Mozia Museum in Sicily, Italy by Arnaboldi & Partners

Article source: Arnaboldi & Partners

Since the end of the 18th century, when the Greek colonization of Sicily forced the Phoenicians to retreat to Motya, Soluntum, and Palermo, the ancient Phoenician city of Motya lies on the San Pantaleo Island, in the lagoon of Marsala in Sicily.

In 397 B.C., Dionysus of Syracuse knocked Motya down after a long siege and the survivors found a shelter on the mainland, establishing the Punic city of Lilibeo. This settlement, today known as the city of Marsala, quickly gained in importance and overshadowed the ancient city of Motya, which the Carthaginians will conquer back soon after. The archeological excavations in Motya brought back an astonishing male sculpture, considered an original Greek artwork of the 5th century B.C., and the urban design of the settlement, of the city walls, and of numerous buildings. Above all, the most significant archeological discovery is the unveiling of a unique Phoenix-Punic warship, sunk at a battle during the First Punic War between the Romans and the Carthaginians in 241 B.C.

Image Courtesy © Arnaboldi & Partners

• Architects: Arnaboldi & Partners
• Project: Mozia Museum
• Location: Sicily, Italy

Image Courtesy © Arnaboldi & Partners

These recent discoveries led the Public Administration to the establishment of a Museum to collect altogether the archeological finds unveiled in the Provence of Trapani. The project aims at offering a more thoroughly and encompassing view of the artistic and archeological heritage, which is currently disseminated in various hardly accessible locations.

Image Courtesy © Arnaboldi & Partners

Image Courtesy © Arnaboldi & Partners

Accordingly, the 4,000 sqm floorplan of the Museum includes a room to host a permanent collection of local artworks, additional rooms designed for temporary exhibitions, and a space dedicated to pedagogy activities. In addition, next to the museum there will be areas dedicated to systematic and digital research on the exhibits, shops, a cafeteria and a restaurant with a terrace. In a few words, a complete and complex organism to stimulate a strong involvement of the visitors.

The strong connection link between the local heritage and the chosen architectural details and selected materials also reflects the same meaning.

Image Courtesy © Arnaboldi & Partners

Image Courtesy © Arnaboldi & Partners

In light of the emblematic role of the building, the architectural complex of the Museum does depart from the topology and natural environment of Motya and the Stagnone Lagoon. By contrast, it was born and it lives on the water and the surrounding historical mills, which signify a movement of water. The trees and bulrushes in the pond have inspired the materials used for the rooftop of the structure.

Image Courtesy © Arnaboldi & Partners

Image Courtesy © Arnaboldi & Partners

It follows that the architecture of the building assimilates in the surrounding natural context, including the natural phenomena and materials. Being part of the frontal façade of the building, the marrow recalls a transparent texture common in the pattern of the leaves, which reflect the surrounding with natural and enchanted reflections. Almost as an unknown, yet truthful image.

Thanks to these details, the water and the islands of the Stagnone Lagoon, the bridge, and the hills in the surroundings have all become part of the art Museum.

Image Courtesy © Arnaboldi & Partners

Image Courtesy © Arnaboldi & Partners

With a majestic sculpture, the central hall accompanies the visitors in the transition from the external countryside to a space with an ergonomic design.

This enriches the museum with many components. Here one may understand the amplitude of the spectrum of the architectural ontology, which stems from the study of the qualities of the selected materials and leads to understanding the linkages with the actions that constitute the intended event. To sum up, from the ontology of the numbers to one of the natural sciences; from social ontology, which is the primary function of a museum, to the one belonging to the artworks, and fictional and formal entities to be displayed in the exhibition.

Image Courtesy © Arnaboldi & Partners

Image Courtesy © Arnaboldi & Partners

The Museum of Motya will then become the expression of an analysis of the relationships among the elements of its location and the museum itself, to formalize its dependency relations and the identity of the Museum itself, encompassing its historical and natural contents. Were one to recall an image, one would refer to the 1948 Dewdrop drawing by Maurits Cornelis Escher.

Image Courtesy © Arnaboldi & Partners

The question would then be whether a train ticket and its price supplement constitute two elements or a single entity? Are the Museum of Motya and the city of Motya two entities or a single one? One may certainly say that the project makes the building transparent to the eyes to the extent that the surrounding nature, including the Stagnone Lagoon, reflects into it. There might be opposing opinions on this point, but it would be hard to quest whether something exists without defying its nature, thus, leading to the risk of having an ontology too dependent upon the science of architecture. The project would have the merit of balancing the two visions, to equally represent the two sides and, most of all, not to impose the details of the Museum.

Image Courtesy © Arnaboldi & Partners

In conclusion, the Motya Museum project in Marsala aims at having two souls. On the one hand, the eagerness of caring about small details to the extent of the tiniest number, as one who would count the scales of a fish. On the other, monist Plotinus who, by contrast, was attributing everything to a singleness.

Image Courtesy © Arnaboldi & Partners

Image Courtesy © Arnaboldi & Partners

Image Courtesy © Arnaboldi & Partners

Image Courtesy © Arnaboldi & Partners

Tags: Italy, Sicily

Category: Museum

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