Resilient Ark: Karystos
The project “Resilient Ark” explores the restructuring of public space and urban fabric along the coast of Karystos, addressing three dimensions of resilience: economic (revitalizing industries and employment), cultural (preserving and reinterpreting maritime heritage), and physical (adapting to sea-level rise and changing terrain).
Situated at the core of the Marine Cultural Center, the building integrates a shipyard and ship museum, forming a hybrid space for exhibition, education, production, and leisure. Its design draws on the principle of the Kármán vortex street, where currents generate rhythmic vortex patterns around obstacles. By experimenting with sand accumulation and waterflow models, the project develops a spatial strategy that evolves with environmental change.
A system of multi-layered ramps organizes vertical connections, guiding movement like fluid vortices while offering progressive public experiences—from coastal plaza to exhibition halls, shipyard ruins, and viewing platforms. These ramps also serve as resilient infrastructure, acting as embankments during sea-level rise and as open promenades in normal conditions.
Ultimately, the Resilient Ark functions as an experimental urban model, mapping the relationship between vortex, terrain, and human flow to envision a dynamic and adaptive dialogue between city, culture, and nature.
