Hellenikon Metropolitan Park

'''Hellenikon Metropolitan Park''' as it has been named, will be a large urban park located in [[Hellinikon]], [[Athens]], [[Greece]]. The park will provide Athens with a much needed ecological boost. When finished the park will be the largest in Europe. It will be approximately 400 hectares spanning the site of the former [[Ellinikon International Airport|Hellenikon International Airport]]. Construction had been scheduled to begin in 2008 and be completed by 2013, but plans appear to have been indefinitely shelved in the midst of the financial crisis, and as the government contemplates other uses for the space; plans have been put forward and a preliminary agreement has been signed to sell some of the land to [[Qatar|Qatari]] investors for development. ==The Site== The site of the future Hellenikon Metropolitan Park is the former Athens International Airport at Hellenikon. ===The Park=== In 2005, the international team led by architects [[David Serero (architect)|David Serero]], Elena Fernandez and landscape architect Philippe Coignet won the international competition to design a metropolitan park on the former site of the Hellenikon Airport, over more than 300 teams of architects. The competition was sponsored by UIA ([[International Union of Architects]]), the Greek Ministry of Environment and the Organization for the Planning and Environmental Protection of Athens (ORSA). The project was further developed in 2006 and 2007 by this team trough two development phases with the planning organizations of Athens. Serero’s team developed a strategy to landscape and urbanize the 530 hectares of the Hellenikon site by using natural running water patterns on the site as a concept to design the largest sustainable park in Europe. The water used by the park is effectively originating up to 80% of water collected naturally on the site. The project is structured by seven North-South green valleys that are called “[[Softscape|Softscapes”]]. The “Softscapes” are irrigated corridors that channel and collect rainwater of the site and from the [[Drainage basin|water catchment]] basin of the surrounding hills. These strips integrate a playful work on artificial topography that both guides the water and create terraces and slopes for the park activities and programs. The park will be 400 hectares, while another 100 hectares will be used for housing and office facilities. When finished, it will surpass [[London|London's]] [[Hyde Park, London|Hyde Park]] (250 hectares)as well as [[New York City|New York's]] [[Central Park]] (350 hectares). ==External links== *[http://www.minenv.gr/hellenikon-competition/index.htm The Hellenic Ministry of the Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works – Hellenikon Metropolitan Park] *[http://www.hri.org/news/greek/apeen/2006/06-06-08_3.apeen.html Athens News Agency: News in English, 06-06-08 – 'Metropolitan Park' in southern Athens] *[http://architettura.supereva.com/architetture/20050514/index.htm Arch'it Architetture / Iterae Architecture. Hellenikon Metropolitan Park] *http://www.orsa.gr *http://www.serero.com *http://www.uia.com *http://www.o-l-m.net {{coord missing|Greece}}