Archives

Few are those who have not wondered why Greece, particularly the capital, Athens, does not have a significant number of tall buildings, as is the case in comparable European cities. The issue remains, to a certain extent, a “taboo” in Greek reality, with any related discussion absent even from the architectural community. As Konstantinos D. Karatsolis, author of the book “Introduction to Urban Planning Law in Greece and Cyprus,” explains, it is no coincidence that the only conference held in Greece to date on the issue of tall buildings took place as far back as 1975, organised by the Technical Chamber of Greece. It took place at a time when the discussion was gaining momentum internationally, with the construction of the Twin Towers in New York, but in Greece, with the construction of certain tall buildings, there was debate about the usefulness, or otherwise, of their existence.

Landmarks

As Mr. Karatsolis explains, interest in the matter has only recently been rekindled, prompted by the tall buildings included in the development plans for large open spaces, such as the Hellinikon–Agios Kosmas Metropolitan Pole and Elaionas. Examining the issue of erecting tall buildings in Greece is of particular interest at the present time, because there is no relevant state strategy based on the contemporary socio-economic and urban planning context.

But what is defined as a tall building? “A building whose vertical axis predominates and which protrudes excessively above the elements of its surroundings.” However, the definition of a tall building is not absolute, since a 70-storey building, considered tall in Europe, would rather be considered low in Asia and America. Thus, a more contemporary definition describes tall buildings as “all those buildings which, due to their height, stand out from those around them and belong to a group of similar structures around the world.” In any case, the concept of a tall building is relative, since it is linked to the overall design of parts of the city, to neighbouring buildings, to the natural terrain, to the role a tall building is called upon to play, and also to the need to preserve low-rise neighbourhoods and proximity to monuments.

In the 21st century, a renewed global competition is observed between countries and companies to build the tallest building. Skyscrapers are filling many of today’s megacities, offering a field for experimentation and application of new materials and design methods. The trend of erecting tall buildings worldwide is due both to urban planning reasons and to city marketing. The importance of studying the theoretical framework surrounding tall buildings is therefore directly related to the desire to build modern cities, and to reshape them so as to respond more effectively to the needs of their inhabitants.

The case of Athens, as the author adds, bears great similarity to that of Paris – not so much because of a fully preserved historic centre (as in the case of Paris), but mainly because of the presence of significant archaeological sites in the historic centre, culminating, both figuratively and literally, in the Acropolis.

In terms of urban organisation and the siting of tall buildings, three models are mainly applied:

– The European 1 model, which provides for the relatively free erection of tall buildings even within, or at a short distance from, the historic centre.

– The European 2 model, which provides for the prohibition of erecting tall buildings in the wider area of the historic centre, their conditional erection in a wider zone, and their full, unrestricted development at a distance from the historic centre, but with a fully signposted connection to it (the most characteristic case being La Défense in Paris).

– The American model and its derivatives, such as those of the Far East, the Emirates, etc., characterised by a strong differentiation between the economic centre and the periphery – something which, in the case of large American cities, is consistent with their historical development, in contrast to the derivative models, particularly those of the Far East, where the “invasion” of skyscrapers into historic centres, the natural landscape, and areas of traditional housing occurs in an almost violent manner (characteristic cases being New York, Chicago, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Dubai, etc.).

In the case of Athens, however, an important role in discussions about the erection of tall buildings is played by the so-called “Attic landscape” and its protection. The fascination it exerted on travellers of the 18th and 19th centuries shaped the stereotypical image of a picturesque landscape, which, although transformed by the continuous mass of typical “Athenian” apartment blocks in the post-war period, continues to exist as a cultural construct, but also as a clearly distinguishable entity in terms of natural topography and the position of the main reference monuments. The view towards these reference points, however, today exists only through a few “canals” (streets) within the contemporary Attic landscape – a situation due more to the continuous mass of apartment blocks than to Athens’ few tall buildings.

In any case, the tall buildings that have been built have given a distinctive character to certain parts of Athens, particularly along major roads, such as Kifisias Avenue in Athens and Marousi, or Panormou Street. Many of these, especially those built in the early 1970s, are counted among the buildings of “prestige” architecture of post-war Greece, and their aesthetics and compositional merits are often highlighted, Mr. Karatsolis concludes.