Culture by doing

Connecting school subjects with the real life and the local community

Aggeliki Nikolaou

Architect - Educator

Students from 1st Junior High School of Rhodes

and their proposals for public space

Students (13-14) of the 1st Junior High School of Rhodes, were assigned to suggest their best ideas for the development and shaping of the public space of

their town. The place of intervention was the under construction recreational zone of Rhodes

tourist port.

Students were asked to submit proposals of shaping the space

Students visited the site and they examined the uses of public space for purposes of play, welcoming place, street work, consumerism, and for art-related activities.

Students gathered information about the rich local history and the port

•After they investigated the character of the place, they brainstormed to find a lot of ideas for the development of the tourist port.

•The class chose the criteria for the proposals.

• Due to the historical dimensions of urban spaces, students focused on the local identity as the main criterion for the intervention in the public space.

Students decided to select the:

•Colossus•Medieval symbols•Landmarks as sources of inspiration

Students: •Focused on local identity•Created artworks •Designed solutions for the development of the public space•Planned •Built models

Art was the vehicle of creativity

Art was the motivational factor for engagement

Team working on models was the challenge

They took pictures of their artworks

Pictures were processed with free editing tools

Students placed them in the tourist port

and got a plethora of solutions

They created the models of the “Colossus fun park” with slides, hammocks, and trampolines for the youngsters.

They placed them in the public space

A group of students worked on landmarks.

Windmills and deers were used as

inspirational source

Team working with windmills

Kiosks at the tourist port

Kiosks and art exhibition for the local architecture

The medieval architecture as well as the medieval castle sparked students interest

Tourists welcome-corners

Information corners for tourists

near the archeological site of the port.

One group of students decided to propose 3D projections mapping on the buildings

The students proposals were presented to the local authorities, during an event, organized by the school

community.