Seven sensitive interventions to ancient structures and historic ruins
Our latest roundup looks at sensitively designed additions to historic sites around the world, including the Colosseum in Rome, the ruins of an English castle and a Viking archaeological site in Iceland.
Clifford's Tower, UK, by Hugh Broughton Architects
For its restoration and revamp of the 800-year-old Clifford's Tower, which once formed part of York Castle, British studio Hugh Broughton Architects designed a freestanding timber structure slotted inside the ruin's empty stone shell.
A viewpoint overlooking the city tops the wooden intervention, and inside, suspended walkways give visitors access to a chapel and a toilet originally built for King Henry III.
Find out more about Clifford's Tower ›
Colosseum piazza, Italy, by Stefano Boeri Interiors
Italian studio Stefano Boeri Interiors revamped a semi-circular piazza outside Rome's iconic Colosseum amphitheatre, replacing the cobbled ground with travertine slabs and adding 44 stone benches.
The studio aimed to recall the original Roman structure, which was built in AD 80, by positioning the benches in the footprints where columns of an outer wall once stood.
Find out more about the Colosseum piazza ›
Stöng, Iceland, by Sp(r)int Studio
Architecture firm Sp(r)int Studio restored and extended the 1950s timber structure sheltering Stöng, an archaeological site containing ruins of a Viking longhouse and farm settlement in Iceland.
Seeing potential in the existing shelter, which had fallen into disrepair, the structure was reinforced with galvanised steel frames, its exterior lined with larch wood slats, and polycarbonate panels were added to the gabled roof.
Zhang Yan Cultural Museum, China, by Shenzhen Horizontal Design
A white concrete structure built within the ruins of a dilapidated home from the late Qing dynasty is one of the three galleries that make up the Zhang Yan Cultural Museum, located in the suburban Shanghai village of Zhang Yan.
The museum was designed by architecture studio Shenzhen Horizontal Design to demonstrate how old, rural architecture in China can be reused.
Find out more about Zhang Yan Cultural Museum ›
Beyond the Pantheon, Italy, by STARTT
A previously inaccessible archaeological site behind the ancient Pantheon temple in Rome was opened up to the public through a series of "micro-architectures" designed by Italian architecture studio STARTT.
A route that doubles as an exhibition space connects the Pantheon's rotunda and the apse of the Basilica of Neptune, populated with a series of steel and stone additions that contain a lift, toilets and storage.
Find out more about Beyond the Pantheon ›
Seddülbahir Fortress, Turkey, by KOOP Architects
Situated at the top of Turkey's Gallipoli Peninsula, the 17th-century Seddülbahir Fortress was revamped by Turkish studio KOOP Architects to contain enclosed and open-air exhibition space.
In a nod to the damage the stone ruins sustained during world war one and subsequent earthquakes, KOOP Architects created an outline in timber slats of the silhouette the fortress previously had.
Find out more about Seddülbahir Fortress ›
Žiče Charterhouse, Slovenia, by Medproster
To protect this 900-year-old Romanesque church and make it more functional for tourists, local studio Medprostor installed an operable folding roof over the open structure.
Located in Slovenia, the studio used black steel, blackened wood and dark slate tiles in the half-gable roof system to distinguish it from the church's original masonry.
Find out more about Žiče Charterhouse ›
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