The Museum of Underwater Archaeology is based on three main principles: Transforming a Symbol of a post-industrial era into a Symbol of cultural infrastructure.
Utility – creating human scale and dynamic visual and communication connections from a distance and in close-up view. Ecological and Hedonistic Sustainability – using the natural and climate resources and aesthetic emotional potential of the site.
Methods of metaphor, hyperbolisation and contrast are used for achieving memorable results. the materials and technologies used are of high innovative value and responsive to the natural surroundings.
The main concept is based on the idea of a Water Bubble and its metamorphoses and influences on physical matter since its creation and coming to surface.
The water bubble is a herald of energy, the cycles of life in nature and a symbol of the strive for progress. Underwater archaeology raises water bubbles in a literal and poetic sense of the word. the underwater archaeology is a process of transforming matter and consciousness in time.
The purpose of transformation of the silo structure into a Museum of Underwater Archaeology is to create a metaphor of dual perception of the image simultaneously as a land museum of underwater archaeology and an exponent in an underwater museum of land archaeology.
The idea is to create a sense of lightness and softness of forms, as is we are in an underwater world. the soft and white forms create a sensation of Greece and the Mediterranean, the wind and the sun. Sharp and dynamic shadows lighten up the atmosphere and brighten the mood as emotional challenges.
The opportunity to climb up and to find panoramas on the edge between water and land is more than a challenge and bestows with supreme pleasure the visit to the Museum of Underwater Archaeology, a part of the cultural coast of Piraeus.
Location: Vouneuil-sur-Vienne, Greece Architects: 10Am Architecture