Architecture for Archeology - identifying new modular and flexible types of shelter adaptable to the diverse needs of archaeological sites

With the construction of coverings in the Valle dei Templi of Agrigento, the management of the Park Agency is carrying out an experimental action which can produce innovation in the context of lightweight and temporary structures. The "Architecture X Acheology" workshop explored the state of the art in terms of works protecting archaeological landmarks, with the goal of identifying new modular and flexible structures which are adaptable to the diverse needs of archaeological sites.

Parametric and computational strategies are the bases used for the design of the shelters.

The Park, which covers 1,300 hectares, preserves an extraordinary monumental and landscape patrimony. Though visited by millions of tourists, the archaeological sites are not appropriately equipped for tourist use. To better use this enormous cultural resource and to make it an active agent of the regional economy, it is of strategic importance to equip it with new facilities which are appropriate for today. For this purpose, the workshop has seen professors and students of Politecnico di Milano, Palermo University, and of Tokyo University involved in the construction of experimental prototypes for the protection of archaeological finds and excavation sites. The shelters produced during the workshop -other than having a functional and aesthetic value- form the first nucleus of a park of modern architecture within an archaeological park. The paper describe the willingness to systematize the great potential value which the interdisciplinary prospect of integration between architecture, structure and archaeology, offer to the disciplines in terms of research and analysis.