Destination: park | Research Thesis by Alexandra Souvatzi

This research thesis focuses on the various aspects that define and shape the attractions of parks as leisure destinations in the public space.

The Park as a leisure destination has emerged in contemporary cities, creating a unique public space combining cultural institutions, sports facilities and entertainment.

In order to approach this attraction, several aspects must be researched.  How was urban tourism established in modern society? How is landscape consumed? What is the essence of public space, and when do citizens act as tourists in the city?

Public space is the main objective of the tourist gaze, as it brings together the locals and the visitors.

Carefully planned and landscaped areas tend to create an imaginary space, where people can escape their daily routine and seek leisure. Keeping in mind London’s Regent’s street and Paris’s boulevards as primary examples of urban regeneration, it is clear that public space can change the perception of the city entirely.

Through the history of travel and the establishment of tourism as we know it, it is clear that in all touristic places there are stages of staged authenticity. According to specialists, the tourist activity oscillates between 6 stages, ranging from the totally organized touristic front, to the authentic backstage where local activity flourishes.

The destination – parks include such stages which motivate visitors to exploration.

They arise partly from their design and program, and partly from individual activities inside the park. The so-called tourist performance gives life to such places, where visitors by enjoying an ideal, vivid landscape, become part of it and thus, are the ones creating the scene. 

These green urban areas reveal a backstage of the city to the observative eye of the flâneur.

Their location is often in a reasonable distance from the city center, in a neighborhood that desperately seeks regeneration.

London’s Royal Park Regent, although initially designed for private use, acquired a vivid public life in its long years of existence. It was designed by John Nash simultaneously as Regent Street, thus implying a link of an urban regeneration with landscaped areas.

The creation of Manhattan’s High Line originates from the desire of the locals to enter the abandoned, yet filled with wild flora, railway line. The Park rapidly emerged as a cultural destination within the city, where one can encounter art performances, visit the Whitney museum and The Shed, while strolling in a landscaped urban oasis.

Thessaloniki’s’ seafront park has reshaped the perception of the city. 12 gardens create a variety of images and activities, while being connected with cultural events and local monuments. The park’s design suggests the division of the aforementioned stages, as there are many themed gardens to explore. The seafront is constantly filled with people enjoying the commodities of the landscape.

Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center has a strong link towards culture, sports and sustainability. The artificial hill reveals a panoramic view of Attica basin, Acropolis and Piraeus. A visitor can enjoy the carefully landscaped park and its activities, as well as the National Library and Opera. Locals have embraced the park since day one, and tourists want to explore it.

These parks indicate a destination: New spatial qualities enrich the urban fabric. A different soundscape appears. They create a new, unique and exquisite image of the city.

Facts

Project Title  Destination : Park
Student  Souvatzi Alexandra
Date June 2018
Supervisor  Ioannis Aisopos
School School of Architecture, University of Patras

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Ένα νέο είδος πάρκου έχει κάνει την εμφάνισή του στις σύγχρονες πόλεις : Το  πάρκο ως προορισμός ψυχαγωγίας. Επιμόρφωση, αθλοπαιδιά και αναψυχή συναντιούνται εκεί, και δημιουργούν μια ιδιαίτερη μορφή αστικού τουρισμού.

Οι τουριστικές πόλεις σχεδιάζονται για να καταναλωθούν : είναι ένα προϊόν διασκέδασης και ψυχαγωγίας. Συχνά, οι αναπλάσεις συνοδεύονται από χώρους πρασίνου, που αναδεικνύουν τον προορισμό και του δίνουν χαρακτήρα.

Πάρκα όπως το Βασιλικό πάρκο Ρίτζεντ του Λονδίνου, το Χαιλάιν της Νέας Υόρκης, η Νέα παραλία της Θεσσαλονίκης και το πάρκο του Ιδρύματος Σταύρος Νιάρχος ενεργοποιούν το δημόσιο χώρο και προσφέρονται για να αναπτυχθεί η δημόσια ζωή, η οποία εμπλουτίζεται με ποικίλες δραστηριότητες.

Η πόλη ανοίγεται προς τους κατοίκους της, γεγονός που προσελκύει σαν μαγνήτης τους αστικούς τουρίστες.

Το πράσινο σηματοδοτεί τον προορισμό : Κάτι διαφορετικό συμβαίνει εκεί. Νέες ποιότητες χώρου εμπλουτίζουν τον αστικό ιστό. Ένα νέο ακουστικό τοπίο διαμορφώνεται στην πόλη.

Μέσω αυτών των πάρκων προκύπτει μια νέα, μοναδική, στολισμένη εικόνα της πόλης.

Στοιχεία

Τίτλος εργασίας Προορισμός: Πάρκο
Φοιτήτρια Σουβατζή Αλεξάνδρα
Ημερομηνία   Ιούνιος 2018
Μάθημα  Ερευνητική Εργασία  
Επιβλέπων Καθηγητής  Ιωάννης Αίσωπος
Σχολή Τμήμα Αρχιτεκτόνων Μηχανικών πανεπιστημίου Πατρών

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