RECONSTRUCTION STUDY OF EIRINI ELECTRIC RAILWAY STATION IN O.A.K.A. ATHENS

Employer:

I.S.A.P. Electric Railway of Athens-Piraeus

Architectural study:

K.Moraitis, Architect Engineer, professor of NT.U.A.

K.Chelidoni, Architect Engineer

P.Nikolaidis, Architect Engineer

G.Atsalakis, Architect Engineer

Architectural team ΄΄Synthesi kai Ereyna΄΄

(G.Albanis, N.Fidikakis)

K.Katopodi, E.Xrysoxoidi

Special Consultant:

K.Moraitis, Architecture Engineer, professor of NT.U.A.

Structuralstudy:

T.Tsiknias and Associates

E/M study: 

Ch. Zobolas

 

The project refers to the redesign of “Eirini” electric railway station. “Eirini” station is a significant urban transport hub, as it constitutes the railway station closest to OAKA Central Olympic Comlex. The aim of the architectural study was to transform this station into a landmark, especially for the time period of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

The redesign proposal of “Eirini” station includes mainly the expansion-enlargement of the station in the lowest present functional level, which corresponds to the main level where  OAKA’S installations are developed.

A main design principle is the bioclimatic one, which comprises the requirement of protection against weather conditions, as well as the ensuring of ameliorated conditions of thermal comfort  for the passengers that remain to the platforms. This demand is linked with the provision of good ventilation conditions and the avoidance of warm air‘s encapsulation under the canopies.

Morphologically, the proposal is inspired from the natural example of trees’ foliage. The segmentation of the plant “sheltering” in many small-size levels of a different altitude level aims at allowing air to move  towards every direction, so that the probability of its encapsulation is excluded. The reference to this organic model implies the intention of dividing roofing into small individual canopies of different heights, which resemble in form the pliable, aero-dynamical quality of a leaf, and in structure its bearing by a central brace-column.