Competition entry for the SNFCC Visitor's Center
Nationwide Architecture Student Competition 2013
In collaboration with Maria Pachniotou
Situated on the Esplanade, the temporary Visitors Center overlooks the construction site of the SNFCC complex, that upon completion will house the Greek National Library, Opera, and a 210,000sq.m Park. The Visitors Center offers the public the opportunity to see the worksite up close and learn about the technical details of the construction and the project, as well as the SNFCC’s mission. At the same time, the Visitors Center offers a snapshot of what is to come at the SNFCC, through exhibitions and activities for both adults and children.
The steel framed pavilion is constructed primarily from H sections and square hollow tubes. The goal was to accentuate the notion of temporality and allow the building to float above the ground plane, leaving as much of the esplanade intact as possible.
The axes of the esplanade and the orientation to the site dictate the design. The angular contortion introduces two triangular semi-enclosed outdoor spaces that act as an intermediary between interior and exterior on the pavilion’s long sides. On the esplanade side, the fragmented trapezoidal clad façade folds inwards and invites to enter the building, referencing a slit on the construction site fences. On the other hand, the rear façade opens entirely at the construction site, through floor to ceiling glass panels and door and the triangular balcony.
Inside the space is experienced as a sequence of different sensory activities, dedicated to each of the SNFCC’s buildings, on a peripheral route circling the main rectangular area that connects them, the ‘Agora’. The fluid movement of the visitor through the building enhances the learning experience.
