TERRA CHANEA

In archaeology, the phrase in situ refers to an artefact that has not been moved from its original location. Being an artefact in situ is crucial in the interpretation of both the specific find and the culture that created it.
Katehaki Square is part of this archaeological context. The artefacts surrounding it (Great Arsenal, Neoria, Byzantine Wall) have been registered in the collective memory of the people of Chania and have marked the historical formation of the city. However, its current use as a parking facility overlaps the historical value of these buildings.
The proposal aims more than any morphological or architectural intervention in the city, to treat the proposal of the square as an archaeological excavation in the surrounding area of the existing urban fabric in order to highlight the in situ archaeological artefacts and the possible archaeological findings that will result from the aforementioned excavation.
However, our intention is not to take the visitor of the square back in time, but to integrate the square into the urban fabric as a modern cultural pole of hyper-local value. The promotion of the culture of canea, integrates and intensifies the current and future use of the archaeological artefacts as cultural spaces (KAM, theatre etc.) creating an integrated architectural and cultural set of outdoor and indoor spaces. Culture as a land use meets culture as an archaeological site, making Katehaki Square a multifaceted attraction for visitors from all over Crete.