“Regarding Thessaloniki, people should enter (approach?) from the sea”
“The city was built in the past”
                                                                                                             ¨N. G. Pentzikis (Mother Thessaloniki)¨

The area presently occupied by Eleftheria Square was in the past situated at the south-west corner of the city walls. It was part of the  ¨skaptos” harbor constructed in 322-329 AD by Constantine the Great for military purposes and which later, during the Byzantine era, contributed greatly to the commercial and economic growth of the city.
During the middle of the fifteenth century a Spanish-speaking Jewish community settles in the area.  Once more, it becomes the center of the city’s commercial and economic development with a strong multicultural character.
The reconstruction of Eleftheria Square will be a welcome addition to the city’s green spaces and will bring us one step closer to the completion of the coastal front. Furthermore, it will link the harbor facilities (in their present and future form) which include cultural activity and recreation, with the city’s commercial and historical center.
Foremost, however, Eleftheria Square is called upon to provide the new nucleus within the city for the rejuvenation and enhancement of the city’s   identity in respect to its past.
From the start, the project was tackled three dimensionally.  Both 3D digital modeling programs  as well as  traditional models  were used.
The basic concept is a spatial continuation with a minimum number of separate elements.  These consist of large a open space, pedestrian zones defined by extending the existing urban network, a water surface and a covered multifunctional area.  A common approach is repeatedly applied in the different situations as well as a stylistic process which ensures the smooth transition from the part to the whole through a spatial and temporal modular organization.
The implemented alignments create a relief terrain that refers to a “fluid” urban landscape.
The landscaping of the square itself helps the visitor, pedestrian or simple stroller crossing the square, to distance himself from his every-day problems in a  nature environment which encourages meditation and relaxation. The landscaping of this particular area also increases the air currents and creates a cooling microclimate within the square.
An artificial “landslide” creates the aqueous element with a simple referral to the ¨skaptos” harbor.
At the northern side of the square, where it meets Mitropoleos Street, the construction of a covered space of 350.00  m2  is planned as a gateway to the city.
It is a parametrically spatial element which brings forth images and memories of the city and transforms them into a contemporary structural multi-functional form.
The structure can be described as a free organic form with extending convex and concave surfaces (dome) with clear references to the city’s Church and Marketplace (Bezesteni) Architecture.
The supporting frames consist of welded steel beams.  The sealed shells have double walls and include photovoltaic cells.   The rain water is collected and directed to subterranean water tanks through the central support elements.
The “Gateway” is equipped with interactive digital screens.  It will be an interactive portal for the information of the public, concerning the goods and services provided and will also offer free wireless access to the internet, emergency services as well as an open infrastructure for future applications.
The entire installation is included in the Municipality’s infrastructures enabling it to host thematic periodical exhibitions and manifestations.