A vast archeological site was recently discovered in the center of Sofia, the Bulgarian capital. 3 glass domes cover and protect the heritage going back 2500 years.
Roman Emperors such as Galerius and Konstantine the Great left traces which now can be seen publicly. Temporary exhibitions further impart the importance of the historic site. In order to increase public awareness of this testimony of a forgotten past, multiple use is planned.
The low height of the grid shell structures keeps the public square intact. This seemingly humble intervention transforms the Stalinist Architecture of the Nezavisimost Square due to the vigorousness of its form. Its bionic shape is in clear contrast to the monumentality of the surrounding buildings. The glazing is neutral in color for good visibility on to the distant past, but it also has a reflectivity of 33 percent so to mirror the near past of the surrounding buildings. This appears like an ephemeral picture repeated and distorted due to the convex shape of the 3 glass domes.
The delicate grid shell structure spans 16 meters in both directions. The form is derived by the logic of structural demands, thus providing maximum load bearing capacity with minimum amount of material. A quadrilateral steel mesh for optimized views were constructed without diagonal wind bracing. That resulted in solid steel beams 60mm*100mm, allowing rigid joints.
This Project was on display at the
Shchusev-Architecture-Museum in Moscow for the Exhibition “Public Architecture- Future for Europe 2020”.
