Argo

Argo was the mythical boat used in the Argonauts expedition from Iolkos to Kolchis in the pursuit of the Golden Fleece. A replica of the original boat has been built and used for cultural events at the city of Volos which now requires a space to store, preserve and exhibit the boat.

The project has its outset in the myth creating an analogy and an inversion. The boat placed in the center of the building becomes the center of exploration wrapped within a closed loop of circulation and activities. This loop recalls the journey of the Argonauts from Iolkos to Kolchis and back through the Mediterranean sea. A series of lobbies, interactive guest stations, commercial spots, auditorium, exhibition spaces and gardens recalls the numerous stops of the argonauts crew on their way back home. As all indoor programs are arranged on one floor, the massive roof becomes a garden organized as a promenade. The visitor wonders thought thematic gardens, each one exhibiting a collection of plants from a regions the argonauts passed through. On both levels different geometries of openings allow glimpses to the boat, staged in the big central room.

The form of the proposed building is deliberately simple and promotes events and activities as the means to animate both the interlocked interiors and the extended roofscape. The protagonist is the boat of Argo and all the events it generates providing for a civic space for gatherings, lectures missing from the city of Volos.