Architects from NotANumber Architects NANA studio have designed a beautiful ‘mythical ship” or the Museum for Argo located in Volos, Greece. The museum dedicated to the legendary adventure of Jason and the 50 Argonauts in search of the Golden Fleece will house a replica of a penteconter (a galley with one tier of 50 oars, 25 on either side) built in 2008 in the central Greek city of Volos.
Continue reading for more of this impressive project design:
The museum dedicated to the legendary adventure of Jason and the 50 Argonauts in search of the Golden Fleece will house a replica of a penteconter (a galley with one tier of 50 oars, 25 on either side) built in 2008 in the central Greek city of Volos. The new Argo was built with Bronze Age replica tools, following designs for warships during the Mycenaean era and set sail on a two-month journey to Venice simulating parts of the mythical expedition of Jason and his heroic company.
The space of the museum is defined by a square plan and a double-curved wooden roof. The surface of the roof is undulated in an attempt to organize the basic museum program but also to explore additional programmatic possibilities. The two highest peaks of the roof make room underneath for the penteconter and an IMAX theatre whereas the lowest point dissolves into the ground forming an outdoor amphitheatre with a view towards Mount Pelion. Around the amphitheatre a semi-covered “stoa” is formed offering an outdoor extension for the café and the foyer of the theatre. The structure of the roof consists of large scale timber frames made out of glued laminated timber beams.
RELATED: Discover 100s of Museum Projects in ArchiSCENE Archives
The circulation in the main exhibition space is structured as a narration of the legendary expedition of the Argonauts. Starting with a descent through a ramp into an underground round chamber the visitor submerges into the time of heroes and epic journeys beyond the then known world. A round hole on the roof allows for a glimpse of the Argo ship from beneath. The path then continues with a gradual ascent through daedal stepped levels symbolizing the different encounters of the Argonauts’ famous voyage towards Colchis, while Argo reveals itself gradually in the background.
Project: The Museum for Argo
Designed by NotANumber Architects NANA
Architect in Charge: Ermis Adamantidis, Dominiki Dadatsi
Design Team: Maria Avramidou, Aliki Iosafat, Nikos Koutroulos, Naya Moutaftsi
Area: 2.500sqm
Location: Volos, Greece
Website: nan-a.eu
