IRAKLIS KALOGEROPOULOS
architect engineer-museologist current position: TETRAGON L.T.D. Thesis title: Architectural design of the Natural History Museum of Siatista The aim of this master’s thesis is to show the architectural design of the Natural History Museum of Siatista, which is found in the historical, well maintained building “Trabatzio High School”. The “Trabatzio High School” was built in […]
architect engineer-museologist
current position: TETRAGON L.T.D.
Thesis title: Architectural design of the Natural History Museum of Siatista
The aim of this master’s thesis is to show the architectural design of the Natural History Museum of Siatista, which is found in the historical, well maintained building “Trabatzio High School”. The “Trabatzio High School” was built in 1889 and it’s a landmark for the city, well known not only for its architectural design but also for its propagation of the Greek spirit, particularly in the later years of the Ottoman occupation. From its commencement, the school has housed a large number of paleontological findings found in the region of Siatista. In 1989 the Botanical museum was also displayed in the school, which consists of plants from the area of mt Bourinos. In December 2013, a collection of invertebrate fossils, found in the area of Damaskinia Voiou, was donated to the municipality of Voio. This collection is also housed in the historical school, ever since. These three collections, of natural history, from different geological periods reveal the existence of life millions of years ago in the region. Western Macedonia is a region, rich in paleontological findings. This study consists of museological architectural design of a permanent exhibition, based on the theoretical design by Mrs Eleni Kotitsa, which tries to focus and show the relationship between the well maintained historical building and the exhibition design, which presents meanings concerning the world of nature. In other words, it focuses on how a building (at a specific moment in time) presents millions of years of history.The school building is a place of interpretation and understanding of the world which is also a basic factor in the development of the museological concept. The architectural design develops into two levels; the first level is the building itself, which provides the understanding and spreading of knowledge and the second level is natural history, which penetrates the building as an element of larger scale. Thus, the visitor can visit the exhibition while not forgetting the importance of the historical building. Finally, the design of the exhibition gives identity to the museum, gives limelight to the historical building and it shows, in a viable way, the existence of different forms of life found in the region.