Redevelopment of plateia Eleftherias square
Urban design Competition
Project title: Urban forest   Site area: 7000m2   Location:Thessaloniki, Greece   Design date: March - April 2013
Client: Municipality of Thessaloniki  Architect: Katerina Petsiou   Special collaborators: Kostas Vakoulas, electrical
engineer Stelina Tsiantou, landscape architect   Advisors: Litsa Papanikolaou, environmental engineer, Thanasis Barlas,
mechanical engineer, Zoe Gozadinou, architect

Plateia Eleftherias square, located at the harbor entrance of Thessaloniki, has always played an important role in the city's history. Still, until today it is used as a parking lot. Our proposal for the redevelopment of the square is based on the creation of an urban park, improving the environmental conditions of the area, providing aesthetics enhancement and a link between the harbor and the city. The northern part of the square is given a character of an urban 'living room', gathering features of an urban square, with sitting areas and a cafe. The central part of the square is thought as an urban forest, left with its natural ground, dense tree vegetation, relaxed sitting areas and a playground. A wide stroll links the north and south part of the square, the water feature in the southern end functions as a water limit towards the busy road, a creeping flow of water on the stone surfaces reminding the stone blocks of the harbor. The polygonal pier retains its form and is used as a sitting room with views to the sea, having still the possibility to be approached by small boats.