Adjacent to the premises of the Agronomy University of Athens is an area of 25 acres, which is presently being used as a depot by the Organization of Public Transportation of Athens. The future transfer of the OPTA elsewhere, according to the Regulating Plan of the capital, offered the initiative for the working out of a complete plan of reformation and rehabilitation of the specific area. The two main features of the Votanikos depot are: an open-air area, which today appears as a large asphalted surface; and an extensive block of buildings. The replanning of the entire space and the promotion of the existing buildings which will thus obtain a new usage and function, is the target of this article.
The general renovation of all building installations and their equipment with modern technology must be considered as a priority. The promotion of the large, open asphalted area seems rather problematic, but it can be facilitated through the division of the area according to a specific double net. Thus, a perfect traffic network can be created —with roads, pedestrian roads and squares — , and the “Botanical (Votanicos) Gardens” can be revived.
