Articulating iconic architecture, heritage and public perceptions through digital narratives in Eleftheria Square, Nicosia

Source abstract

Eleftheria Square, in Nicosia, is a multi-level public space that breaks through the city’s mediaeval fortifications to bridge the historic city with its modern extensions. Officially opened in 2021, this emblematic location was redesigned by Zaha Hadid Architects, after winning an international competition in 2005. Presented as a project that reintegrates overlooked spaces with the urban fabric and connects heritage with contemporary sensibilities and technological advancement, Eleftheria Square has also received criticism for exorbitant costs and delays, disregard for history and indifference towards the site’s unforgiving climatic conditions. Four years after its grand opening, the main civic space of Nicosia is starting to become part of the city’s life. Using Netnography and input from ZHA, this paper studies the narratives of its remodeling, its function as an intersection of past and present, and the city residents' and visitors’ growing love-hate relationship with it.