Eleftheria Square is the main square in central Nicosia, Cyprus. It is located in the center of the town, below the Venetian walls of the medieval city.
First meeting of Occupy Buffer Zone in Eleftheria Square, Oct. 15, 2011.
Photo by Apastel via Wikipedia.
The square is usually the focus of various high-profile activities in the capital, such as political rallies sporting events. Celebrations such as Cyprus’s accession to the European Union were also centered around the square.
At present, the square is not pedestrianized, so when major events take place, vehicle traffic has to be rerouted.
Evicting vehicles from the square has long been envisioned as a strategy for revitalizing and beautifying it.
Prior to renovation. Photo by Giorgis 2011 via Wikipedia.
The demand for the pedestrianization—which has been undergoing a major renovation for over five years—was first proposed by a group of Nicosia residents concerned about the dangerous, noisy, and polluting volume of traffic.
The residents said they want a square that will serve as a public meeting area and not as a road. They argue that, by definition, a public square “is an area where citizens assemble to socialize”. Otherwise, they say, it would be called a road or an avenue.
Zaha Hadid’s redesign.
The redevelopment of the square, based on a design by the late award-winning architect Zaha Hadid, aims to reconnect the capital’s Venetian walls and moat with the modern commercial center of the capital.
All images courtesy Zaha Hadid Architects unless otherwise credited.