)]. Students were expected to develop both provocative and insightful approaches on Eleonas today’s challenges, pressures, potential and complex circumstances in order to lead the way to change and decision.

The final outcome of the first two semesters (Winter Semester 2017- 18 and Summer Semester 2018) was the development of ideas and proposals based on the various characteristics of Eleonas, taking also into consideration the existing plans and strategies of the different municipalities. The goal of the final semester (Winter Semester 2018/19) was to bring together the previous work into a compact and applicable ‘synthesis plan’/ ‘composition’/ ‘set of strategies’ for Eleonas. Our students elaborated in one compact team in order to propose a new dynamic and sustainable vision with a forward-thinking concept, flexible urban strategies and specific guidelines and remarks.

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supervised together with: Christoph Luchsinger

Where: Institute of Urban Design and Landscape Architecture, Vienna University of Technology, Austria

When: WS 2017/18, SS 2018, WS 2018/19

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Public Presentation: OIKONOMOU, M., LUCHSINGER, C. (2019) Conversion Area Eleonas, Athens. Urban Transformation Projects within the Framework of the Urban Design Studio at Vienna University of Technology, 9th Annual International Conference on Urban Studies & Planning, 3-6 June 2019, Athens, Greece

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Literature Sources (selection):

AEDA S.A., ENVECO S.A. (2011) Atlas of Eleonas, Athens, Greece, a deliverable of the CREPUD Project

AESOPOS ARCHITECTURE (2012) An Urban-Agrarian Vision for Eleonas, Project managing agency: Municipality of Athens, Athens Tourism and Development Agency, within the framework of CREPUD-MED European Union Program

CIUTAT MOSAIC TERRITORIAL (2012) Eleonas - Athens, within the framework of the program CREPUD MED

TSADARI, S. (2019) Urban transformations in times of crisis: Eleonas of Athens as a case study on mutations of activities and urban planning policies. PhD Thesis, National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) (in greek).