Technical report
In an area of 30 “stremmata” (approximately 6.5 acres), outside of the city of Rethymnon, near the University of Crete, a cultural village shall be established as the connecting link between the Cretans of America to their special fatherland. The Pancretan Association of America, driving force of this enterprise, assigned the study for the project to the consulting office of Peppas Stavros and Peppas Nikos, Architects-Engineers of the National Technical University of Athens, who are involved in large private projects throughout Greece and are based in the city of Rethymnon.
It is a group of buildings occupying an area of approximately 5,000 square meters, inspired by the Minoan architecture, as it would befit in our time.
The central buildings of the complex have a Π-shaped arrangement, thus creating a square which serves for all common activities of the group. A sequence of pillar pairs guide the visitor from the entrance of the complex to the center of the composition (square). A conference center with a capacity of up to 300 people, an exposition center with an area of approximately 800 square meters, a library, classrooms, restaurants, student dormitory (Ariadne’s Annex), but also the administrative department of the complex are the functions which give life to the square and will define it, by result, as the core of the cultural center.
Both the conference center (Europe) as well as the exposition center (Minotavros) are designed in such a manner so that they are adaptable spaces, capable of being modified into many different arrangements in order to accommodate the particular needs of each event Finally, the central student dormitory is equipped with furnished apartments designed to accommodate both the study needs of the students, as well as to provide comfortable living.
However, this is only the core of the Minoan village, on both sides of which two other sectors of the cultural center are being developed; it is the "land of Theseus", as described by composers, within which the athletic installations of the complex are housed, basketball courts, tennis courts, pools and it is located west of the central core. On the opposite side the “Daidalos Village” has been surveyed/designed, which is a group of small houses, the arrangement of which is indicative of the Knossos labyrinth. Two types of houses are blended together, creating private gardens, common areas, covered sidewalks...skylights... Ariadni, along with the “Daidalos Village” can host up to 200 people.
Architectural choices defining the composition, such as pillars, large open areas, the projection of the carrier composition in the façade, the arcades, the water elements, clear contours, the discreet adornment, the colors comprise references of the architects to the Minoan Crete; they are the elements which inspired them for the composition of this project, elements which the architects adapted to the present time. A composition of a project of such a scale and such demands includes many difficulties.
The combination of functionality and aesthetics requires careful handling, the revival of elements of the past contains the risk of kitsch and poor imitation. The researchers, showing great sensitivity and consistency to the values they profess, succeeded in overcoming the obstacles, thus creating a composition which marries history and modern architecture, researched in every detail.
Analysis
DAIDALOS VILLAGE (unit 1)___________________________________2736 m2
It is the housing module of the complex, the sector which contains the largest part of the guest houses. It is comprised of a complex of single floor and two floor buildings. The single floor buildings with the atrium in the middle (ROOM TYPE G (FOUR ROOM): 129 m2 each, 4 units) appear 4 times in the composition of the village, while the two floor buildings appear 19 times (ROOM TYPE B (TWO ROOM):
72 m2 each square ,144 m2 for the entire unit ._19 units).
Each type B unit consists of two blocks which are connected by a bridge; each block has two floors with a total area of 72 m2, thus, type B occupies an area of 144 m2 and is repeated 19 times. The Daidalos Village can host a total of 142 people.
ARIADNI GUEST WING (unit 1)_______________________________1230 m2
The Ariadni Guest Wing is the dormitory of the complex, has 18 rooms of which 16 have three beds and two have five beds. The rooms are arranged in two floors with each floor occupying an area of 615 m2. In total, Ariadni can host 58 people.
MINOTAURUS EXPOSITION CENTER (unit 1)
It is the open exposition center of the complex which may be arranged as needed. The exposition center is deployed in two floors and around an atrium.
780 m2 - for 300 people
2 floors - 390 m2 each floor.
EUROPE PAVILION (unit 1) ____________________________________540 m2
The exposition center, which can host 200 people, is located on the ground floor of the building while the restaurant of the complex is on the upper floor.
540 m2 in total – for 200 people
2 floors – 273 m2 ground floor - 267 m2 upper floor
MINOAN HEADQUARTERS (unit 1)_____________________________ 430 m2
This building hosts the administrative functions of the complex, including the reception area and also the library of the institution, and the shops for the facilitation of its users.
430 m2 in total
2 floors – 235 m2 ground floor - 195 m2 upper floor
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