Eleftheria Square / Zaha Hadid Architects

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Zaha Hadid Architects has completed Eleftheria Square, a public park that runs alongside the historic Venetian Walls of Nicosia, Cyprus.

The multi-level Eleftheria Square is built within a section of the dry moat that, together with the Venetian Walls, marks the boundary between the oldest part of the city and the new neighbourhoods that surround it.

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Zaha Hadid Architects' (ZHA) design transforms this previously inaccessible area into a series of tree-lined promenades, paved plazas, green spaces and water features.

The architects' ambition is for the park to be the first stage in creating a "green belt" around the perimeter of the old city.

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As the Venetian Walls and moat extend across the Green Line that separates the Greek side of Cyprus from the Turkish occupied side, ZHA believe the project could become part of a reunification of the capital.

"ZHA's transformation of Eleftheria Square weaves together Nicosia's rich history with an unwavering optimism for the future," said the studio.

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"[The] design proposes these new public spaces within the moat are extended to follow the ancient city walls and encircle Nicosia, reconnecting communities of this divided capital," it added.

The landscape incorporates a series of curving concrete bridges and access routes, which help to negotiate the change in level between the base of the dry moat and neighbouring streets.