Practice beats shortlist including Carmody Groarke and Cullinan Studio for Cyprus project
Hugh Broughton Architects has won a design competition to create prototype protective shelters for mosaics and other archaeological remains at the Unesco World Heritage Site of Nea Paphos in Cyprus.
The practice beat six other teams, including Carmody Groarke, Cullinan Studio, Studio Gionata Rizzi,, Machado Silvetti and a collaboration between Sela Jaymes Architects and Gort Scott.
Organisers the Getty Conservation Institute and the Department of Antiquities of Cyprus said Broughton’s proposals for the creation of a semi-open shelter provided the most comprehensive and balanced answers to the complex criteria set out in the competition’s design guide.
They said the winning proposals had prioritised protection of mosaics and featured a structural design that minimised the impact of the project on the archaeological site – at the same time as providing protection from earthquakes, winds and other hazards.
Hugh Broughton Architects was also praised for the practice’s understanding of the general environmental threats to mosaics, such as the creation of salts, and the use of local materials such as clay tiles and wood.
“The proposed shelter does not compete with mosaics and other remains due to the simplicity of its design, while the proposed flexible system with pedestrian bridges allows various options for the development of visitor traffic routes,” the clients said.
“The shelters can be expanded or replicated with a solution proposed by the team for the use of ’kit of parts’, with materials that are available locally and can be easily replaced.”
Hugh Broughton said it had been a privilege to develop ideas for shelter prototypes a the site, which boasts one of the richest collections of mosaic pavements in the eastern Mediterranean region with significant remains from the Hellenistic, Roman, early Christian, and Byzantine periods.
“We have proposed solutions which minimize physical and visual impact on the site and make best use of sustainable passive design techniques to protect the remarkable Roman mosaics and archaeology,” he said.
“Our designs reflect a creative and methodical collaboration between architects, conservation specialists, and engineers, all of whom are looking forward to working in partnership with the GCI and DoA to develop proposals to preserve the future of this stunning historic place.”
Nea Paphos is also home to Frankish and Ottoman monuments.
Hugh Broughton’s team includes conservation specialists Martin Ashley Architects, structural engineers Expedition Engineering, environmental consultancy Harley Haddow, and cost consultants Jackson Coles.
Design teams were asked to develop concepts for two shelter prototypes. The first is for the Villa of Theseus, which includes a surviving panel from the life of Achilles, a mosaic depicting Theseus and the Minotaur in the Labyrinth, and a bath complex with several beautiful geometric mosaics.
The second structure is for the House of Orpheus. It is intended to protect a mosaic that depicts the battle between Heracles and the Lion of Nemea and another that features Orpheus surrounded by animals listening to his music, in addition to a smaller bath complex.
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