3rd PRIZE- INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION

We comprehend and interpret the city of Sparta as the epitome of the laconian character. Principles such as austerity and rigor are basic synthetic starting points for the proposal. The preservable building, through its Doric volume and its simple lines, contributes in this direction as an important influence. The modern expression of the factory constitutes the pre-existing basis on which the synthetic process for the New Archaeological Museum of Sparta begins.

The architectural proposal aims at integrating different programs into a continuous whole where they coexist and appear as dynamic without one degrading the other, while maintaining their functional autonomy.

The new building, attempts its discreet presence in a secondary role without, however, losing its significance. Based on this principle, the strong form of the preservable building, through its structural grid, as a basic feature of its architectural expression, is the starting point for the structure of the new building. The new building is built on the existing grid, shaping the appropriate synthetic conditions for the morphological dialogue between the old and the new, with a clear separation of the past and the future. The complex, imitating the city of Sparta, is a living organism, with respect to its history, has a strong presence in the present.

The goal of designing the exhibition space was to compose a spatial narrative and experience of the history of Sparta during the visit to the Museum. Following the requirements of the museological premeditation, a time sequence of the predicted units and sub-units is designed based on the expression of the information and the atmosphere in each period, as well as the transitions between the periods into spatial experience. Light and dark shifts, open and enclosed spaces, mild and steep descents, stop points and panoramic views, as well as a place for educational activities, combine an intense experience and bring the visitor into a direct and personal relationship with exhibits and history.