Hellenikon metropolitan park and urban development, in Athens

The Hellenic Ministry of the Environment, Planning and Public Works launched an international ideas competition, open and anonymous, in a single stage, for the design and urban development of the Hellenikon Park in Athens.

In conformity with the UNESCO-UIA regulations concerning international competitions, this competition was approved by the International Union of Architects (UIA).

The transfer of Athens airport from Hellenikon to Mesogeia, in 2001, made available a large piece of prime land close to Athens, ten kilometres from the Acropolis and very close to the Saronic Gulf. The planning and management of this extensive area, 530 hectares, is a unique opportunity for Athens to reclaim a green area badly needed to improve the quality of the city's environment.

The aim of the competition was to select a project for the realisation of a XXI century urban park of exceptional scale and remarkable design.

The programme included housing, offices and social services (infrastructures, hotels, conference centres) on one hundred hectares of the site as well as a vast park to include green areas, cultural, sports and leisure facilities along with the infrastructures associated with these different sectors. The restoration of some existing buildings, amongst which 1930's modernist villas and the air terminal designed by Eero Saarinen in 1960, were also to be taken into account as well as the integration of a number of existing or planned facilities or infrastructures.

The economic feasibility of the whole operation had to be ensured in relation to the income accrued from the urban development of the site, and permit the regeneration of the Athenian metropolis.

Presided over by Peter Rowe, architect (New-Zealand - USA), the international jury met in Athens from 2 to 4 May 2004.
It was composed of Dimitri Fatouros, architect (Greece) Vice-President of the jury, Raj Rewal, architect (India) representing the UIA, Christof Girot architect (Switzerland), Chi Win Lo, architect (China – Hong Kong), Andreas Symeon, architect (Greece), Louis C. Wassenhoven architect (Greece).

1st prize
DZO Architecture
Elena Fernandez, David Serero, New York; Arnaud Descombes, Antoine Regnault, (Paris)
in collaboration with:
Philippe Coignet, landscape architect, Ryosuke Shimoda - Erwin Redl, artists.
(USA - France)
www.degrezero.com

2nd prize
Antonis Noukakis - Paraskevi Babalou Noukakis, Vassiliki Agorastidou, Lito-Lemonia loannidou, architects,
in collaboration with:
Anastasia Noukakis, architect ; Panayota Karamanea, architect, landscape architect; Giannis Dokoumetzidis, Spyros Kyriakos, Kostas Zaharios, engineers; Elisabeth Plaini, Georgos Kanabakis, Ana Garcia, Ioulia Drouga, Mairi Tsagari, architects; Pantelis Theodorakis, Giorgos Noukakis, students of architecture.
Athens (Greece)

3rd prize
Marc Bourgeois - Styliani Daouti, architects.
Paris (France)

Mentions
Heinle, Wischer & Partners, architects,
in collaboration with:
Winfried Schmidbauer, architect, Viola Naser landscape architect, Felix Streitenberger, architect– urban designer, Steffen Walter, architect, Jan Berendes, architect.
Stuttgart, (Germany).
www.heinlewischerpartner.de/

Adrian Mc Gregor, landscape architect, Philip Coxall landscape architect, Cintia Yamane, architect, Anna Robinson, designer, Rupert Carmichael, landscape architect.
Manly (Australia)
www.mcgregorpartners.com.au

Theoklis Kanarelis – Kostas Manolidis, architects
in collaboration with:
Kostas Lembessis, mathematician-analyst, Michael Patsourakos, forester-landscape architect, Dimitra Fyga, architect and Miltiadis Igglezos, student of architecture.
Athens (Greece)

Carlos Dias arquitectos associados - S/C Ltda : Carlos Dias, Paulo Amaral, Pedro M. Rivaben de Sales, Andrea Santana Freitas, Juliana Corradi Alves, architects,
in collaboration with:
Alexandre Grazzini, Igor Dias Rogovschi, Marcelo Pavan Carvalho, Nana Blanaru, Eliana Satie Uematsu, student of architecture and Mauro Rodrigues Pinto, engineer, Sofia Luri Kubo, architect, Efrossini Kallinikou, agro engineer, Dino Vicente, sound engineer, George Gavalas, Suzel Maciel, architect – landscape architect, Shoji Habara, land surveyor, Ivan Maglio, civil engineer, Carlos A. de Oliveira, engineer, Felipe Ozores, William Sakuramachi.
Sao Paulo (Brazil)

Galfetti Aurelio, architect
in collaboration with:
Petros Bazos, Panos Leventis, Theofanis Katapodis, Richard Roubin, Deligianni Anastasia, Emmanouilidou Vasiliki, Spyridonos Georgios, architects
Athens (Greece).

Can Kubin, city planner, Selami Demiralp, landscape architect, Oytun Deliktas, city planner, Derya Duamn, Cem Turkel, landscape architects, Halis Ozkan, economist, Burak Ozdover, architect.
Ankara,Turkey.