ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE MUSEUM

The close relation to the temple and the need for the construction of the museum in the site demanded a gentle gesture of architectural creation. This discreet insertion has been made by the general length of the building that follows the curve of the hill and the morphological originality for the natural light management. 
Only a square volume protrudes so as to announce the presence of the museum. It is in this special volume that the basilica’s altar is reconstructed while at the higher corner volume the internal colonnade and part of the roof of the archaic temple are represented. As it becomes clear the exhibition played a decisive role in the design of the building.
Considering scattered stones of architectural material as parts of a body we focused on their presentation in constructional entities. This has determined not only the exhibition but also the dimensions of the volumes.
A model of the archaic temple with constructional details in the center of the museum helps visitors understand the special features of the building. Local vegetation has played the main role in the creation of the footpaths. One large wild pear tree became a pleasant sitting place and the passage between two olive trees create a natural entrance for the museum area. An extended planting work also took place focusing on Mediterranean species of trees and bushes, olive trees, cypresses, acacias, lavenders, and many others. Footpaths connect the several positions of this extended linear monument, the ancient Naxos’ Aqueduct.  For the construction of  the staircases needed it has been used only local material. Fallen rocks or bedrocks remained as particular features of the specific place.