The shadow of the La Olmeda
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5821/palimpsesto.21.9493Keywords:
roman villa, olmeda, structure, mosaics.Abstract
In1968, a casual discovery brought to light the remains of a late Roman country-villa that dates back to the 4th century. Its mosaics are among the most complete and rich to be found in Roman Empire. Toward the mid 90’s started the more thorough work on preservation and valorisation of the site that required a roof for the excavations, the protection of the mosaics in situ, and building an exhibition and study centre for visitors and archaeologists. The villa now is protected by a wide metallic structure of four vaulted modules and one lowered plane module. Four freestanding pillars and 110 pilasters situated outside the facade in polycarbonate support all the structure and permit a homogenous lighting of the interior as an uneven shadow. The rhomboidal roof structure is situated in light contact with the upper part of the translucent facade while on the visitor´s level a white concrete plinth encloses the perimeter of the Villa.
The desire to find an integrated solution between the exterior and the landscape and between the interior and the archaeological area is extensive in La Olmeda to architecture and structure. The conceptual difficulty that represents the reconstruction of an unknown architecture that existed more than 1,600 years ago leads either to an exercise in constructive invention and historical fabulation or to build an architectural solution capable to evoke an architectural space that shelters time. With this premise, architecture and engineering must necessarily go beyond a mere collaboration but rather work together, each discipline with its own tools, in the common goal of building that great shadow.
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