WarScape: An Aesthetics of Disappearance

Title: WarScape: An Aesthetics of Disappearance
Subtitle: War Museum in ‘Megalo Emvolo’ Cape
Name: Athina Athiana
Tutor: Konstantinos Sakantamis
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
July 2016

The last decades are characterized by a worldwide economic and social crisis that can be detected in many fields of modern life and society. As a result, many districts and important areas with a strong cultural and historical background are underutilized. The thesis regards the case study of Angelochori, a coastal village in the southeast of Thessaloniki. It is located in the cape of “Megalo Carampournou” or “Megalo Emvolo”, translated as “Great Piston” and was created during the population exchange in 1923. Angelochori can be considered as a really preferential area, as it is in the entrance of Thermaikos bay, next to wetlands, lagoons and salt works, which has resulted in significant economic and tourism expansion. Although the area has a great natural and historic interest, it still remains untapped from the general public and the municipality.

The study regards the redevelopment and the urban renewal of the cape of “Megalo Emvolo” that is a former military and naval fort, under the command of Hellenic Navy.  “Megalo Emvolo” Cape is a district with significant historical and cultural background, and its unique character consists of an Ottoman Fortress dated back in 1883, a Lighthouse that forms a monument of industrial heritage, a Bunker used during World War II, as well as additional artillery. The thesis aims to highlight the natural beauty of the landscape, by exploring the complex relation between the natural and the built environment. As a result, the proposal focuses on the design of a War Museum that is fully integrated into the landscape, creating a modern fortress.

The project location is considered as a “War Landscape”, and the special features of a War Machine are transformed into the concept of a building that is embodied to the environment, in order to be achieved a balance between the built and the natural elements, creating an ‘Aesthetics of Disappearance’. The different historic components that exist in the area are put together in the design of a public cultural open space, resulting to the financial and cultural development of both “Megalo Emvolo” Cape and Angelochori.

In conclusion the design of both the War Museum and the cultural space in “Megalo Emvolo” District emphasize the historical background, the location forms as a military and naval fort, the importance of the location for the city of Thessaloniki,  as well as, make a declare reference to the modern War, as a more than ever topical issue.