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Omonia Square shone again: it was given to the Athenians with its new look and now beautifies the capital.
RELEVANT ITEMS
The opening of Omonia Square took place on Thursday night, in the presence of the Mayor of Athens, Costas Bakogiannis.
The fountain lights came on and the water began to dance, thrilling those who were there.
Many people were present at the opening of Omonia Square, applauding the change in appearance of the iconic Athens landmark.
The landscape in the city center has changed and the gray and melancholic landscape has been transformed into a beautiful green space.
People took photos and videos of the fountain in Plaza Omonia, while at the same time the municipal police called them to keep their distance.
The fountain is, without a doubt, the protagonist of Omonia Square and brings back memories of another era.
It is one of the largest volcanic water sources in all of Europe, with a diameter of 30 meters, the central jet of which shakes the water at a height of up to 20 meters.
It has a total of 188 water beams and 177 underwater headlights that create a pandemonium of light and color.
A lawn was planted around the fountain and the entire remaining plaza, with a total area of 4.5 acres, was covered with environmentally friendly materials that reduce temperature, especially during the summer months.
In the center of Omonia Square, in addition to the fountain, is the imposing metal sculpture with the circles of George Zongolopoulos, which was restored with the patronage of the Onassis Foundation.
The work “Pentacycle” is a water-carved sculpture by George Zongolopoulos, which was placed in Omonia Square in 2001 and in the same year represented Greece at the Venice Biennale.
Its height reaches 15 meters and it is made of stainless steel and consists of a cruciform structure with five circles that move with the help of water.
Watch the timelapse video with the development of the Omonia square project
See the post of the Mayor of Athens, Costas Bakogiannis
In a publication, Costas Bakogiannis writes a nostalgic text that connects the square’s historical weight with today, through a story by his father, Pavlos Bakogiannis.
“Come closer to Omonia,” her uncle had told her, “and you will always find someone you know.” In the late 1950s my father obtained the KTEL for Athens for the first time. With a checkered suitcase in hand, a registered trademark of a province, after 7.5 hours, arrives in Omonia. He faces a noisy hive of people. We were children, but I remember the description: the street vendors advertised their products, from tsatsares and transistors to buns and samali. The kiosks were so full of things that they were afraid of collapsing. People went to work and many young people with the same checkered suitcase were looking for their way. In the center of the square, a large fountain cooled the atmosphere and, sometimes, your face. Rotate the square at least 30 times. But where he stood and spent two hours was on the escalator. He raised and lowered them, trying to figure out what to write to his father, the pope, to describe them. He felt, he told us, decades later, that once he got here, anything was possible. Today, where everything is changing and the city’s main square has many semantics, one thing remains the same: Omonia’s optimism. And its symbolic dimension in response to inequality. This square connects yesterday with today and tomorrow, Athens falls with superior. Memory and dream. And as such, it is restored for us, an eternal symbol of hope. “
See this post on Instagram
you will find. “In the late 1950s, my father, for the first time, obtained the KTEL for Athens. With a checkered suitcase in hand, a registered trademark of a province, after 7.5 hours, arrives in Omonia. faces a noisy hive of people. We were kids, but I remember the description: street vendors advertised their wares, from tsatsares and transistors to buns and samali. The kiosks were so full of things that they were afraid of collapse. People were going to work and many young people with the same checkered suitcase were looking for their way. In the center of the square, a large fountain cooled the atmosphere and sometimes your face. Turn the square at least 30 times. But where he stood and spent two hours was in the escalator. He raised and lowered them, trying to figure out what to write to his father, the pope, to describe them. He felt, he told us, decades later, that once he got here, everything was possible. Today, where everything is changing and the The city’s main square has many semantics, one thing remains the same: Omonia’s optimism. And its symbolic dimension in response to inequality. This square connects yesterday with today and tomorrow, Athens falls with superior. Memory and dream. And as such, we are restored, an eternal symbol of hope. #timelapse @alexmaragos https://youtu.be/sHJY4EoUUzg
Omonia
at the same time it becomes an oasis of freshness
as well as large fonts
reduce the temperature to significant
radius as its recirculation continues
The foam absorbs contaminants
the environment at the same time the
Its pioneering design was made with
way of working extremely well
less water than
conventional reducing constructions
even more environmentally
of the footprint in combination with and
extremely low power consumption
using high technology
The big donors of the project.
