DIKILI TASH

A protection cupola at an archaeological excavation, Philippi District, Deptartment of Kavala, Greece

The design task was to create a protecting shelter for an archaeological site Sector 6, on a Neolithic and Bronze Age settlement from around 4.200 BC. The Sector unveils a group of four well-preserved remains of residences from the said period, which have to be protected by a shelter and exposed to the flow of tourist interest. The design strategy was to create a shallow geodesic dome with diameter of 43 m, height 12 m, covered by tensile fabric (ETFE, PVC or other), and to use the inclination of the terrain for constructing a bridge that is to be used as an observation platform for the visitors. This ring-shaped horizontal platform (perimetral pentagonal bridge) allows the visitors to step on the bridge where it touches the terrain, while walking on it to change the recourse to the archaeological site in the centre. The height of the horizontal bridge above ground is permanently changing due to the inclination of the terrain covered by the cupola. The shelter should protect the site from direct atmospheric and climatic affections and must allow the archaeological works to continue during all seasons cycle. At the same time the shelter dome must attract visitors from the cultural tourism sector and must allow them to observe and survey the site during the archaeological process.

Year: 2020
Archeological park area: 17000 m
Clent: French/Greek Archaeological Expedition, Phillippi, Kavala
Type: Protection shelter for excavations and tourist flow
Status: Project