This history thesis, through the case study of Hermoupolis, the port city of the island of Syros, investigates the spatial imprint of the social functioning of that region during the 19th century. It is an attempt to study the development of the whole city and the evolution of a network, extending beyond its physical boundaries, when everything was at its full and Hermoupolis, one of the most critical commercial and industrial centers. Undeniably, the interaction of land and sea, through the people and their actions, formed the unique entity of this multilayered city. Therefore, the waterfront, as the physical border of that interaction, is the place that can reveal that process as a palimpsest of every former condition. Through a systematic study of the local archive of the island, this research combines different mediums to produce a map corresponding to that era to underline how this city was formed through the constant interaction of land, people, and sea.

96 years after Eric Gunnar Asplund designed Stockholm City Library, this narrative portrays the evolution of the Library as a whole, as an essential institution of the local society, and as one of Asplund’s oeuvres. By embracing the surroundings, as Asplund did, and revealing the hidden processes of this public institution, the building will enter a new era that will help it evolve throughout the years and encourage people to engage with the city and its components. Practically unfolding the guidelines mentioned above meant exploring the scale and the materiality of the interventions suggested. The transformation of the Stockholm City Library into a common space would not happen through a massive expansion but through acupuncture and highly contextual interventions. Their scale and materiality were explored together in an attempt to engage the library, the city and the landscape.

96 years after Eric Gunnar Asplund designed Stockholm City Library, this narrative portrays the evolution of the Library as a whole, as an essential institution of the local society, and as one of Asplund’s oeuvres. By embracing the surroundings, as Asplund did, and revealing the hidden processes of this public institution, the building will enter a new era that will help it evolve throughout the years and encourage people to engage with the city and its components. Practically unfolding the guidelines mentioned above meant exploring the scale and the materiality of the interventions suggested. The transformation of the Stockholm City Library into a common space would not happen through a massive expansion but through acupuncture and highly contextual interventions. Their scale and materiality were explored together in an attempt to engage the library, the city and the landscape.

This article investigates the spatial form and social functioning of Hermoupolis, a port city of the Greek island of Syros in the 19th century. It studies the historical development of Hermoupolis into one of the most important commercial and industrial centers and explores the role the port city played as a node in a larger network which extends beyond its physical boundaries. It examines the particular connection between land and sea, and the way that the island’s people and visitors have perceived the multila yered city. Through a systematic study of the local archive of the island, this research highlights the functions located near the waterfront during the 19th century and the complex network that formed and shaped the social functioning of that city.@en