“Patra’s Cultural Junction”

Design Studio_8th semester_Spring 2017_On compactness

Supervisor_Georgios A.Panetsos

Collaborator_ K. Kasiotaki

The project proposes the creation of a mixed-use cultural and leisure hub in the heart of Patras, reconnecting two central urban blocks that are currently divided by the railway line, which disrupts pedestrian circulation and spatial continuity. One block hosts a cinema and leisure facilities, while the other contains housing, storage areas, and a large portion of unused space. The design introduces a new cultural center that bridges these two blocks both physically and socially, revitalizing the surrounding area and fostering community engagement. The existing structural framework of the abandoned building on site is preserved and integrated into the new complex, transforming it into an active vertical infrastructure that accommodates interconnected entertainment and cultural activities. The core feature of the proposal is an indoor climbing facility, designed as a vertical axis of movement and interaction, symbolically and functionally linking the building’s different levels and programs.