Athens has lost its relation to water. Part of a general absence of any conscious, let alone
designed, integration of nature in the contemporary city, the presence of water has been
completely eradicated from the city center and its urban experience;
an ironic fact considering that in Ancient times Athens was covered by a network of rivers that
were sacred. Athenians considered water to be a supreme good, an inextricable part of daily
routine with cisterns at the center of the Academies. The rivers of Athens were built upon and
turned into highways in the years of intense construction. There are extremely few public or
open pools. There are not even any drinking fountains on streets or public spaces.
Water has always been a significant part of the construction and identity of cities worldwide,
whether with an emphasis on program (leisure), the creation of icons or functionality
(aquaducts). Pools have always been invaluable social places for gathering, cooling, and
having fun.
It is difficult to explain why and how the city erased water from its daily public life so
dramatically, especially considering the climate change causing record-high global
temperatures and life-threatening heat waves that are going to be longer and more frequent, a
condition coupled with reduced rainfalls.
It is therefore urgent to bring back the presence and public use of water in the city, creating
new types of quality public spaces for citizens closer to nature, in turn creating a more efficient
and resilient city with more walking and biking and less motorized transport and a more
enjoyable urban life and drought conditions.
The studio will study examples of water projects in the scale of the city, and types of public
open pools in relation to context and program.