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Architects: LDArchitects
- Area: 900 m²
- Year: 2022
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Photographs:Aldo Amoretti
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Lead Architect: Luca Dolmetta
Text description provided by the architects. The new covering project conceived for the Domus degli Affreschi, located in the archaeological site of Luni in Italy is based on the reconstruction, with a contemporary twist, of the old volumes of the Domus and of the internal garden. The new roofing project aims to shield the Roman mosaics, recently restored and still visible in the various areas of the Domus.
The central project theme is, therefore, to reinterpret the original volumes of the Domus, by creating new architectonical built units: the large new roof is divided into three parts and has the function of canalizing rainwater into the drains located on the side of the new building. The main objective of the project, as highlighted in the diagrams and as requested by the client, was to protect the remains of the Domus degli Affreschi from sun, water, and wind, with a contemporary structure, as autonomous and removable as possible, that did not have to involve the construction of any foundation in the ground. The roof has a total area of 900 square meters.
Following these aims, the project envisages a structure that simply leans on the ground level, entirely made of steel and composed of three different roofs, respectively with a span of 8, 16, and 12 meters; the whole building is supported by the weight of the structures placed along the walkways accessible to the visitors. On the sides, the weathering steel (Cor-ten) volume simply leans, therefore, on the existing masonry, with no need for any structural insert in these parts.
The large roofs have, then, the function of letting the rainwater flow below the visitor walkway, where trays that collect raining water and convey it into the main drainage canal of the archaeological area are located. The new walls and roofs, thus, protect the areas where the restored mosaics are located, from sun, water, and wind and allow the visitor to fully enjoy the visit route.
All the paving paths are therefore raised off the ground and built of concrete slats which simply lay on the steel substructure. The water collection system is then conveyed into downspouts which are accommodated into the large weathering steel partitions, together with the supporting columns of the roof beams, which join up with the foundation plates. All the ceilings are made of light grey plasterboard panels so as not to interfere with the natural ambient light and thus preserve the beauty of the mosaics.
Confronting the numerous constraints and the monumental value of an archaeological area, the project aims, above all, at protecting the existing heritage; and it does so by constructing an overall structure for the new Domus, which simply leans on the level of the existing ground, not needing any underground foundation, neither any type of excavation. This concept is pursued through the development of a complex structural model that provides a structure of beams (of the bases and roofs) and columns that convert the whole structure into an autonomous element that does not conflict with the existing buildings.
The rainwater is then collected by all the gutter channels of the roofs and conveyed into channels that run under the walkways of the touristic itinerary, finally conveying into the main channel of the archaeological area. The large roof of the Domus garden is made with transparent roofs which protect the historic garden and preserve it from possible damages caused by water and wind. The whole structure is covered with removable elements: the weathering steel panel for the vertical parts, plasterboard for the ceilings, and trays with gravel for the roofs which contribute to giving weight to the structure to prevent the action of the wind from damaging it.
The Domus degli Affreschi is one of the most significant monuments of the ancient Roman city of Luni. The name of this portion of the city derives from the large amount of painted plaster found during the first excavations in the 1970s. The restoration and recomposition of the fragments have allowed the reconstruction of some frescoed walls now exhibited in the private building section of the Luni museum system. Some rooms’ floors, made with polychrome marble compositions, and the garden, located in a central position, are also particularly interesting elements.
The fragility of the archaeological finds has led to the need for the creation of the new roof, described above, which has the double function, on the one hand of protecting the archaeological finds and, on the other hand, of creating a new exhibiting and tourist itinerary which could become the main focal point of the archaeological area, enhancing the entire archaeological park.
