Irini Klidara (born in Cyprus, 1995) is an architect and a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Cyprus. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Cyprus in 2018. Irini has professional experience with renowned architectural firms, including XZA Architects in Athens, Athos Dikaios + Associates Architects in Nicosia, and she is currently employed at Panayides-Spinazzola Architects. Engaging in freelance projects, she has enthusiastically taken part in architectural competitions, winning the 1st prize for the Sports Hall at Pangkiprio Gymnasium in 2023 and the 2nd prize in the competition for the Municipal “Park of Colours” in Paphos in 2020. Moreover, her practical experience encompasses apartment buildings, houses and the design and restoration of listed buildings.

Her academic interests focus on the contemporary waterfront as a field of contrasts and interaction between changing global and local needs. Specifically, her research centers on the significance of the waterfront as a public space in the contemporary city and its multifaceted nature. It explores the necessity for preservation, redefinition, or repurposing of the waterfront as a public space for the urban relief.

Key Words: public space, Local Identity, global needs, Local vs Global, waterfront