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Anastassia Tzobanaki, Theodore Tselepides
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Metope is an isle of the Saronic Golf, located between Agistri and Aegina, southwest to the port of Aegina and northeast of the cape Saint Georgios of Agistri island. It is 1km long and expands from southwest to northeast. It’s presence, in fact, on this specific spot, creates two pathways: one between Agistri and Metope, with swallow waters and a second, between Aegina and Metope, with deeper, thus less dangerous waters. Geologically, the isle constitutes the peak of an Isthmus that used to connect Aegina with Agistri, a peak that later sedimented. Metope, in general, is an overgrown isle. It was used as a pasture for animals from Agistri and as a vineyard. It is a property of the Holy Church of Chrysoleontissa, that later, in the beginning of 20th Century, shared the isle among 210 sites distributed to local people.
Research data
Isles: a catalogue of new panoramas
To understand Metope Isle we defined the “isle” mass and approach the scale of area that isles all over Greece have. Continuing is a research on Isles, an effort made to record the number of isles and their location, a list made to categorize them in order of use and property, a code-name strategy of isles’ description.
Isles: A manual for the new Panoramas
We expect to create a list of ideas of categories that can sum up the main strategies that can be used for isles. Coming up with four main categories, the strategy we propose has as an inspiration the “Metope Isle” but can be used as a manual for other isles too.The first one is “inactivity”, here no changes are made, everything freeze and remain as they are. The location, the view, the panorama, the textures, the non-planned use and the nature.The second category is “experience”, here we consider Metope as a free space where you can experience the purity of nature comparatively to the intervention of some paths all over the isle.The third category is “exploitation” where we classify any kind of use that Metope can have. The history that already exists, the old use that has as a pasture for animals from Agistri and as a vineyard but also as a future resort.Finally, the last category is “corrosion”. Here the main axis of thoughts was the nature herself and the effect of corroding on the isle. We tried to imagine the future Metope, where wind and waves have made the isle disappear. We believe that we should keep some pages blank for ideas to come.Those 4 categories compose a list of thoughts and ideas for creating strategies about isles. Metope, was definitely an inspiration for creating a catalogue of new panoramas.
Inactivity:
Inactivity in the catalogue represents the sector that leaves the presence of the isle as it is. No changes are made, everything freeze and remain as they are; the view, the location, the panoramas, the textures, the non-planned use and the nature by herself. In most of isles the only think that is possible to be done or need to happen is let its natural view and presence remain in time. We believe that inactivity is only referring to the physical-nature of the isles. This section of the catalogue needs to record and transmit the majesty of nature through the creations that produces. Isles can be used in an inactive way, remaining as parts of the past, creating new paths between bigger territories; new spaces and places of creation in a spontaneous way and stay on as blanc canvas waiting to be filled with action, an action that may never happen. Metope is an isle full of majestic panoramas, a creation of earth and God that remains as a stain in the Saronic Golf waiting to be filled with activity and at the same time it is the representation of the most active place in a natural way. Through the semester we tried to result in one way of using the territory, but we always conclude in leaving the canvas empty as a free space for nature to continue the circle of life that takes place on it.
Experience:
Experience is the second section of the list where Metope is considered as a free space to feel and recognize the purity of nature comparatively to the intervention of some paths all over the isle. A chain of paths that connect Agistri and Metope mark the places of comparation, the different appearances of natural phenomena; the spots of unique panoramas. We imagined that section as the one that only needs to create paths with the minimum footprint. The products of this imaginary category will try to submit the visitors in a procedure of experiencing the character of the isle. In the example of Metope, circled paths mark the biotope, the corroding side and finally the higher spot where the chain connection is visible from an upper site but also panoramas with Agistri and Aegina. In order to make the marked areas clearer in the experience we imagine creating a contrast between the inside of the circle and the outside -on Metope’s territory-, we fill the negative of the ‘massed’ circles with greens, transforming the site in huge jungle or park. This new reality made outside of the circles is the background of contrast experience. This use of isles can be used on those that create a natural bridge between two or more sites; in this way an intermediate experience takes place.
Exploitation:
Exploitation is the third category, here are three ways of use that we propose; Resort Isle, Energy Isle and Re-use the Isle in the old way. Metope in this category can be transformed into a space of mass tourism, a place of hard work or a site of old technics of cultivation. We propose this section to give an idea to the sponsors how to use in a profitable their isle.
Corrosion:
Corrosion, in this section we tried to imagine the future Metope, where wind and waves have made the isle disappear, the main axis of thoughts was the nature herself and the effect of corroding on the isle.
