The thesis deals with the revival of the term " Down Square" in the city of Ioannina. It is initiated from the problematic of the paradox of the relationship between the Upper & Lower Square, two public spaces in the city of Ioannina in the last century. Its object is the redevelopment of the space of the current popular market of Ioannina as a new space of open-air market, gathering & socializing.  This is attempted through an integrated process of analysis, recording, investigation and planning from the smallest to the largest scale. This approach combines a phenomenological understanding of place with the emergence of the historical and social identity of the area through urban design, thus creating a multifunctional public space that responds to the needs of the local community, redefining the relationship of users with the city and its history.

The theoretical framework of the thesis is firstly set out, examining place as a 'palimpsest' of contemporary realities, a wider complex dynamic phenomenon, which acquires a multidimensional substance as it is composed of individual spatial, political, economic, social and cultural phenomena. The purpose of this chapter is to identify, document and investigate the interlocking systems of phenomena and signs that have organized the form and function of the city and society of Ioannina since its foundation, thus forming a spatial-morphological system of meaning that interacts with its users even today.

Then, after drawing the first hyper-local conclusions about the formation of the city of Ioannina, the analysis is carried out on a site-specific basis in the plot located in the heart of the city, in order to understand the spatial, historical and social characteristics and phenomena that take place on the ground.

Then, in order to justify the decision to choose this particular location, a feasibility study and a SWOT analysis is carried out in order to take into account a series of criteria (spatial, historical, socio-economic and architectural & urban design criteria) and to highlight all those characteristics that make the location ideal for hosting this use.

Subsequently, in an attempt to attribute symbolism to public space through design, the relationship between intangible (inter)mental phenomenon and the material dimension, material life and culture is examined through the investigation of dynamic models and the extraction of forms as a background for design. For this to happen, the analysis of traditional songs and sounds that encapsulate the feeling and experiences of the place, of Ioannina and Epirus in general, is chosen, with the aim of "constructing" primitive morphological diagrams that could form the basis of an "almost architectural".

In the last chapter of the work, the synthesis of the proposal is carried out through the integration of the findings of the preceding analysis and the intentions on the design.

The proposal is structured through 5 design movements that aim to create a "living space" that highlights the identity of the area and responds to the needs of all users.

The first design movement is inspired by the phrase "Giannina first in chariots, in money and in culture" and proposes the co-conception of the city centre as a single system of 3 cores. The military history of the city through the reuse of the VIII Brigade as a museum (tanks), the commercial-economic function of the city as an open-air market (brosies) and finally the redevelopment of the open space of the Ioannina Cultural Centre as an open exhibition space for contemporary art and theatrical performances and concerts (letters). Moreover, through the creation of these 3 cores, the intermediate residual space is designed as a natural "bridge" connecting the urban space with the natural one, as the square acquires a new green character through the creation of a park and an urban forest, offering environmental benefits and enhancing the connection with the hill of Litharitsia, promoting biodiversity and improving the microclimate.

A second design move is the integration of the market area with the Cultural Centre site through the elimination of traffic lanes.

The third design element is the presence of water as an element of purification and cleansing on the land that was once the site of the massacre of 200 people who ran for shelter in the reed beds of the area, resulting in the name 'Fountain of Blood'.

A fourth design move is the combination of a single cast floor across the entire surface of the intervention of the lower square, where it is parallelled by the use of bricks, as a reminder of the function of the brickworks, while at the same time, through a more dynamic approach, the carving of running paths made of Ioannina marble in the handling of the floor is carried out, so that it also serves as a reminder of the function of the site as a gym and a place for sports demonstrations.

A fifth design movement is the shaping of the spatial footprint of the proposal. This is carried out following the spatial understanding of the city of Ioannina and the understanding of the development of its spatial footprint as developed in the first stages of the analysis, aiming for the form of the lower square to emerge from the integration of the trace of the city's spatial footprint. At the same time, through the implementation of the spatial trace, a new urban axis emerges that connects the centre of the city of Ioannina with Lake Pamvotis, restoring the geographical and functional relationship of the city with the water element. The new axis enriches the spatial continuity, highlighting the lake as a key landmark.

The last step of the thesis is the synthesis of the concept. This thesis treats the concept of the market-bazaar in the form of the Bezesten covered market, which appears both in Ioannina and in many important Ottoman cities as a core of urban life. The compositional approach of the proposal was formulated on the basis of the morphological investigation diagram in combination with the analysis of the typological and morphological characteristics of Bezesten, the buildings adjacent to the plot, and the research in the international literature.

Keywords:  Architecture, Urban design, Revival, Spatial awareness, Phenomena, Urban planning

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