Fraser McCallum

'Architecture as Experience' is a term created to define architecture as more than its simple definition to most of humanity - “the art and practice of designing buildings.” It is to ask the question of how we can construct imaginary architecture through the viewers perception of a space and thus utilize this to aid in the creation of positive urban architectural form.

Athens is a city plagued with contradictions – Ancient and Contemporary, Horizontal living and Vertical urban sprawl, dense built form and dead spaces – all are a direct result of both time and each other. A city of contradictions is also a city of interest and intrigue.

The city’s expansion causes multi-layered axis’ forming throughout – streets forming neighbourhoods - forming districts, all with the Acropolis as its central node. This infrastructure is a result of different eras of architectural planning, which can all be read from the city plan itself. Journey used to be the central focus of Athens, I aim to make this the true nature of the city once more, where a sea of concrete is complemented by the antidote of relief spaces.

My transect highlights several key points for my thesis and project – the geographical landscape forming the city’s growth – the spatial conditions of a Polykatoikia architecture highlighting the typology’s flaws and afterthoughts – the decentralised nature of the socio-economic and cultural districts of the city – the monochromatic materialism of the urban sprawl.