Oval Studio together with Microgeographies ( microgeographies.org) has submitted two proposals for the initiative ΠΟΛΗ 2 of the Municipality of Athens 

http://www.polis2.thisisathens.org/to-programma/

The first initiative revolved around the Plato Academy and most specifically with the nearby Plato Square, which got its name recently after demands from the local group Akademia. Working in tight collaboration with the group members, who to a majority are also citizens of the area, we proposed small bottom up interventions that could make the currently neglected public square into a stage of future activities. This is not so much urban design as much as it is finding temporary, cheap yet ingenious design solutions built on the locals needs that would eventually reinforce their presence in the area and create a more dynamic and alive neighborhood. In the case of the Plato Square our effort has been the creation of a modular stage combined mainly of wooden chipboard benches.

In a similar manner the second initiative involved the collaboration with the Ilissos Initiative to propose a small intervention that would signal the presence of Ilissos River, now fully covered, on the fabric of the city. A small curvy bench, accompanied with a signage system has been proposed as a possible installation in various spots along the river route. The installation would run for a period of six months as a temporary reminder of what lies underneath the city surface. Other narratives relative to the particular sites chosen would also be exposed in a cross reading of the site. The whole design is meant to be only symbolic and thus basic in its expression.