Myrto Matthaiou is an architect (University of Patras, 2005) and holds a Master's degree in "Monuments Protection. Conservation and Restoration of Historic Buildings and Sites." (National Technical University of Athens, 2008). Since 2005, she has worked as an architect based in Athens, focusing primarily on the design and construction of building projects. Furthermore, she has collaborated with the Hellenic Ministry of Culture on restoration and conservation projects of historic buildings.
Her research interests focus on issues of Athens urban development and natural landscape.
 

The unique geological features of the Athens Basin facilitated the formation of a dense and intricate network of streams that directed rainwater from the surrounding hills to the Saronic Gulf. Historical cartographic evidence substantiates this network's role as a fundamental component of the Attic landscape. However, extensive urbanization led to the transformation of these streams initially into open drainage channels and eventually into the underground sewage system, while the covered surface areas were repurposed for roadways. This resulted in the significant degradation of Athens' natural water landscape.
In pursuit of urban sustainability, contemporary urban water management strategies offer new avenues for reshaping the urban landscape and enabling large-scale interventions. The global experience regarding urban streams currently showcases numerous projects of stream daylighting (uncovering and restoring buried streams) within urban contexts, serving not only as a critical component of sustainable urban water management but also enhancing the functional and aesthetic aspects of the urban environment.
The considerable destruction of the hydrographic network, alongside the diffuse nature and fragmented public spaces of the city, render Athens an ideal context for exploring the possibility of buried streams restoration and potential utilization in urban spaces restructure.
The research aims to examine the extensive interventions in the Ilisos stream in correlation with the evolution of the surrounding urban fabric. Furthermore, a methodological framework will be developed incorporating design guidelines for the systematic and well-documented stream daylighting within the contemporary urban context, thereby redefining the relationship between the city and the natural landscape, particularly exemplified through the Ilisos case.
The objective of the research is to systematically document the hydrographic network of Athens prior to interventions and analyze the city as a product of interactions between the urban and natural landscape.
Furthermore, the study aspires to contribute to the development of a new urban design tool for reshaping the contemporary urban environment, by means of restructuring public spaces, along with promoting both functional and aesthetic enhancements, sustainability, and future-oriented development.
 

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