The contribution of large and important companies and institutions was decisive, so the general work to improve the plaza was carried out quickly after it started last November and was ready in late February, but the unprecedented health crisis and the traffic restrictions that followed did not make it worthwhile. to residents and visitors to the city.
Excellent
The donors of the project are: “Public benefit
Athanasios K. Laskaridis Foundation “with courage
financing, the “Fontana Fountains” that
built the fountain, the “Group
ELLAKTOR “who undertook everything
cover the cost and its execution
all construction work and
had it through its subsidiary “TOMI”
general coordination and supervision
construction site.
Specially for
the only sculpture of Zongolopoulos
The Foundation donation was decisive.
Onassis who gave him the opportunity
its full reopening after
years.
Contribution to
The project was also completed.
following companies: “LANDCO LTD”, “AGROHOUM SA”,
“KERGON IKE” and “Green Code – G.X. Bakoulas
& SIA EU “.
“Athens and its people are recovering their public space. Each emblematic point of the city restores its stamp on its daily life and culture. This is also the case of Omonia, which returns to the citizens, not as a crossing point but as a landmark and destination. Omonia is a mosaic created by Great Walk. It complements and highlights it. We are proud of every inch of free space attributed to Athenians and Athenians, “he emphasizes on the occasion of the presentation of Omonia Square to residents and Visitors to the capital, the Mayor of Athens Costas Bakogiannis.
Laskaridis Foundation: Omonia is becoming a benchmark again
From the Athanasios K. Laskaridis Public Benefits Foundation, Executive Director Dr. Angeliki Kosmopoulou emphasized the following: “Omonia is an integral part of the history of Athens. With the renovation of the square and the construction of the most modern and aesthetic fountain, Omonia is once again a point of reference for the city, recovering its glamor. For the Athanasios K. Laskaridis Public Benefit Foundation, this donation, which follows Mr. Athanasios Laskaridis’ funding of the redevelopment of Syntagma Square, on his own initiative, marks the respectful and lasting change in the area for the public . and in its symbolic dimension. We are very pleased that as of today the residents and visitors of Athens can once again walk in Omonia Square with a feeling of security and satisfaction after years. “
Fontana Fonts: We design a unique font with the best materials.
A statement from Fontana Fountains said: “We are proud to give back to our city our knowledge and experience of projects in 80 countries to become the link between yesterday and today and what we all remember and want to do. To live again In collaboration with the We, other donors and city officials, design and build a unique fountain, made of the best materials and the most advanced technologies, respectful with the environment so that it adorns the center of Athens for decades and all citizens can enjoy it. We are honored that this imposing fountain is a landmark for Athens as it evolves and revives. “
Dark. Kallitsantsis: we deserve an Omonia square worthy of the first municipality in world history
Referring to the renovation of Omonia, ELLAKTOR Group Vice President Dimitris Kallitsantsis stated: “The squares are not just decorative elements of a city. They are benchmarks for a collective sense of “belonging” and “sharing”, the importance of which is often overlooked. The citizens and visitors of our country deserve a square in Omonia, worthy of what Athens represents internationally as a symbol of the first “municipality” in world history. It is an honor for the companies of the ELLAKTOR Group that had the opportunity to offer, without profit, the valuable knowledge and valuable work of its people, to revive an emblematic symbol of the Greek capital. “
Onassis Foundation: the emblematic Omonia square and the work of Zongolopoulos
On behalf of the Onassis Foundation, the Director of Culture, Aphrodite Panagiotakou, underlined the following: “Plaza Omonia not only connects some of the most central streets in the city. It also symbolically unites the past with its future, it is a traditional meeting place, an emblematic point in the lower basement of Athens. The work of G. Zongolopoulos, an artist who grew up in this plaza, is a special creation based on the uninterrupted flow that seems to complement the rhythm of the city center. At the Onassis Foundation we believe in art democracy, in its dissemination in the public space, when we talk about culture in the public space, we think of a city that contains us all. A work of art must be related to the citizens, the environment, the location, the present, the past and especially the future of the city. Through the need for daily experience, we are launching today the cooperation with the Municipality of Athens, to strengthen the culture in the daily experience of Athens and emphasize values such as coexistence, integration, aesthetics, environmental ethics and public dialogue. . Our goal is to reduce the feeling of fear and isolation, create aesthetic pleasure, but also highlight the landmarks and natural characteristics that until now had been lost in the hustle and bustle of the city. “
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