Three extremely dynamic and avant-garde architecture firms in Athens – KKMK Architects (Katerina Karagianni and Marina Karamali), AVW Architecture (Angeliki Athanasiadou and Katerina Vasilakou) and K-STUDIO (Dimitris and Konstantinos Karabatakis) – present their brainchild: Athens’ favorite green microcosm.
Journalists, along with representatives of agencies, visited the “green gems” of the city, using electric bicycles, and captured stunning views of nature without leaving Athens.
Architects – idealists and perfectionists, are very concerned about the relationship between architecture and nature. Cities today are threatened more than ever by intense urbanization and climate change. And following the philosophy of design (landscaping), they turn to world practice, building real “oases”, planned according to the architecture of the future.
In the development of technology, they are always looking for “naturalness”. Advanced professional architects are inspired by both nature and the special character of the city in which they work, move and live, while recognizing that nothing compares to the incredible pleasure of visiting all those places where you can recharge your batteries.
“Green microcosmos” is an ecological approach to urban architecture, in which specialists strive to create harmony between man and nature through greenery, energy efficiency and sustainability. Such an approach may include the creation of mini-parks, “green roofs”, vertical gardens, the installation of solar panels and the use of other technologies to improve the quality of life of citizens..
“Athens turned into a metropolis when it was not yet customary to carry out a preliminary urban planning agreement that would guarantee a harmonious symbiosis with the surrounding area. Eat parks and hills that offer residents the necessary contact with nature, but in most cases these places are only fragmentary solutionsthey are not integrated and do not harmonize with the routes and everyday life of the citizens.
“As residents of Athens and architects who spend their days in the city center, we pay attention to the small parks and squares that we meet on the way,” says the representative of the agencies, “in every corner of Athens there are several blocks of greenery that are only ” small doses of nature, and there is very little of it. We believe that the way to get more enjoyment of nature in the city is to take care of these spaces and try to make them stand out.”
The Japanese Park (photo below) was created under the auspices of the Japanese Embassy in cooperation with the Municipality of Athens. This is an exemplary example of how landscape architecture and space organization can offer the visitor an unexpected experience. The composition of the garden elements with water, gravel, lawn and seating areas and the empty space create a balance that attracts attention while offering the visitor a very pleasant experience.
Two more similar objects were created by them on the hill of Lykabbethos, including on the territory of θέατρο του Ζενέτου. “Located in the very center of Athens, and for us personally, between the office and the house (both are nearby), Lycabettus is an object of nature with which we come into daily contact, and is an intermediate “station” on the way to the office or when returning home from work . On the way there is a “reset”, a transition from one aspect to another (social rich life to natural relaxation). The hill, as it were, “unloads” dense urban development, which inexorably climbs its slopes, but then gradually recedes, giving way to dense vegetation and platforms with a panorama of the capital. This change in perspective is a unique experience. In addition, on a hill, the air temperature (and, in general, the climate) sometimes differs significantly from that observed “below”, at its foot. In summer, the air temperature here is significantly lower, thanks to the plants and the breath of the wind, which creates a truly peaceful landscape. Thus, this place is an opportunity to stop and look at life and the city from a different point of view, from a close distance. However, the hill requires the restoration of the natural environment, as neglect is felt here. That’s why we exist,” says the representative of the architectural agency.
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