Museum for the Argo
National architecture competition entry

location: Volos, Greece, 2014
architects: Dimos Moysiadis, Xaris Tsitsikas
collaborator architect: Grigorios Vegliris

The museological approach adopted during the synthetic process dictates the mythical ship not only as an exhibit, but also as a element of structural significance. The dominant component  as a symbolic core emphasizes the interconnection between mythological figures and the expedition of the Argonauts while the architectural composition answer the needs and requirements of the edifice. Central idea of the composition concerns the existence of adventure inherited in the basic characteristics of the future building and the means are the geometry of the shell and the position of the vessel. This creates two design principles: a) the selection of an architectural geometry capable of transferring across the surface of the edifice a sense of adventure and b) the definition of the position and material of the envelope which will cover the ship, transforming it into a final destination in the end of a long quest.
The mythological figures selected for the transfer of that idea are those of the labyrinth and “abaton”. The maze and the “abaton” attempt to construct a bridge between the experience of the monument and the teachings of Greek mythology, letting an educational synergy between myth and architecture to emerge.