Archinect
Ashna Jaiswal

Ashna Jaiswal

Philadelphia, PA, US

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Skouriotissa Mine : Cyprus

Cyprus, an island divided into two by the “buffer zone” or the green line. Annexed by the British. In 1924 and becomes a British colony in 1925. The island has two prominent cultures, former Empires, Greeks and Turkish. Soon after British took over, Greeks started a guerrilla war. By 1960, Cyprus is declared independent. Cyprus gains independence after Greek and Turkish Communities reach agreement on a constitution. Treaty of guarantee gives Britain, Greece and turkey the right to intervene. Britain retains sovereignty over two Military bases. In 1964, the UN interferes to form a peace treaty between the two sides. By 1974 Green line or the buffer zone is established. Turks and Greeks then on are barred from crossing the border within their land. In 2003, first crossing opens in the shared capital city of Nicosia at lard street. In 2004, the south side: Greek, joins EU. In 2012, the island started exploring oil and natural gas bases, naturally attracting other powerful countries to establish bases in Cyprus. The island which gave birth to copper hence the name Cyprus, with tremendous amount of history and heritage faces an economic collapse and ecological issues such as perpetual dry rivers, over dependence on neighboring countries for energy and water, cultural deterioration and colonization by the UN, presence of ghost town due to migration across the buffer zone, lack of independence in regard to food source even after being a primarily agricultural country. The island has major solar, wind and sustainable agricultural resources, with a viability of pioneer cultural institutions.Our project (me + 2 group members) try to tackle thus described issues. And hence we focused on  Skouriotissa mine, the oldest copper mine which is stated as de-active now. The intervention then moves further south and north in order to cross and blur the buffer.

 
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Status: School Project
Location: Nicosia, CY
My Role: Designer