The project seeks to act as a catalyst for the future reunification of the divided city of Nicosia. The ancient walled city is surrounded by 16th century fortified walls and a dry moat, and a "green line" divides the old city and surrounding areas into separate Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot districts; the new project is conceived as a necklace or "orbital park of public spaces in the now-elevated bed of the moat that accommodates much-needed car parking underneath. Plazas, parklands, palm-lined promenades, and sports fields now constitute a green belt surrounding the city, and the fluid nature of the design establishes accessible connections to the old and new areas of the city.
Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture
