Thesis Project (Masters of Architecture) - Highly Commended by the IDI (Irish Institute of Designers) in the 2016 Graduate Awards.
The proposal is for a series of Agonistic Spaces (Mouffe, 2007) which would occupy three of Athen’s prominent squares: Monastiraki which overlooks the Acropolis, the transport centre, Omonia; and Syntagma square.
Its aim is to provide an alternative to the hegemonic system which exists in Greece. The squares are re-imagined as new ‘agora’s; spaces for debate and dissensus, responding to a sentiment which exists within Greece where freedom, resistance, and democracy are seen as fundamental cultural principles.
In all, this critical design proposal hopes to enable Athenians to extricate themselves from the forces of austerity. Pragmatically; by replacing amenities that have been privatised. Culturally; by re-engaging Greek customs with the urban fabric of their city. Politically; by providing a space of protest against ongoing austerity measures.
