Temple on campus of the Democritus University in Xanthi
First prize at the Panhellenic architectural competition, 1999
Architects:
Tassos Biris, Sofia Tsiraki
The proposal includes the church as a (functional) reference point in a small-scale intervention, created as a micro-locus within the vast campus landscape. The short artificial mound is characteristic of the micro-landscape, which, along with the church, are prominent in the design. The church is effectively incorporated into a cavity on the terrain relief, and its place is protectively enclosed by the environment. All elements combine a succession of lines and marks along a promenade. The visitor engages in a reclusive wandering that gradually allows for an intimate awareness of space and its deeper symbolic meaning.