Athens Revisited | The Re-Occupation of Abandoned Spaces

Looking for a potential site, and interested in the reclamation of leftover or abandoned space, I revisited the area around the refugee village. My aim was to better understand the scale of abandonment and reoccupation that has been happening in the area of Ambelokipi. What I found was that a sort of divide existed between the abandoned sites in the area, the institutional buildings such as the EU Justice Court and Police Station, and the residential neighborhoods. It was as if the abandoned sites were at the core of a circular area that was enveloped by institutions and further enveloped by surrounding neighborhoods.

The area around the refugee village proved to be filled with abandoned lots that gave the idea of a potential site that used to have tons of character. A former football stadium was now completely locked but has been reclaimed by a basketball league that has created a gym for themselves underneath the old stands. An abandoned school and park block were now eerily empty but that showed wear and of a former life. A parking lot was desolate of any cars, but was once part of the lively nights of home football games. These were the types of areas that surrounded the refugee village and got me intrigued in the area as a potential site.