A Transscalar Walking Workshop on Urban Public Space
within the framework of the lecture by Andrés Jaque
Date: 22 May 2026
Time: 17:30–19:00
Location: Historic Centre of Limassol
Meeting Point: Grigoris Afxentiou Square (in front of the District Office Building)
Prelude
Andrés Jaque is an architect, researcher and founder of Office for Political Innovation (OFFPOLINN), exploring architecture as a political, ecological and social practice. His work investigates the invisible systems shaping contemporary environments.
About the Workshop
Unspoken Environments is a short participatory walking workshop inviting participants to observe and interpret the overlooked environmental qualities of urban public space within the historic centre of Limassol.
The workshop proposes walking as a collective tool for reading the city through atmosphere, microclimate, material conditions and everyday urban activity. Moving through shaded streets, public thresholds, cafés and spaces of gathering, participants will reflect on how urban life is shaped by active urban equipment and informal spatial infrastructures.
The workshop walk will unfold along Anexartisias Street — one of Limassol’s most significant commercial and public urban axes. Historically a vibrant retail spine, the street is today at the centre of an active public debate concerning mobility, public space and urban transformation.
Recent public consultations organized by the Municipality of Limassol have highlighted key challenges, including spatial fragmentation, limited shading and microclimatic comfort, conflicts between pedestrians and vehicles, and a lack of green infrastructure. At the same time, there is a growing recognition of the street’s potential to evolve into a more cohesive and inclusive urban environment.
The ongoing discussion focuses on reimagining Anexartisias Street not merely as a corridor of movement, but as an urban destination — one that supports social interaction, enhances environmental performance, and strengthens the identity of the historic centre.
In dialogue with the work of Andrés Jaque, architecture is approached not as an autonomous object but as a network of ecological, social and technological relations. The workshop shifts attention toward the embedded and often unnoticed systems that support public life in the city.
The first part of the workshop will consist of a collective walking route through the city centre. The second part will take the form of an open discussion around active urban equipment as a spatial system. Participants will then be invited to develop and present a speculative idea or observation using the medium of their choice.
Central Question
How can architecture reveal and reinterpret the invisible systems shaping urban public space?
Workshop Themes
Participants may explore:
shade, heat, movement, waiting, social interaction, urban furniture, temporary occupation, microclimates, rhythms of use and more-than-human interactions.
Methodology
The workshop combines:
• walking as spatial reading
• embodied observation
• collective discussion
• transscalar thinking
• open-format representation
Structure
Duration: 60–90 minutes
1 — Introduction (10 min)
2 — Walking Observation through the city centre (20–30 min)
3 — Collective Discussion on Active Urban Equipment (20 min)
4 — Individual / Group Proposal Development (15–20 min)
5 — Collective Sharing and Discussion (15 min)
Audience
Open to students, architects, artists and researchers. No prior experience required.
Registration
Participation is free of charge. Due to limited capacity, registration is required.
The workshop brief is available for download as a PDF.
Organised by
Cyprus Architects Association