Vasilis Mylonas · CLIENT: bo.M Design Studio
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.
Press Kit
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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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