NEW CYPRUS MUSEUM

International Architectural Contest - Consultant

As part of our consulting services to the architects’ team,

the museological proposition

lies somewhere between

strategic planning and programming, a design brief

and the actual concept development.

Innovation lies mainly in the integration

of museological provision into the architectural plan;

our proposal offers 4 complementary exhibitions

which enrich the visitors’ experience:

the main exhibition,

which will be telling stories, evolving around artefacts,

using interactivity, escalation and digitality,

the open-air glyptotheque,

offering visitors an unusual physical experience,

and may be enjoyed almost all year round,

thanks to Nicosia’s mild climate,

the garden of sculptures,

offering the opportunity to touch and feel

copies of Cypriot statues abroad

as the museum’s sober and creative contribution

to the international discourse on heterotopic antiquities

and

the “museum’s backstage” interactive exhibition,

where visitors are called to discover the hidden aspects

of museum work (like conservation and restoration),

and follow the long journey of artefacts

from manufacture through use and reuse to exhibition.

The layout of the museum’s main exhibition

aspires to establish a conversation

between chronological narration

(which is easy to comprehend for a large part of the audience)

and the presentation of specific thematic units,

that stand out because of their influence

in the making of ancient Cypriot identities.

The juxtaposition of these two axes on the actual plan,

creates a multi-layered visitor experience,

even at this early stage of design.

Thorough study of the collection

has allowed us to safely estimate

the bearing capacity of the exhibition halls,

in terms of both artefacts and visitor numbers;

and be assured – even in this early stage –

that everything is well fitted into place.

Good knowledge of the collection

has further allowed us to draw the architects’ attention

to the need for specific rest areas and visual intervals

that relieve museum fatigue at all times.

Complimentary to the above

is the placement of a secondary cafe

at the peak of the exhibition areas,

in the middle of the visitors’ route

and next to the semi-permanent exhibition area

requested in the latest version of the contest brief.

The project was selected among 129 entries

to participate to the 2^nd stage

and got the 6^th place in the finalists list.