ROMAN THEATRE AREA IN MEDELLÍN: Beginning and sketches

      Plan of the site of the protect: Medellín, Extremadura

The parcel of this project is located in Medellín, Extremadura. The aim is to set a Pavilion for visitors´ receiving and a workshop por archeologist. Also a house or a more intimate place por the professionals working there should be possible. The program of the projects mixes two and maybe three different uses. One of them, the part referred to housing seems to be the more private one. But the other two could appear mixed, trying, without bothering each program, be mixed in some point: to watch the works and the antiques, the procedures... and so on. Also the location, in a mountain offers views that cannot be obviate. To start the developing this general aims I have searched other similar places or places to help me to give shape to this ideas.

CCCB in Barcelona

The first place which came into my mind thinking in roman ruins was the CCCB in Barcelona. Covered, it offers a platform where you can watch the ruins and the people working below. Separating it in two levels, it accents much more the different between the old an the new with a perfect view of everything.

Top: Ruins in Pompeya. Below: Roman theatre in Pompeya

Other example to study could be the ruins in Pompeya. And old city where you can walk around going into the antique houses. It could be a nice program for visitors, but in this place the space is not as big so maybe the views of the ruins should not be such direct but more controllated. For example, disposing an artificial path through all of this ruins or elevating the visitors for a complete view.

Ruins in Sveirla, Tunisia

Here is maybe a more approximate example of this project. Located in Tunisia, in a slope all the ruins are disposed, were a walk through it could be made respecting the soil as much as possible. And in the top of this slope is the temple, making a clear reference in the ancient landscape. Offering panoramic views of the village below.

Here there are some sketches of the evolving of this idea

Possible movements between the project and landscape elements.

A possible volumetry. In this sketch I try to mix everything in single piece. The side step and the differents heights would allow me to set the differents part of the proyect.

 A single piece maybe is a little bit to much so now I try to investigate in a more disegregate solution. This solution could possibly separate the program in three parts. Reception pavilion, workshop and housing.

The previous solution maybe occupies to much space, even disgregated in several pieces. In this sketches I try to join everything in one piece, freeing the space and setting all covered program in an horizontal piece. It would have much more presence so I have decided to split it and turn it 90 degrees like the second drawing shows.

So in this final solution I split the program in two pieces. Surrounded by heavy churches and a castle maybe gives the landscape a more lightly  presence trying to approach to the village. This way the project tries to be integrated in the landscape with horizontality and establish a connection between the mountain and the village in a way where the program is divided in two diferente but interconnected pieces. Setting a clear reference like in Sveirla, in the top of the slope with the village above.

The program would be planned with this two different pieces. The top part could be for the reception an public visits for the lower part. Relatig the public  level with the building. The lower piece would be for workers, workshop and housing, trying to be at the same level of the workers and the roman ruins.