As a two person team, we started working on this diploma project with two things in mind: to create something interesting and for it to be as real as a diploma project can be. So, we created a cultural and research centre, which will act as a meeting place, where ideas can be shared, born and developed, and as an inspirational workspace and a place of innovation. The main idea is to be operated by student, but its services will be open to use for everybody.

 In the old cotton factory at Nea Ionia of Volos we created this cultural and research centre. The industrial outer shell of the building has been kept intact and the logic behind the design of the new facilities is in a “box in a box” concept. The building is, thus, divided in two sectors. The one is closed and contains all the laboratories and research facilities and the second one is semi -open and supports the cultural aspect of our idea. The open part consists of an indoor amphitheatre of 500 seats and an open one in the back of the first. There is also a reception desk, cafe and resting space. The closed part contains the research laboratories. These are divided into two categories. The first is Image and Sound and includes a Sound Lab , in a “black box theatre” logic, with changing reverberation time as well as a music studio. Last but not least a Lighting studio and a light measuring lab.

 The second category is construction. It includes laser cutter and 3D printer machines as well as CNC routers.

 To complete all these labs come two last spaces. One is a workshop space, designed for classes, lectures, experiments, construction projects etc and the other is an Audio Visual computer Lab which acts as a pre production - post editing place as well as an IT department.

 A university is a place of knowledge and a space which acts as a motive towards development and improvement. With this thought in mind we realised this project.