1 The typologies of refugees camps in Greece | July 2016
The typologies of refugees camps in Greece
[Autonoma] - Towards a collective city Athens, July 2016
Nikos Belavilas, Polina Prentou
National Technical University of Athens - School of Architecture Urban Environment Lab
2 The typologies of refugees camps in Greece | July 2016
The refugees case
Crossing the Mediterranean and the Aegean Sea (UNHCR, Summer 2015)
Aegean Sea crossings 2015-2016 (UNHCR data)
• 817.175 refugees
• 410 deaths - 138 missing
• 38% children
• Syria (57%), Afghanistan (30%), Iraq (10%), Iran (3%), Pakistan (3%)
Palestine (1%) Morocco (1%), Somalia (1%) etc.
3 The typologies of refugees camps in Greece | July 2016
Categories of refugees camps
• small rescue centers (Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Tempi)
• unorganised outdoors gatherings (Port of Mytilene-Lesvos, Port of Chios, Port of
Samos, Polykastro-Central Macedonia, Victoria Sq. Athens, Pedion Areos-
Athens)
• open camps (50 units, 45.000 people -Lesvos, Attica, Sterea Ellada, Epirus,
Macedonia, Peloponnese)
• accommodation in housing units (6.500 people: Lesvos, Athens, Piraeus,
Thessaloniki)
• Closed camps - Hot Spots (3 units-Lesvos, Chios, Samos)
Evolution of camps’ network
(Coordinating Body for the Refugee Crisis, 2016)
4 The typologies of refugees camps in Greece | July 2016
Camps’ spacemaking - example cases
Big camps (organised or informal) hosting hundreds of refugees
• 12.000-13.000 people at Eidomeni
• 2.000-3.000 people at Kara-Tepe (Lesvos Island), Skaramangas (Attica)
or Cherso (Central Madeconia)
• 5.000 people at Piraeus port (Attica)
5 The typologies of refugees camps in Greece | July 2016
Elements and forms
6 The typologies of refugees camps in Greece | July 2016
Eidomeni
7 The typologies of refugees camps in Greece | July 2016
Eidomeni
NGOs’ Facilities
BORDER LINE
Canteen
NGOs’ Facilities
8 The typologies of refugees camps in Greece | July 2016
Kara-Tepe
9 The typologies of refugees camps in Greece | July 2016
Kara-Tepe
Children playing
Kara-Tepe Square Activities
Administration Canteen
Medical Care
NGOs’ Facilities
10 The typologies of refugees camps in Greece | July 2016
Skaramangas
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Skaramangas
Administration
NGOs’ Medical care Education
Children playing Activities Facilities
The “stroll”
Canteen
12 The typologies of refugees camps in Greece | July 2016
Cherso
13 The typologies of refugees camps in Greece | July 2016
Cherso
Administration
NGOs Medical care Education Canteen
Activities Facilities Activities
Education
14 The typologies of refugees camps in Greece | July 2016
Piraeus port
15 The typologies of refugees camps in Greece | July 2016
Piraeus port
16 The typologies of refugees camps in Greece | July 2016
Piraeus port
17 The typologies of refugees camps in Greece | July 2016
Urban prototypes - key elements
• economy on space / economy on infrastructure
• equity and democracy in space
• bas-relief elements
• orientation points
• four basic minimum units (XL tent, L tent, “igloo”, container)
• need of access and infrastructure
• “order” as surveillance by the community
• “order” in space, social community and hierarchy
environment / prototypes / units
18 The typologies of refugees camps in Greece | July 2016
Final remarks
• places of collective communal living • development of a full hybrid of urban fabric at organised camps changeable transformative structure
• primitive organisation of a meteor urban space for and by scared people
at the informal camps
19 The typologies of refugees camps in Greece | July 2016
The typologies of refugees camps in Greece
[Autonoma] - Towards a collective city Athens, July 2016
Nikos Belavilas, Polina Prentou
National Technical University of Athens - School of Architecture Urban Environment Lab