Augmented Santorini
Overtourism / urban
santorini, greece
patras school of architecture
thesis 2018
patras school of architecture
thesis 2018
AUGMENTED SANTORINI scenario explores the case of Santorini as a destination affected by the phenomenon of over-tourism and proposes interventions to improve the island’s bearing capacity.
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Santorini, due to overgrowth, underwent a semantic mutation from a rural area to a cosmopolitan metropolis that functions as a continuously expanding urban space.
The current shape of the island complex of Santorini is the result of the violent volcanic activity in prehistoric times. Operating as an autonomous tourist brand and while the tourist traffic is experiencing an unprecedented increase, the island now faces “urban-like” problems such as housing shortages for workers, energy, water and traffic problems. Alongside the increase of building activity, rural land is disappearing, theatening Santorini’s traditional vineyards.![]()
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Taking into account the proposal by DOCOMOMO deposited to Unesco in 1984, regarding the conservation of the island complex of Santorini as a whole, Augmented Santorini proposes the preservation of the traditional settlements, the subtraction of arbitrary housing and the reposition of crops and vineyards in their place, the installation of offshore alternative energy sources for the island’s energy autonomy and the creation of a new airport, winery and an artificial rising island.
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The permanent building of the new airport has references to the negative architecture of Santorini's caves, with the subtraction of a volume from a mass, while the seasonally additional building is designed as a shell and a lightweight construction. Similarly, the new organization system of housing units takes its cues from the system used in the natural caldera.
![]()
![]()
Santorini, due to overgrowth, underwent a semantic mutation from a rural area to a cosmopolitan metropolis that functions as a continuously expanding urban space.
The current shape of the island complex of Santorini is the result of the violent volcanic activity in prehistoric times. Operating as an autonomous tourist brand and while the tourist traffic is experiencing an unprecedented increase, the island now faces “urban-like” problems such as housing shortages for workers, energy, water and traffic problems. Alongside the increase of building activity, rural land is disappearing, theatening Santorini’s traditional vineyards.
Taking into account the proposal by DOCOMOMO deposited to Unesco in 1984, regarding the conservation of the island complex of Santorini as a whole, Augmented Santorini proposes the preservation of the traditional settlements, the subtraction of arbitrary housing and the reposition of crops and vineyards in their place, the installation of offshore alternative energy sources for the island’s energy autonomy and the creation of a new airport, winery and an artificial rising island.
The permanent building of the new airport has references to the negative architecture of Santorini's caves, with the subtraction of a volume from a mass, while the seasonally additional building is designed as a shell and a lightweight construction. Similarly, the new organization system of housing units takes its cues from the system used in the natural caldera.
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