Athens is getting a special green oasis with a Japanese feeling. The first public Japanese Garden in the country was handed over by the Municipality of Athens to the residents and visitors of the city, at the location of the Niriidon Park, in Pagrati.
The construction of the new theme park, which is one of the most important recreational areas in Athens with a surface of 3,500 square meters, was carried out with the kind support of JT International Hellas, through the “Adopt Your City” program. The park is under the aegis of the Embassy of Japan in Greece. The Garden is verdant with elements of the Japanese philosophy based on “Biophilic Design”, a pioneering design based on the innate need of humans to be in contact with nature, within the modern environment. The conceptbehind this special point of contact with the culture of Japanese gardens was “conceived” following the suggestion of the President of the Hellenic-Japanese Association, Demosthenes Vratsanos.
The new urban green area in the heart of the city, designed and implemented by the landscape architecture companyEcoscapes, combines symbolism and elements from different eras of Japanese tradition. The Garden is composed of areas of intense vegetation and water, taking into account the principles of Japanese culture for a balanced alternation of the elements of earth, water and fire.
In the study of this innovative project, the climate of Attica was necessarily taken into account: the selection of plants was based on species derived from both Japanese and Mediterranean flora. The famous Japanese maples, cherry blossoms and bamboo coexist in the park with angelicas, myrtles and laurels. The combination of pruned bushes with rocks and pebbles formed “calm” paths through the garden, while the granite seating areas created a beautiful meeting place, offering park visitors the possibility of seclusion and peace, in the heart of the city.
