MoUA, PIRAEUS CULTURAL COAST
The Building, a Lighthouse for Culture.
By carefully analysing the intervention site, we realized that due to its scale, location, and verticality, the building of the old cereal stockhouse stands as the main geographical reference in this area of the Piraeus port. Its tower and longitudinal layout along the peninsula axis, which constitutes the core of the intervention area, make it a prominent gateway into the harbour, a welcoming landmark for passengers arriving in Athens on cruise ships from across the Mediterranean. The starting point for the project arises from this idea of welcome, the element that defines arrival, the light that guides and signals that land is near, a metaphorical lighthouse reminiscent of the great lighthouses of antiquity that inspired some of the most beautiful Mediterranean myths. The Museum of Underwater Antiquities, henceforth the MoUA, revitalizes the old silo by transforming it into a lighthouse for culture. The cereal grains are replaced by precious underwater treasures, and the compact concrete mass becomes a luminous beacon announcing arrival at the cradle of Western civilization.
The Peninsula, a Memory of an Industrial Past.
Examining satellite imagery of the surrounding urban fabric, we observed that the orthogonal grid of Piraeus and Drapetsona appears to drain toward the harbour’s peninsula. The rational geometry of the streets and blocks gradually transitions into a more organic pattern as it meets the avenue separating the city from the harbour, Akti Ietionia. Zooming in on the intervention site, we noticed that this organic pattern is enhanced by subtle micro-lines etched into the pavement by truck movements, the orientation of cargo containers, and the roofs of warehouses slated for redesign.
From this industrial matrix, engraved on the site for over a century, our masterplan emerges. Tracks marked by truck wheels are transformed into footpaths, waterways, and fields of flowers. The avenue dividing the peninsula becomes a major mall serving the new facilities. Cargo containers are reimagined as cafés, terraces, bars, and shops. Former parking areas acquire the contours of squares and plazas, while the large green area defined by Drapetsona Park and the archaeological site is woven into new decks, echoing the Cartesian layout of the surrounding city. A new park takes shape alongside smaller gardens, plazas, and large assembly spaces that invite citizens to engage with culture, all while honoring the industrial memory of the site shaped by the passage of time.
Awards:
2013, First Honorable Mention (Competition).
Publications:
2013, ANOMERITIS, Yiorgos; ARACHOVITIS, Giorgos, Silo Museum for Underwater Antiquities, Historical Archive OLM, Piraeus, Greece.
Photography 3D: Pedro Fernandes | Vítor Leal Barros
