Biology department & common uses building, University of Cyprus Nicosia 

SPECIAL MENTION in European Architectural Competition 

The successive construction of the University buildings in the Athalassa campus deprived largely the view of the horizon and the marvelous skyline, which had been the main reason for the creation of a pedestrian “belvedere” as the organizational spine of the southern part of the campus.The meaning of the second component of the word “belvedere” (vedere - to see) is in danger! 

Our proposal, in response to the programmatic requirements, and in light of those considerations:

- Forms a terminal facade for all the eastward buildings, awaiting and hoping for a similar response from the future buildings westwards.

 - Opens up the southern view from the “belvedere,” by stopping the excessive building that threatens to deprive the university social life nucleus from its natural environmental horizon.

 - Extends the belvedere onto a planted valley, that absorbs the functional needs and environmental requirements of the academic spaces, with the least possible seen built volume.

 - Accompanies the opening up to the horizon with a passage through the work, enhancing the spatial experiences between the two programmatic units.

 - Proposes a series of necessary connexions between academic units, through an upgraded natural environment.

The Biology School Building plays the crucial role of both the link and the boundary, with the Applied Sciences building and all the eastward buildings, and with the shared teaching rooms to the west. This double role is expressed by the linear intensity of the structure and the communicative attributes of the pillared portico. 

The character of the Shared Educational Building, which is no other than the public forum, open to all schools, is expressed by the archetypical structure of the atrium.

2012 Architects  Efthymios Dougkas, Yannis Kizis, Costandis Kizis and Gregory Patsalosavvis

Consultants structure : Phaidon Karydakis / mechanical : Christos Zombolas  Collaborators : renderings : Demetris Batis, illusion 3D / graphic design : Leandros Katsouris