PROPOSAL FOR THE BAR ASSOCIATION BUILDING IN CHANIA
The plot, property of Lawyers Club, lies on an ideal place next to Freedom Square and across the Court Hall of Chania. It is visible and accessible through the square and the east-west orientation of its two main faces, at Pythagoras and Renieris streets respectively, makes the building very bright at daylight. On the total 377 m2 of plot’s area, a new building is about to be constructed, that will represent the Lawyer Club of Chania and will also host all of its daily services.
Entering from Pythagoras street we meet the main face of the building, which is made in a way that consists a reference to the Court Hall. We suggest the use of plastered stone for the construction of this side, even borrowing some classic elements of the pre-existing building, such as the strict morphology of its entry and exposures. The entrance’s placement determines the main axis within the building, which connects the two blocks, distributes the building’s functions and is repeated on all floors. On this side of the horizontal axis and in a focal point is the vertical movement area comprising the staircase and lifts.
In conjunction with this area, the design of another basic element is proposed, running the entire height of the structure. It is a “green” wall, an element of bioclimatic architecture, and is manufactured simply with a skeleton in which appropriate plants are attached. The presence of this “green” wall is particularly important, since located in the center of the composition and facing south, it offers natural insulation in the building, creates a pleasant microclimate, is sound-absorbent and has additional properties such as oxygen production and the capture of carbon dioxide.
