Underground Cities | Returning to the "Ground Zero" Narrative

After receiving feedback from the crits, I found myself a bit confused on which path I really wanted my project to take. Was it really about these worlds in the sky or was it about more than just the rooftop level? I looked back at my work and re-assessed where my interests lie, finding myself drawn back to the notion of 'choosing a ground zero.' The notion of a ground zero meant there could be an underground, an aboveground, and a new datum within the project; each of which are unique but also linked together. Ground Zero also seemed like an appropriate phrase as it could symbolize the type of turmoil that Athens is currently experiencing as it slips into becoming a third-world country.

With this in mind, I started to look at cities that had created new datum lines and existed underground. The most prominent example I looked at was Seattle, Washington on the north-western coast of the United States. Seattle had a great fire in 1889 in which several blocks of the city were burnt down. Rather than try to rebuild what had already been damaged, Seattle decided to take a fresh start by creating a new datum at the second level. At first, street access required moving via ladders between the original street level and the new one; but eventually the entire street level had moved to the second level and today the original "underground city" remains as a hidden gem. If interested, you can also find more about underground cities by watching History Channel Cities of the Underworld.

Washington DC, Underground Tunnels

Proposed Tunnels Under Amsterdam Canals