NO.3.

Principia Archaeological Park, Croatia, 2014

Architects: Nenad Fabijanić
Location: Rijeka, Croatia
Collaborators: Željko Pavlović, Davor Pavlović, Vesna Šoić, Bruno Krunić
Competition: October – December, 2008
Area: 1500.0 sqm
Year: 2014
Photographs: Miro Martinić
From the architect. The opening of the Principia Archaeological Park in Rijeka, in February 2014, enriched the topography of ancient sites on the Adriatic’s eastern shore, adding a monumental locus, unique in the type and the shaping level of presentation. As for the type, the Principia was an architectural and town-planning element of castrum, a Roman military encampment or town, one of the many scattered along the boundaries of the Roman Empire (limites).
In Dalmatia, only fragments of no more than two castra, those of Burnum and Tilirum, have been preserved, not the entire complex as is the case with Tarsatica. As for the shaping level of presentation, the intervention is a result of a public competition and a creative authorial concept, which was meticulously elaborated, and implemented in a controlled fashion.
The Principia is a novelty that has already proven itself as a value and a locus in the urban image of Rijeka. The concept is based primarily on the idea of highlighting the archaeological area by strengthening its margins, by some kind of framing in order to present it, in the middle of the existing fabric, as a homogenous whole, or – new individuality.

#conservation , #archeological , #compatible_use
#lighting , #urban_restoration , #revitalization , #fabric

https://telegram.me/revitalization

NO.14.

Mercat del Born, Spain, 2013

Mercat del Born is a former public market and one of the most important buildings in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain constructed with iron. Located in the lower and eastern side of the la Ribera neighborhood, it is the largest covered square in all of Europe and marked the start of Modernisme in Catalan architecture.

Design
The market is rectangular, with two large domed, intersecting buildings, and 4 smaller naves. The structure is supported on cast iron columns with a flat roof covered in glazed tile

History
The market was designed in 1873 by the municipal architect Antoni Rovira i Trias (who also designed the Mercat de Sant Antoni) and built between 1874 and 1878 by master builder Josep Fontserè i Mestre and engineer Josep Maria Cornet i Mas. The structure of cast iron columns and metallic horses was fabricated by La Maquinista Terrestre i Marítima.
The market came into operation in 1878 and was in use as the central market in town until 1971. At its closure, it was functioning as a wholesale market, but was replaced with the opening of Mercabarna in Zona Franca.

Restoration
Restoration work started and stopped several times since the closure of market. Each successive city government had a different plan for the very large space. At some points, there were even plans to lease it to a retail establishment such as FNAC who had expressed interest.
After closure, it fell into a state of disrepair and was restored 1977 to 1981 under the direction of Pere Espinosa.
In 2002 work was started to install the Biblioteca Provincial de Barcelona, but during excavations, extensive ruins of the medieval city were discovered. It was then decided to preserve the ruins and move the library project to another location.
Currently, the market covers these archaeological ruins which were part of the la Ribera district that was demolished in the early eighteenth century after the defeat of Catalonia in the War of Succession in 1714. This portion of la Ribera was forcibly demolished to make way for the construction of the Ciutadella military structure as ordered by the new Spanish king, Philip V.
The plan that finally came to fruition in 2013 was to expose the subterranean ruins for visitors while preserving space around the exterior of them for mixed use, cultural center, in addition to having a museum about the War of Succession onsite. At the same time, it is now possible for pedestrians to pass freely from Passeig del Born through to the other side that leads to the park of Ciutadella.
The official inauguration of the restored market was September 11, 2013 which was the 299th anniversary of the fall of Barcelona following its siege that marked the end of an independent Catalonia state and the start of nearly three centuries of suppression of Catalan autonomy by the Spanish Kingdom.

#marcet , #biblioteca , #restoration , #presevation
#culture_center , #museum , #archeological_site , #lighting

https://telegram.me/revitalization