“Paramana” Square

The design of the central square responds to the social and programmatic demands of a complex urban core and creates a new identity for the city. From the initial stages of design process digital animation techniques were introduced. The proposal is based on dynamic ‘formation' of two overlapping and interactive network-fields: a ‘path network' of the possible pedestrian movements and a ‘programmatic network' of the potential activities on the surface of the square. Further on, additional processing optimized their correlation and synergy and generated the final form. The square, from a 2D surface is transformed into a 3D surface, articulated by six freeform stripes of variable size, height and material, resulting in a rich spatial quality. The informal architecture of the oblique and the imbalance is tempting its users to interact with its folded surfaces and provokes new behaviours and unexpected programs.

Architects: Dimitris Kontaxakis, Maria - Eleni Kosmidou, Spiros I. Papadimitriou

Associated Architects: Aggeliki Ioakimopoulou, Meropi Chatzimichali
Civil Engineer: Petros Kaplanidis
Mechanical engineer: Ioannis Leventis
Sculptor: Kostantinos Varotsos,

Location: Central square of Thermi Municipality, Greece
Area: 7.500 sqm
Design period: 2004-2005
Construction period:  2006-2008

Photographer: Giorgis Gerolympos

Awards: March 2011 : Young Greek Architect award _ Greek Association of Architects (SADAS)
             October 2010  : Νomination  Mies Van Der Rohe Awards by SADAS, Mies Van Der Rohe awards
             April 2009  : Μention Architecture Awards of Hellenic Institute of Architecture 2003-2008 in the category of Public Building