Through her dissertation, the architect Pelagia Kouzaridou manages to give life to the Liopetri River. The young architecture student of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki spoke to Vantage magazine about her vision for one of the most famous sights in the province of Famagusta.
Read the interview he gave to the magazine:
Why does anyone decide to become an architect?
I do not know. I do not think that someone consciously chooses to become an architect. It is something that springs from within. You see things with a different perception of space, with artistic creativity and sensitivity without being able to explain why.
What do you think is the role of the architect in society?
The role of the architect is to adapt to every era, to every society, to every change so that his work is first of all human-centered. Its purpose is to create experiential relationships between man and space.
How did the regeneration of Potaios Liopetrios come about?
The river of Liopetri is an area that I have visited many times since I was a child. It is an area that hides a whole treasure behind it, which today, however, is sloppy, neglected and untapped. So I felt the desire through my diploma thesis, at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, to revive the area with its own colors and its own ideas.
Your proposal analyzes the regeneration of the area on both sides of the Liopetri river and is divided into two parts. Talk a little about this separation.
The first part is the body of experience and the goal is to highlight the landscape of the river and its performance to the public. This part is an overall view of the space, where the design is dominated by the environment and nature. The space is designed to provide a variety of stimuli, to arouse the user's interest and interest. Through various interventions, which lead the traveler to discover a landscape of special physical importance, without causing particular alteration to the landscape features of the area. The second part refers to the functionality, where it tries to serve the needs of the fishermen and the inhabitants of the area. There is a design of the fishing shelter, where accommodation is designed to accommodate fishermen, but also a fish market where they can sell their fish directly. This bed is placed in a place so that it is served directly by the water and does not impede the movement of the visitor inside the space.
How feasible is it for this plan to take on flesh and blood?
The proposal for the regeneration of the area is inspired by the man himself and is based on his daily needs and desires. So this is a plan that can well take shape, after of course an extensive study to adapt to the economic and social conditions of the region.
Who is your favorite architect and why?
My favorite architect is Jean Nouvel. The way the French architect handles his works is reminiscent of the world of cinema. He sees himself as a director where he creates a scene through the play of light and shadow. He is skilled in guiding light, as he creates illusions in which light penetrates through glass walls, is refracted through perforated panels and opaque filters.
A typical example of Jean Nouvel's work is the new Louvre Museum in Abu Dhabi, which will open in 2017, in which the architect combined modern architecture with the traditions of the region, creating a world museum.
What is the Pellon you dream of for Pelagia? Your biggest goal?
The future I dream of for Pelagia is to continue to enrich my knowledge of architecture, both through my work experience and from your further studies. My biggest goal is to be able as an architect to consolidate innovative ideas and to give a new breath to the architecture of Cyprus.
Source: Vantage Magazine