Itea bauxite plant landscape integration

The coastal town of Itea is situated within the Delphic Landscape, a preservation zone around one of the most important ancient sanctuaries. The same mountains in which ancient Delphi is nestled contain bauxite, the mineral from which aluminum is made. This mineral is mined and transported to the coast where an industrial facility handles it and loads it onto ships. Being within the preservation zone, and next to a coastal resort town, the facility has to be rendered as invisible as possible.

The design moves to integrate the industrial facility into the existing landscape through analysis of the surrounding landscape typologies, their scale, forms and colours. This surrounding landscape is then extrapolated over the facility, in two ways: through planting, and on buildings.

Planting is relatively straightforward. Landscape typologies are indeed replicated and extrapolated where possible, using native plants and special techniques that allow for large-scale application in difficult conditions. Buildings are more difficult to hide, but the principle is the same. Landscape typologies are extrapolated over buildings visually. A set of fundamental colors is distilled from the surrounding landscape. These are then applied onto the buildings through the idea of mosaics, used in the area for millennia.

Location

Itea, Greece

Area

1 Ha

Date

2013-2014

Scope

Landscape architecture, art

doxiadis+ Team

Thomas Doxiadis, Dionysia Liveri, Marina Antsaklis, Terpsi Kremali, Aris Petrou, Tea Puric

Images

doxiadis+