design research & methodology
The design was achieved by bio-mimicking the Fenestraria plant, a monotypic genus of succulent plants in the family aizoaceae who manage to survive in the desert by multiple bio-strategies including sufficient shaping, light filtering and advanced supply structure. The plant has a unique form as most of it was buried in the sand and the photosynthesis happened at the bottom. The design applied to the various features of the plant, transferring bio-strategies invented by nature into original architectural approach including material, structure and form aspects, aiming at providing temporary accommodation, working shaft, museum spaces and training area for both archaeologists and visitors of the site.
architectural solution
The interior space design tries to apply the features of Fenestraria the plant, of which interior structure is combined of tissues and transporting tubes. In the plant, the botanical tissues serve to accommodate the functioning particles, and the sieve tube serves with structural purposes and transportation of goods. Thus, the architectural units are also designed following these two clues of transportation device and functioning spaces. Featuring the biomimic origin, the interior of the archaeology center challenges the traditional architectural concept of floor and ceiling. Whereas no actual floor fringe or stairs can be seen, the movement behavior inside depend on the flow of floors and the intersection between space units. The floorless interior space creates an interesting way of exploring the space and travelling inside, and people would step from one floor to another ceiling without applying to the traditional transportation devices.
Plan Layout Concept: The plan of the whole design includes three parts: the main building of the archaeology center, the promenade enclosing the archaeology site and the functioning ancillary constructions of the archaeology site. The main building including the history museum, tourist center and study base for the archaeology teams are designed according to the biomimic principle which was previously mentioned. The function arrangements from west to east are gallery and museum, training area and working shaft, and accommodation. The promenade of the west side resembles to the largest sand dune of the area, which would achieve the most efficient effect on preventing sand being blown into the site. The ancillary constructions are designed with classical antique approach with many symmetrical thick sand walls, as an attempt to create antique and grand entrances and interior spaces.
Archaeology is not just about finding bones, These people, They painted their pots, made their sanctuaries, and told their story on every surface they had. I am just fascinated of what is left, what endures. That’s when I started to realize the power and inspiration of what is Disappearing from our view, from time, from natural process, yet Left itself memories of what it once was for us to find.