The aim of the competition was to find the best solution to the reconstruction of the Antique Museum Gerulata in Bratislava Rusovice. Implementation of the design had a financial limit 1 million Euros.
Gerulata is hidden in the structure of Rusovce and therefore we decided to highlight the area vertically by two observation towers. These towers give visitor the opportunity to imagine the scale/size of the original Roman fortification.
We conceived museum building as one object which consists of four simple "houses" - rectangular footprint with a gable roof. Shape of object´s roofs reminds Roman town, while scale and overall shape fits well into the existing surroundings. Three "houses" with a full shield side are oriented perpendicular to the archaeological site and the fourth "house" is rotated in the direction of the main arrival of visitors. From the outside area is museum more closed, contrary to the inner-area full shield glass walls those are completely open. A visitor from inner-area has opportunity to insight into lapidarium, entrance area with a cafe or across the room with materials to archaeologists working room. The office part of the building is completely separated from the part for visitors, so there is no place for mixing of different functions. The visitors´ part layout is easily readable. Hygienic core is located in the middle of layout and exhibit a special interest features are arranged around the perimeter of the building. Sliding doors and glazed wall offers a lot of variable space configuration: separate or interconnected exhibitions; separate interactive room or extended to the outdoor patio, separate lecture room or extended to the outdoor patio, linking all the above areas into one - cyclic movement of visitors, independent operation of coffee house also off-hours of the museum. The concept of rotated fourth house created two outdoor patios and auditorium, which will be during the Roman days and other cultural and social events serve as an amphitheater. During common days auditorium can serve as an outdoor seating.
