Creative reuse of existing Kastoria building facilities

The specific study concerns an urban-architectural approach to existing degraded spaces and the proposal of their creative reuse, in the city of Kastoria. The phenomenon of reuse of buildings, whether they belong to the public sector or to the private sector, has been established as a modern option all over the world, for several decades. The purpose, beyond the restoration, the implementation of a new use and the reintegration into the urban fabric of the city, is the organization of all these spaces in a cultural-social network, which will satisfy the expectations and demands of both the local public and the visitors, constituting an organized way of promoting and also developing the local culture and history.
Buildings of the municipality of Kastoria are identified and new uses or interventions are proposed. An urban proposal is made, which organizes the sites of interest into tour routes, whether they are already restored sites or are part of the reuse study. Four routes through the city are proposed, which move to adjacent uses and highlight points of interest, inviting the public to get to know the city step by step. A more detailed report is made on three examples, in Xenia of Kastoria, the building of the Old Hospital, a neoclassical residence of 1926 and the unstructured, municipal parking lot, used once a week as an open-air market.
This study proposes the overall management of the available material of a place, in order to utilize it from a common, organized plan, studying deficiencies and proposing ideas with the aim of creating a representative image that will promote the identity of the place of Kastoria.