Around the 8,000-year-old ancient amphitheatre unearthed in centrum of Larissa, a city with an 8,000-year history, a proposal is developed for the first step of a master plan for future to recover the cultural richness of the city.
The project offers reconciliation of a vibrantly living city with its own past, initiating coexistence of its own heritage and today’s natural and cultural complexity through building islands, routes, green areas and historical artefacts.
Larissa is where Different Civilisations Live Together
Larissa has a history of 8 thousand-years with layers of cultural and archaeological heritage. A vibrant urban life coexists with an important contemporary cultural infrastructure. The urban potential of still being able to trace the historical traces of different civilisations creates a unique richness in the daily life of the city.
Theatre A’ and its Surroundings with Problems and Potentials
Despite the numerous cultural and archaeological heritage and monuments visible today, Larissa does not express the desired multi-layered spatial quality it deserves. Principles of the old town plan have been replaced by new formations without paying much attention to integration of traces of the past with the future of the city. There are problems in visual and physical access to cultural and archaeological monuments: re-discovered in 1978 by chance, the ancient Theatre A’ marks the centre of the city today as it has throughout history; but neither Theatre A’ nor other important heritage buildings are fully part of everyday life.
Master Plan Proposal for Larissa
The city needs to be refreed and refined from previous interventions that have destroyed its spatial character. These problems mark the need for a master plan that requires a comprehensive approach. It is critical to enrich urban routes in the city through intensive introduction and passive encounters of cultural heritage elements to witness the richness of the city.
NODAL INTERVENTIONS
- Ancient Theatre A’: The amphitheatre, located at the centre of the city’s major axes, is simultaneously connected to potential open spaces aroundit, open to public use.
- Axis: Other historic remains and sites of the city, which are predominantly remains from different periods that have survived to the present day, are transformed with adaptive projects and then launched as contemporary daily life components of the city.
- Building 867C – 867A Block: An architectural language is proposed for the newly added public functions by preserving existing commercial fabric in the expropriated area. The proposed building is created with a minimalist structural system and designed as mixed-use for the historic city centre. The open space between the building blocks is preserved and divided into two areas facing the historic amphitheatre, which will function as an open stage supporting urban public use. A new amphitheatre and a public terrace are offered to view Theatre A’ from above.
- Building Block 871: The area on the east entrance of the theatre is intended to be the main entrance. For this reason, commercial units are demolished and redesigned with a new architectural language. The staircase, proposed as a public space, connects the foyer area and military ovens to the east entrance of the theatre.
- The Historic Bath: Commercial buildings that obscured the Ottoman bath complex on street level have been removed and the front facade of the bath has been made part of the contemporary cityscape.
- The Historic Military Ovens – Courtyard: The ovens have been converted into a museum displaying ancient remains and artefacts of the historic theatre.
- Clock Tower – North entrance to the ancient theatre: The historic clock tower is reconstructed and positioned as landmark on the Castle hill. The clock tower is then connected to the colonnade that defines the northern entrance to the ancient theatre.
- War Memorial: Symbolising the liberation of the city after the Second World War, the monument is incorporated into existing historical layers and reconstructed landscape system.
- Square of Busts: The busts on the Castle Hill have been transformed into a memorial niche attached to the axis to increase urban awareness.
- The Square: The almost isolated island between the two historical amphitheatres has been transformed into a public green as open space. To enliven this public space, the proposal is to revitalise the qualified of civil architectural memory around the open space.
- The Bedesten: Walls of the Ottoman Bedesten have been preserved as they are, and the walls have been filled in to meet the contemporary needs of Larissa in the historical area.
- Archaeological Square: A square where ancient church and baths are disconnected from each other and are uninhabitable, is reorganised and proposed to make them approachable more easily. The secondary axis extending from these squares has been transformed into steps to access the lower-levels.
- Ancient Amphitheatre B: The second theatre excavated in the city of Larissa is proposed to connect the ancient theatre building with the proposed cultural axis. A public area is proposed around the building and this area will be defined and designed with platforms and colonnades.
- Bridge – Viewing Terrace: The project proposes an alternative transport system that connects the main green of the city without interrupting continuity, especially along the axis towards the river.
- Central Square: Pedestrian access is supported by using urban axes of the square, which is an important green area and transfer point of the city.
- Green Square: The proposal offers to connect the two squares located on the city’s main transport hub, to the city’s cultural axis, in particular with landscaping elements and informative cultural panels.
This master plan integrates Larissa’s ancient and modern layers, creating a dynamic interaction between its past and present through carefully planned architectural and urban interventions.
