Ladadika- Aristotelous square- White Tower

What I can see

The contrasts that one can notice and feel are not the same during the day. Ladadika, Aristotelous Square and the area around the White Tower emit a different “aura”, despite being so close to each other. During the day, Ladadika is a quiet neighbourhood with cafes, restaurants and old architecture on a human scale. A few metres away, Aristotelous Square has the energy of a big city. The intense social flows, the stores all along the Aristotelous axis, the Kapani and Athonos markets, the varied activities and the European style of the Hebrard committee’s architectural design, make the area the navel of the city. The White Tower area is bustling, with dense apartment buildings and heavy car traffic, which makes the area look different from the other two. At night, however, the tables are turned. The noisy area of the White Tower gets calmer, with less vehicular traffic and less crowded shops, while Ladadika turns into a hub of entertainment, full of people, smells and sounds. In the middle of these two areas, Aristotelous Square, along with some loud mainstream café-bars on Nikis Avenue, acquires a quite different identity compared to daytime.

What I can't see

The main use of the White Tower area buildings is residential. In the Aristotelous Square and along its axis, professional activities are dominant. Likewise in Ladadika, which has been an area of trade and shopping for centuries, is a neighbourhood of entertainment today. Therefore, these contrasts are not accidental, despite the proximity of these three areas.

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