Architecture for archaeological landscapes of Inner Balkans

The ruins of the Municipium S archaeological site consist of part of the ancient settlement, two towers, and a necropolis scattered in the landscape. The intervention strategy weaves together architecture, landscape and archaeology into a sequence of new public spaces, reclaiming an abandoned area at risk of anthropogenic alterations. The project establishes a network of relationships in which new focal points – a visitor centre and some "archaeological rooms" near the most significant remains – aim to define strategies for cultural, social and economic revitalization in a growing territory.

The territorial intervention seeks to weave spatial relationships that place the archaeological excavation in progress at the centre of the development process and the material path proposed. The system of pathways crosses the river and the rural village as a circular spatial sequence, capable of continuously referring to its internal spaces but also opening outwards towards the territory, involving three project nodes. The first intervention involves a new gateway to the area, a visitor centre that crosses the stream and projects toward the excavations. It serves as a pathway towards the knowledge of the site through a linear block, behind which two other volumes are located. Their spatial articulation creates an introvert yet public central space. The route within the park proceeds toward the excavation area, where the architectural presence becomes minimal yet recognizable, driven by the intent to make the site accessible and understandable to visitors. This allows them to rediscover the settlement, recognizing its distinctive features. The arrangement of the necropolis tombstones concludes the sequence of the path, defining an archaeological promenade structured on terraces. This intervention includes the addition of a small pavilion, composed of a low element that adapts to the terrain's elevation changes and a vertical structure that acts as a landmark, continuously guiding visitors along the route's key stages. What the project seeks to do is rediscover the ancient history of Municipium S through the dual lens of archaeological excavation and design action. The goal is finding a new identity for the local populations, which roots in an ancient past that emerges from forgotten soils, tasked with shaping the present and prefiguring a new future for the community.