from rocky earth to oversight of the whole
Archaeological Thematic Museum of Piraeus
Open Architectural Competition (Preliminary Design), 2014
The new Museum is a simple geometric volume with a three-way division. A ‘quarrying product’ that brings to mind the geomorphologic changes in the peninsula’s topography. A concrete block marks the base of the building’s volume while a porous prism, a stone’s volume after its cutting, demarcates its crest. The external structure, an element of optical penetration, surrounds the external motion flow while in the internal articulation a ‘funnel of light’ surrounds the central course of ascent, descent.
The living experience of the whole, of ‘once now’, reaches its peak with the viewing of the city of Piraeus and Athens in a reflection game with water mirrors of the outdoor glyptotheque.
The Museum square and the Public Park advance as a perceivably seamless and consistent space with legibility and size. Curves, fluid forms, create levels and access ramps, create an atmosphere of familiarity and optical diffusion, shaping the square.