Persephone's Earth

New Office Building for the Perfecture of Western Attica / Elefsina, Greece

2018

Architectural Competition

Surface: 10.000 sqm

The city of Eleusis: factories, industrial lands, and one of the most important archaeological places of ancient Greece where Eleusinian Mysteries took place as the celebration of life and death. According to the myth, when God of the underworld Pluto kidnapped Persephone, her mother Goddess of Agriculture Demeter was wandering in the fields crying. Only when Persephone comes back from the underworld Earth blossoms again.

Our concept is Persephone’s Earth. We imagine the whole site covered by the building. Five arcs subtract mass from it and create five public squares, one for each element: the city, the nature, the cement factory, the archaeological place, the neighborhood. A large open staircase / amphitheater lead to the roof garden. Full of local plants, this is a belvedere for the whole city with its glorious past and contradictory present. This is the earth of Persephone brought to life again, while building and nature unite again.

CREDITS

Architects: RENA SAKELLARIDOU SPARCH

Architectural Design: Rena Sakellaridou, Morpho Papanikolaou (consultant)

Collaborating Architects: N. Tsompikou, G. Papanikolaou, A. Verteouri, K. Moustakas, K. Skalkogianni, G. Mprazioti, M. Parafesta