PROMENADE OF LIGHT

TYPE: urban

LOCATION: Maroussi Business District, Athens, Greece

PROJECT: urban design proposal for the municipality of Maroussi

DATE: 2000-2001

DESIGN CONCEPT
The Promenade of Light is an urban design strategy that seeks to provide the pedestrian infrastructure for the broader development of the Maroussi Business District, in an effort to increase the quality of life for the local inhabitants and the people that work there. The design proposal that has been developed defines a line of motion and a sequence of focal points of activity.
The line of motion is an inner pedestrian axis of circulation parallel to Kifissias avenue, offering a sense of orientation, intelligibility and a cohesive link for the plethora of retail and entertainment facilities that exist along the path. The line of motion is marked in the air by a floating network of lights hovering overhead and on the ground by dark cobblestone paving. Areas of pedestrian activity are located along the path.

In order to analyse the impact of potential urban design alternatives on pedestrian accessibility in the area, a pedestrian movement survey has been conducted and space syntax axial modelling has been used. The location of focal points of pedestrian activity delineating the promenade has been determined by visual field analysis (isovists), targeting the locations where the field of vision seems to end while the path continues.

PROJECT TEAM:
K. Rizakis, A. Vaitsos
M. Doxa, G. Spiliopoulou
C. Diamond
G. Papadimitropoulos