The Spectacle Of The Sporting Body: A Mixed-use Sport Facility For The Locals of Exarcheia, Athens, Greece | Architecture Thesis

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The Spectacle Of The Sporting Body: A Mixed-use Sport Facility For The Locals of Exarcheia, Athens, Greece | Architecture Thesis

Information

  • Project Name: The Spectacle Of The Sporting Body
  • Student Name: Vladut Iacob
  • Softwares/Plugins: Blender , Rhinoceros 3D
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Excerpt: The Spectacle Of The Sporting Body’ is an architecture thesis by Vladut Iacob from the Bartlett School of Architecture – UCL, that seeks to create a mixed-use sports facility that promotes mental fortitude and physical health in order to achieve a state of physical and mental harmony. The project proposes a new philosophy based on Taoism to live in harmony with the universe and its energy flow, aiming to revive the communal spirit of the derelict park in Exarcheia, Athens.

Introduction: In 2008, the locals of Exarcheia came together to reclaim an open-air parking lot that was owned by the municipal council of Athens. The community benefited from their anarchist initiative, which gave rise to a self-organised park, but its degradation is witness to the tension of their occupancy. To live in harmony with the universe and its constant flow of energy, the project proposes a new philosophy for the location: Taoism. The project aims to create a mixed-use sports facility that promotes mental fortitude and physical health in order to achieve a state of physical and mental harmony that shapes youth into self-assured adults. The centrepiece of this concept is martial arts, which recognises the sporting body as an alternative medium for design and expression.

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Site Context

The Spectacle Of The Sporting Body: A Mixed-use Sport Facility For The Locals of Exarcheia, Athens, Greece | Architecture Thesis
Site Plan
The Spectacle Of The Sporting Body: A Mixed-use Sport Facility For The Locals of Exarcheia, Athens, Greece | Architecture Thesis
Locating The Site

Located in Athens, Greece, in the neighbourhood of Exarcheia, we find the Self- Managed Park Navarinou, previously an open air parking lot owned by the Athens municipal council. Its anarchist roots, and undefined ownership, create tension in the region. The community needs stability and a secure space for recreation.

The Spectacle Of The Sporting Body: A Mixed-use Sport Facility For The Locals of Exarcheia, Athens, Greece | Architecture Thesis
Site Section

The park has witnessed a great deal of violence and conflict, and as a vital symbol for the community, the goal is to preserve the communal spirit while changing the park’s current direction in the direction of a more Taoist philosophy and following the natural flow of the universe. A fresh start for the park will enable the new proposal to draw lessons from its history and look forward to the future with newfound hope.

Design Process

The Spectacle Of The Sporting Body: A Mixed-use Sport Facility For The Locals of Exarcheia, Athens, Greece | Architecture Thesis
Developing Design Language

This hollow construction carries an auto-belay system that allows users to climb and explore the internal structure and limited space within. The exterior envelope also holds moments of interaction and tactile exploration. The trophy-like appearance alludes to the final culmination of the sport, the competition at the end of the movement progression through the building, where the body and mind become one. Celebrating the achievement of harmony.

Through the study of the six animal forms, certain characteristics become apparent as encompassing the spirit of each form. Taking this spirit and translating it to architectural elements gives a basis to the design proposal. 

The Spectacle Of The Sporting Body: A Mixed-use Sport Facility For The Locals of Exarcheia, Athens, Greece | Architecture Thesis
Section Development

For example, the rhythm of wall placement can induce a style of movement particular to the monkey. Simultaneously, the defense against the elements of the roof comes from the movement style of the praying mantis. Each characteristic finds its place, translated through the architecture. Along with the uses, the characteristics of the animal forms will also materialize in the forming of timber elements that facilitate the use of the proposal.

Final Outcome

The Spectacle Of The Sporting Body: A Mixed-use Sport Facility For The Locals of Exarcheia, Athens, Greece | Architecture Thesis
Ground Floor Plan
The Spectacle Of The Sporting Body: A Mixed-use Sport Facility For The Locals of Exarcheia, Athens, Greece | Architecture Thesis
Composite Section
The Spectacle Of The Sporting Body: A Mixed-use Sport Facility For The Locals of Exarcheia, Athens, Greece | Architecture Thesis
Hallway Render

The building program is a mixed-use sporting facility that is defined by the energy flow through the structure, which is exercised by the user’s body and mind through animal form training. Starting with the body in a state of stillness and working its way up to the intense final performance that takes place in the competition hall, the building’s spatial arrangement follows a movement progression that helps reach a harmony of the mind and body.

The Spectacle Of The Sporting Body: A Mixed-use Sport Facility For The Locals of Exarcheia, Athens, Greece | Architecture Thesis
Building Elevation
The Spectacle Of The Sporting Body: A Mixed-use Sport Facility For The Locals of Exarcheia, Athens, Greece | Architecture Thesis
Main Training Hall Entrance

The proposal’s spatial layout and energy flow were influenced by the spectacle and celebration of martial arts, with the help of kerfed timber details and construction. With the purpose of helping people align themselves with the harmony of nature and the flow of life, the building seeks to encourage users to bring together their body and mind in a union of movement. 

The Spectacle Of The Sporting Body: A Mixed-use Sport Facility For The Locals of Exarcheia, Athens, Greece | Architecture Thesis
Main Training Hall

The site was transformed into a symbol of flow as part of this exploration of the physical impact and resistance between the body and the architecture around it. From the flow of life, and our important yet minuscule role in it, to the flow of energy and movement through our human anatomy. Each twist and step in the proposal is made with the body’s rhythm in mind.

The Spectacle Of The Sporting Body: A Mixed-use Sport Facility For The Locals of Exarcheia, Athens, Greece | Architecture Thesis
External Boundary Render

Conclusion: Through Taoism, the project proposes a new philosophy to live in harmony with the universe and its constant flow of energy. The proposal revives the park’s communal spirit by adopting the Taoist philosophy and following the natural flow of the universe while drawing lessons from its history and anticipating the future with renewed optimism.

[This Academic Project has been published with text submitted by the student]

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