The positive opinion from the Central Archaeological Council (KAS) got the studies on him lighting highlighting the antiquities at the Agia Sofia station and construction of protection shelters in Venizelos station of the Thessaloniki Metro.

The basic planning principles, the specifications for the preparation of both studies, as well as the monitoring of their progress, were determined by working groups consisting of Attiko Metro executives and external partners, executives of the Ephorate of Antiquities of the City of Thessaloniki and the five competent Directorates of the Ministry of Antiquities under the coordinating responsibility of the Directorates of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities and Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Antiquities.

lighting

The first study concerns the design of the protective shelters at the north and south entrance of the “Venizelou” station, which is located at the junction of Egnatia and Venizelou streets. The need for the construction of shelters at the entrances of the station arose because of the archaeological findings that came to light during the construction of the station.

lighting

“With the approval of the lighting studies and the construction of roofs, the circle is closed regarding the protection and highlighting of the antiquities, which were revealed during the construction of the “Agia Sofia” and “Venizelos” stations of the Thessaloniki Metro,” said the Minister of Culture and Sports Lina Mendoni. “In this way, we save evidence of the 23-century history of Thessaloniki, highlight the antiquities, in a modern and original way, and upgrade the appearance of key points of the urban environment. With the approved lighting studies for the highlighting of the antiquities at the “Agia Sophia” Station and the construction of roofs at the “Venizelos” Station, prepared by the Attica Metro in close cooperation with the competent services of the Ministry of Culture and Sports, we achieve the highlighting and the meaningful strengthening of the archaeological sites, in a completely documented way, taking into account the historical, architectural, but also the urban context, in which they are included. At the same time, we are upgrading the surrounding area of ​​the stations and their visual association with the existing monuments of Thessaloniki. At the Ministry of Culture and Sports, we are working systematically and with respect to the history of the city for the completion of an extremely complex archaeological project, in the urban fabric of Thessaloniki, the equivalent of which has not been implemented until today. Thanks to the painstaking and intensive efforts of the joint working groups, under the coordination of the competent Departments of the Ministry of Culture and Sports, we prove that with our specific choices, with knowledge and dedication, Archaia and Metro can coexist in an excellent and beneficial way for Thessaloniki and its history”.

lighting

The studies on antiquities highlighting lighting at the “Agia Sophia” Station and the construction of protective roofs, at the “Venizelos” Station, received a positive opinion from the Central Archaeological Council. The basic planning principles, the specifications for the preparation of both studies, as well as the monitoring of their progress, were determined by working groups consisting of Attiko Metro executives and external partners, executives of the Ephorate of Antiquities of the City of Thessaloniki and the five competent Directorates of the Ministry of Antiquities under the coordinating responsibility of the Directorates of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities and Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Antiquities.

lighting

The first study concerns the design of protection shelters at the north and south entrance of the “Venizelos” Station which is located at the junction of Egnatia and Venizelos streets. The need for the construction of shelters at the entrances of the Station arose because of the archaeological findings that came to light during the construction of the Station. In particular, for the viewing of the Antiquities, a level of the archaeological site was created, at which point it became necessary to house the entrances at street level. The design of the roofs was made so that they are as discreet and transparent as possible, due to their proximity to the important neighboring archaeological monuments of Thessaloniki of the 15th century, the “Hamza Bey” Mosque and the “Bezesteni”. In this context, the creation of inclined canopies with a glass structure was advanced to ensure, in addition to the protection of the Station premises and the archaeological site, the unobstructed viewing of the adjacent monuments without creating a visual obstacle to their viewing. At “Venizelos Station” the largest international archaeological site is being created as part of a public benefit technical project.

lighting

The second approved study for the “Agia Sophia” Station, it concerns the lighting highlighting the antiquities at the north and south entrances of the Station, the roof at the north entrance and the Macedonian Warriors Square. This particular study is a continuation of the approved study for the shaping of the northern entrance of the Station and the installation of a roof in the antiquities area, as well as the repositioning of part of the marble-paved square and the pilaster at the southern entrance of the Station. The highlighting lighting of the Station, but also of the square, is discreet so as not to compete with the lighting of the archaeological finds, while maintaining, however, the interest of passers-by intact. In the square, the functional lighting will be limited to the pathways, busts and specific elements of the planting, thus delimiting the space.

shelter

Last December, the Central Archaeological Council gave a positive opinion on the studies of protection, fixation, surface maintenance, restoration and highlighting of the antiquities at the “Agia Sophia” Station, as well as on the electromechanical and architectural studies for the configuration of the interior of the shell, which surrounds the antiquities, at the “Venizelos” Station. The preparation of the studies for the antiquities at the “Agia Sophia” Station, as well as the previous studies for the same station (repositioning of the fountain building, construction of a roof for the protection of the antiquities, construction of a viewing corridor and a descent ladder to the level of the antiquities for their maintenance and configuration of the surrounding area), was also the subject of processing by a joint working group.

shelter

In addition, the antiquities that come from his excavations Thessaloniki Metro they will be hosted in two museums, in the Crossover building at “Fountain Station” and in one of the barracks buildings in the Metropolitan Park of Pavlos Melas.