A Square or a Bridge? The Eleftheria Square Case Proceedings of the 7th International Space Syntax Symposium Edited by Daniel Koch, Lars Marcus and Jesper Steen, Stockholm: KTH, 2009. Ref 013 013:1 Nadia Charalambous University of Cyprus, Department of Architecture, Nicosia, Cyprus charalambous.n@unic.ac.cy Christos Hadjichristos University of Cyprus, Department of Architecture, Nicosia, Cyprus hadjichristos@ucy.ac.cy Keywords sense of place; space syntax; spatial cognition; Eleftheria Square Abstract This paper deals with the nature of the urban square as a socioeconomic and spatial phenomenon and focuses on the notion of a sense of “place” as an important characteristic. The walled city of Nicosia is connected with the city outside the walls through three gates, two on the south and one on the north. Still, the main connection between the old and the new city which evolved through historical time, is Eleftheria Square. Although the spatial characteristics of the space are geometrically more those of a bridge rather than a square, it is symbolically, the centre of the south section of the city. This is where major events such as political rallies, soccer celebrations and New Years festivities take place. Following an international competition, Zaha Hadid’s office was awarded the first prize and the commission for the renovation of the existing square. However, when the design was presented to the public, there were strong protests against it, partly because, according to the protestors, the proposal forces what is essentially a bridge, to acquire the spatial requirements of a “square”. This forms, according to this paper, a major challenge for scientific research: to explore the potential of a methodology which combines both a spatial analysis of the square and people’s intuitive explanations. Consequently, the present study suggests the development of such a method which combines both quantitative, spatial analysis of the structure and morphology of the urban “square” and qualitative investigation of individual perceptions and aspirations. This is suggested through a) spatial descriptions and analysis of urban structure independent of people’s experience of, feelings and personal judgments about the meanings of their city’s central square and b) qualitative data of individual and community understanding, perceptions and aspirations of the spatial qualities of their city’s main square. 1. Introduction The sense of “place” has been a central discourse for architects and urban planners during the past years. Globalization, increased mobility, relocation of people to new cities and countries has formed both a major challenge and a need for the creation of recognizable “places” that will contribute towards distinctive urban environments. Architects and urban designers are thus called in to either design such sustainable and distinctive “places” or to redesign the old ones reinforcing existing dynamics. That was the aim of the Municipality of Nicosia when a decision was taken to hold a competition for redesigning the area around the city’s central urban square. Described as “the most important link between the historic centre and the contemporary city” (Evripidou, 2008) Eleftheria Square has been the focus of high profile activities such as advertising promotions, political rallies and celebrations of sporting events. The competition for the redesign of the area was held in 2005 and the first prize was awarded to the study of Zaha Hadid, Christos Passas and Saffet Bekiroglu.