“If the artwork is a failure or a success at the end – the end … secondary importance – if through this – we have learned to look a little better, to understand a little more, then surely we have won something and the world around us will become wealthier .”
Alberto Giacometti
The archaeological site of “Roman Mansion of Herodes Atticus” in Loukou Kynourias consists of a large Roman building complex with mosaic-floor corridors and marble-cover rooms, which coincides with the Villa of Herodes Atticus.
The monument has the image of open ruins that embedded in a sensitive and gentle landscape, through the extensive olive groves of the area.
The central core of the complex consists of the Terrace, a rectangular in ground plan, and the Garden in the middle and an artificial round moat – river.
On the west side of the atrium dominated by a monumental development platform – Nymphaeum, while the other three sides, the Terrace is surrounded by two floors arcades and respective corridors. The area of the colonnade and corridors behind him had on the ground floor the luxury mosaic, decorated with geometric motives and pictorial representations.
To the north of the atrium is the pillared basilica, more west the scale entry into the colonnade of the atrium and then the private rooms of the mansion with rooms on each side of the hall.
To the south of the central area are Baths, an area referred as Kanopos – Serapeion of the mansion and a royal-memorial (Cenotaph) of Antinous – Dionysus.
To the east of the atrium is a complex residential and pleasure. A raised courtyard marble-floor surrounded by two Nymphaia, behind of which there were wings of rooms, while the east span spaces with mosaic floors and gardens were spanning.
The grid of the colonnade of the monument was the infrastructure for alignments and geometry of the system of shelters which was the requested of the study.
Starting with the grid, and towards a clean and simple structure of the housing, the proposal is summarized in 3 shelters, one in the main nave and two side-by common linear arrangement – direction from East to West, as shown by the layout of the monument.
FLOOR PLAN OF EXISTISNG SITUATION
SHED PLAN WITHOUT THE COATINGS
SHED PLAN WITH COATINGS
According to the commitments of service, the restrictions on the seating of the pillars of the main shelter to secure archaeological positions suggested long overhangs and static bodies of large cross sections.
From the 142m length of the shelter, only 50 meters normally rooted in the garden of the monument, and each obtained two large overhangs of 35 meters, data that could not be reversed and lead to extreme morphological choices and strong efforts to minimize the cross sections of metallic bodies. The hyper-designed and ultimately aggravating the memorial image of the shelter couldn’t be prevented because of the data that were given.
CROSS SECTION OF CENTRAL SHED
1.Paths with mosaics,2.Central atrium,3.Elevated corridor for overseeing mosaics,4.Elevated shed section,5.Prediction for future extension,6.Ventilation systems to prevent frost.
DETAIL FOR VISITING AND MAINTAINING THE SHED
CONSTRUCTION OF OPEN MUSEUM OF CENTRAL PART OF THE “ROMAN MAISON OF HERODES ATTICUS” AT THE LOUKOU KYNOURIAS
SITE: LOUKOU KYNOURIAS, PREFECTURE OF ARCADIA
YEAR: 2006
AREA: 9850M2
COMMISSIONED BY: MINISTRY OF CULTURE – FUND OF MANAGEMENT, CREDIT FOR THE EXPANSION OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL PROJECTS
PROJECT TEAM:
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN: “MELETITIKI, DESIGN OFFICE A.N. TOMBAZIS EPE”
ASSOCIATE OF ARCITECTURAL DESIGN: G.TRIANTAFYLLOU & ASSOCIATES
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER: “F.KARYDAKIS-I.MAFRAKIS & ASSOCIATES” EPE
MECHANICAL ENGINEER: MIHALIS GOUDELIS
MECHANICAL ENGINEERS ASSOCIATES: A.ASIMAKIS-K.GEORGAKOPOULOS-K.PAPAPOSTOLOU & Co.
DIRECTOR OF QUALITY: D. CHRYSIKOPOULOS & ASSOCIATES
SPECIAL CONSULTANT OF RESTORATION-ARCHITECT: GEORGE ANTONIOU