The Archaeological Shelter Kit-of-Parts
A new way to conserve, interpret and display World Heritage Sites and antiquities
Given multiple conflicting pressures, how can World Heritage Sites and other guardians of important archaeological sites best protect and display their treasures? Cullinan Studio has developed an innovative architectural approach that could transform the way we preserve – and view – antiquities…
From intricate Roman mosaics to ancient lost cities, the world is full of buried treasures – uncovered and interpreted by archaeologists, visited by thousands of tourists and protected by local authorities and international organisations like UNESCO or The Getty Conservation Institute. But stewardship of globally important historical sites brings great challenges. How can you balance the need to conserve priceless antiquities with the desire to showcase them? How can you build practical, visitor-friendly centres in World Heritage Sites without detracting from sensitive landscapes and environments?
At Cullinan Studio we believe that thoughtful, innovative architecture provides the solutions to these problems. We have designed masterplans and buildings for seven World Heritage Sites, from Stonehenge to Petra in Jordan.
But it was while working on a shelter design for Roman mosaics in Cyprus that we developed an architectural prototype which we believe can be transformative in the display and conservation of ancient sites – not just in Cyprus, but across the Mediterranean and worldwide.
The challenge
Listed as a World Heritage Site since 1980, the Paphos Archaeological Park in Nea Paphos, Cyprus stands on the site of an ancient city and hosts a wealth of treasures of exceptional architectural and historical value, many still under excavation. These include four large Roman villas with superb mosaic floors, recognised as some of the most beautiful in the world.
In the process of designing a shelter system for these mosaics for the Department of Antiquities, Cyprus and the Getty Conservation Institute, we identified a series of challenges and conflicting pressures, which we recognised would also be faced by many other current and future archaeological sites. These include the following needs:
PROTECTION – protect sites and artefacts from the elements and from the public.
LEGIBILITY – create an attractive, legible visitor experience.
LIGHT TOUCH – create lightweight buildings in important, sensitive locations.
LOW TECH; HIGH PERFORMANCE – find economical solutions for large and varied sites.
LOW IMPACT – minimise carbon emissions.
The ‘Kit-of-Parts’
Working closely with engineers Buro Happold, we sought to answer the twin challenges of creating a shelter for the mosaics (technical, following the science), and enhancing the visitor experience (visual, dynamic, story-telling). We have worked together on many projects that have involved a systems approach to design - integrating structure and environmental design with the architectural intent to create sophisticated shelters for visitors.
Our solution comes together in our prototype shelter, fittingly based on the Ancient Roman builders’ ‘kit-of-parts’ approach. To design their domestic and civic architecture the Romans would start with standard elements – column, architrave, cornice, pediment, arch, portico, frieze etc – and then customise them for particular sites by subtly adding detail from a template of options; for example, column shafts could be smooth or fluted.
Our contemporary kit-of-parts system has similarly been designed with elegance and simplicity in mind, from materials that are universally available. It is adaptable, flexible, easy to build and cost-effective. And it directly addresses the specific challenges faced by archaeological sites.
Our kit-of-parts creates a suspended enclosure of protective timber louvres. Walkways allow visitors to study the mosaics at different levels, with lanterns focusing indirect daylight to highlight the mosaics against a darker backdrop. Adjustable chainmail curtains define the mosaic rooms and carry projected interpretation. The walkways can become external balconies to interpret the wider archaeological context.
The Cullinan Studio Kit-of-Parts: meeting the challenges
1) PROTECTION: Protecting sites and artefacts from the elements and the public
Having lain undisturbed below ground for millennia , once discovered and exposed, mosaics become under threat from the elements: direct sunlight, rain, salt from onshore winds and groundwater.
Structures built to shelter antiquities must guard against multiple threats and maintain the internal climatic conditions needed to conserve often fragile artefacts. The degradation of an exposed mosaic has many causes and at Nea Paphos we analysed the threats to define some principles to guide our design for a protective shelter. These passive design principles were then overlaid with strategies to enhance the visitors’ experience: to view and enjoy the treasures while minimising the risk of direct contact and damage.
An analysis of the combined threats to the mosaics and how to deal with them
2) LEGIBILITY: Creating a visitor experience responsive to context
Ancient sites need to be protected from damage by the public as much as the elements – but at the same time it is vital that people can enjoy visiting them. Every visitor could potentially become an advocate for conservation and a promoter of cultural tourism.
This means not only providing pleasant environments and adequate catering and facilities, but also giving visitors context for the artefacts, rendering the site legible and ensuring their experience is informative and meaningful. Our design uses a system of sliding chainmail screens to suggest the ‘rooms’ that once framed the ancient mosaics. These are projection-friendly surfaces that can also be used for interpretation.
Walkways, walls and chainmail mesh screens appear to float - and visitors have a variety of dramatic views of the Nea Paphos mosaics
Diagram of the flexible roof grid that is inherently adaptable, and below, a section illustrating the architectural “hood” that floats over the archaeology with focused daylight over key mosaics.
3) LIGHT TOUCH: Creating lightweight buildings with minimal foundations in important, sensitive locations
The next challenge is to create attractive, adequate visitor facilities, but without detracting from the surrounding location. On World Heritage Sites or similarly sensitive sites, buildings must be light touch – not dominating the landscape or diluting the sense of place – and in most cases there needs to be zero or minimal excavation to create foundations to avoid damaging the archaeology you are endeavouring to protect.
We’ve learned from the failure of previous shelters, documented in research papers, as well as witnessed first hand across the Mediterranean: failures that are architectural, structural, and environmental – for example, in attempts to bridge an entire site, massive beams and foundations are required, which are both technically and visually intrusive. The use of translucent fabric roofs that have failed physically but also bathe the site in a neutral grey light that detract from the rich qualities of the mosaic; and open sided schemes that create unpleasant wind tunnels open to the prevailing onshore winds, exacerbating damage to the mosaics.
We have proposed a lightweight structure with a flexible grid that can place its weight down gently in almost any location. In section, the shelter creates a hood, lifting visitors into a darker world that floats above the more brightly lit archaeological surface.
Our sealed and insulated roof overhangs, shelters and protects the facade from weather and the mosaics from direct sunlight. The facade is made of repeating panels and walls are suspended from the roof - as though floating above the archaeological landscape.
4) LOW TECH, HIGH PERFORMANCE: Economical, adaptable solutions for any scale
A World Heritage Site might be a vast area. The Paphos Archaeological Park is an ancient city, and the artefacts on display range from small intricate mosaics to great chambers. How do you find a consistent, scalable solution that ties a whole site together while meeting the challenges of protection, legibility and light touch impact?
Adding to the difficulties is the nature of the locations and access to resources in the host countries. It may be that specialist building expertise and materials are not readily available locally, making many potential solutions prohibitively expensive. There may be extreme weather considerations; in Nea Paphos the structures had to be robust enough to withstand earthquakes, tsunamis and high winds. Then there are the ongoing costs of care and repair in such large, exposed areas.
5) LOW IMPACT: The need to minimise carbon emissions
Finally, there is the now-universal challenge of creating structures that meet all the criteria above while minimising embodied and operational carbon emissions.
Cullinan Studio’s kit-of-parts canopy shelter system is flexible, adaptable, passive, cost-effective with minimal impact on the environment. It can protect priceless ancient treasures – from small mosaics to great villas – while allowing archaeologists to open them up to the public, creating narratives that unlock the mysteries of the past for visitors.
We believe it can help transform the way archaeological sites are preserved and displayed, around the Mediterranean and across the world. If you would like to discuss the concept in more detail, please contact Alex Abbey or Roddy Langmuir.