The Rotunda Monument (Thessaloniki) - Greece

The Rotunda is located in the eastern part of the historical center of Thessaloniki and is one of the most important Roman monuments in Greece. Since 1988 it belongs to the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage sites. On December 18, 2015, after the restoration work, the Rotunda opened its gates to the public and regained its place in the cultural heritage of Thessaloniki.

The International distinction in the "Friendly Spaces" competition of the International Union of Architects (UIA) was won by the Transportation Systems Research Group of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), for interventions to improve the physical and perceptual accessibility of the Rotunda Monument for persons with disabilities, implemented as part of the AUTH research project "Prospelasis".

The Rotunda is now accessible to all persons with disabilities. To this end, a pedestrian bridge, approximately 15.5 m long, was built to connect the sidewalk with the so-called "Imperial" entrance, a new staircase inside the Monument was completed and an internal elevator was installed.

A Wi-Fi system was installed that provides information about the Monument, in text, audio (Greek, English, Russian), as well as in sign language (Greek and international). The visitor can now get the relevant information via his mobile phone (third generation) or via tablet, a limited number of which are also available from the staff of the Monument.

At the entrance of the new access point, a metal tactile model was installed, on an appropriate scale, which was coated with a suitable material to facilitate touch by visitors with blindness. At the same time, information about the Monument is given to blind visitors through a specially designed audio "finger tour", which is also accessible via the Memorial's Wi-Fi. An informative sign was also installed at the entrance to the Monument.

More about accessibility in the Rotunda Monument.

More about the Rotunda Monument.