Cubes Aleorion Lighthouse by Vasilis Mylonas is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2022 Bronze A' Design Award in Architecture, Building and Structure Design Competition Category.
BronzeArchitecture· 2022
Cubes Aleorion Lighthouse
Client: bo.M Design Studio
Bronze A' Design Award Winner in Architecture Category
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #126751The Design
About Cubes Aleorion Lighthouse
Cubes Aleorion is a concept lighthouse that was developed for the edge of the breakwater of the seaport of Volos, Greece. The lighthouse tower is composed of cube shaped concrete blocks stacked upon each other, gradually shifted off center, differentiating in size and cut out in various ways, creating internal voids that house a stairway to the top. Openings on each level, frame different perspectives of the city, the port, the bay area and the opposite coast. The exposed all concrete structure echoes the materiality of the city port, the paved breakwater and the urban surroundings.
The Recognition
About the Bronze A' Design Award
Cubes Aleorion Lighthouse is a Bronze A' Design Award winner, a highly prestigious recognition granted to outstanding designs distinguished by creativity, ingenuity, and astuteness. Bronze winners are amply skillful and strikingly creative artifacts that authenticate the vast experience, imagination, and resourcefulness of their designers. Cubes Aleorion Lighthouse is expected to be a highly regarded, admired, and cherished object that is notably professional and innovative. This Bronze A' Design Award-winning design incorporates best practices in art, science, design, and technology, and is excellent for its attention to detail. Cubes Aleorion Lighthouse splendidly satisfies needs, touches desires, charms feelings, and appeals to curiosity.
Interviews
Design Interview
What is the main principle, idea and inspiration behind your design?
The project was inspired by the so called Aleorion of Xerxes, built around 480 BC and once stood on the reef Lefteris of the Aegean Sea, Greece. It is considered as the most ancient maritime safety structure in the world, built 250 years before the Lighthouse of Alexandria. The Dolomite stones, used for the construction of the lighthouse were placed on top of each other forming a tower that functioned as a warning sign of the reef and the nearby very shallow waters.
The idea and the main principle of Cubes Aleorion was to create a modern interpretation of the aleorion and to transcribe the essence of the ancient structure to a modern landmark tower.
What has been your main focus in designing this work? Especially what did you want to achieve?
The main focus in designing Cubes Aleorion was to create a piece of architecture that could both remotely resonate instances of ancient maritime architecture and the same time echo the materiality, the form aesthetics of the modern urban environment of today and the long history roots of the city and the port itself, as well as the character of a maritime nation sailing the Mediterranean for thousand of years.
What are your future plans for this award winning design?
Cubes Aleorion Lighthouse is proposal for a landmark structure for the port entrance of the city of Volos, Greece. Speaking from the architect's point of view, there can't be any real future plans for a concept project that has already been delivered to public audience. It is entirely up to the citizens of the city and the competent authorities if such a project would be a meaningful and valuable addition to the urban landscape of the city.
Behind the Design
Press Kit
Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.
- Unique Properties
- The Cubes Aleorion is a proposal for a new lighthouse for the port of Volos, Greece. A tower is formed by cube shaped all concrete blocks that are placed upon each other, are horizontally slightly shifted off center and are cut out in various ways, creating internal voids that house the stairway to the top. It is a modern interpretation of the so called Aleorion of Xerxes, originally built around 480 BC in the middle of the sea passage between Skiathos island and mount Pelion in central Greece.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Design concept was developed on the basis of cube shaped concrete blocks placed upon each other, forming a 14.25m tower.
- Tags
- lighthouse, concrete, brutalism, observatory, port, greece
- Production Technology
- Cubes Aleorion design concept was developed on the basis of cube shaped concrete blocks placed upon each other. The blocks are horizontally shifted around the main vertical axis, gradually differentiate in size and finally are cut out in various ways, creating internal voids and openings. Inside the hollow space created, the stairway to the top is being placed. The exposed all-concrete lighthouse structure echoes the materiality of the port breakwater and the urban character of the surroundings.
- Design Challenge
- The real challenge was to create ana architectural form that respects various factors at the same time, such the landmark position of the lighthouse at the entry of the city port, the materiallity and aesthetics of the urban enviroment and the long history roots of the city and the port itself and the character of a maritime nation sailing the Mediterranean for thousand of years.
- Research
- The research spanned almost the whole naval history of Greece and finally found inspiration at the most ancient maritime safety structure in the world that once stood on the reef Lefteris, in the middle of the sea passage between Skiathos island and mount Pelion in central Greece
- Inspiration
- The project was inspired by the so called Aleorion of Xerxes, built around 480 BC and once stood on the reef Lefteris of the Aegean Sea, Greece. It is considered as the most ancient maritime safety structure in the world, built 250 years before the Lighthouse of Alexandria. The Dolomite stones, used for the construction of the lighthouse were placed on top of each other forming a tower that functioned as a warning sign of the reef and the nearby very shallow waters.
- Project Duration
- Cubes Aleorion location is the port of Volos, Greece
- Operation Flow
- The vertical circulation, besides a necessity for technical and maintenance purposes, serves as an open invitation to visitors to explore the structure and enjoy the view. Each level frames a different viewpoint of the bay, thus creating new perspectives of the city, the port, the sea and opposite coast of the Pagasetic Gulf. The casual walk on the paved breakwater is enriched with a new end-destination, encouraging the extension of the city waterfront promenade onto the sea. A new landmark of the port and the city is born.
- Image Credits
- Image #1: Creator Vasilis Mylonas, Cubes Aleorion 01, 2021.
Image #2: Creator Vasilis Mylonas, Cubes Aleorion 02, 2021.
Image #3: Creator Vasilis Mylonas, Cubes Aleorion 03, 2021.
Image #4: Creator Vasilis Mylonas, Cubes Aleorion 04, 2021.
Image #5: Creator Vasilis Mylonas, Cubes Aleorion 05, 2021.
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