Santa María de la antigua del Darién Archaeological Park - Chocó, Colombia
Santa María de la Antigua del Darién is known for being the first spanish city to be founded in the American continent and also for its fleeting existence of only 15 years. It was founded in 1510 and destroyed approximately in the year 1524. Many of the most important figures in early Spanish occupation went through Santa Maria de la Antigua.
The archaeological site of the city is located on the coast of the Caribbean Sea in Colombia, in the town of Unguía, in the department of Choco. Currently, corresponding to the archaeological site there is a small village consisting of about 20 houses, called Sanctuary. On the path through the Gulf of Urabá and Tanela river is the most populous nearby settlement located 2km from the archaeological site.
The archaeological Park is a project that emerged from the initiative of a group of Italian and Colombian archaeologists after the archaeological exploration which unearthed the city after 500 years. With the community of Sanctuary, a “museum-house” was built, where pieces of big historical and archaeological interest can be found on the site, and the others that will subsequently appear in the next few years will be exhibited. The Ministry of Culture supported the proposal, from which the design phase was initiated by the Office of Special Projects of Escuela Taller de Bogota Foundation.
The program is organized around an exhibition and washing courtyard, with which the shape of the building ascends organically in the midst of the jungle allowing a free path between workspaces in a museum tour. The use of straw for the ceiling required that the project height was proportional to the width of the first floor to give the necessary slope and allow rain water to be collected in this inhospitable place which has no electricity or water connection. For this reason, the ceiling was parameterized in order for the form to be responsive in the architectural program. The variables used correspond to the changes to the form (width) in the program of the first floor, which are subject to change, modify the height and sinuous ceiling with each change of the curves that define the form of the first floor. Implementation of some simulation tools allows visualization of structural elements that give guidelines for on-site construction.
The material proposed for the project is subject to the materials and techniques of the area. Black and indigenous communities which work with “carpentry” are waiting to be included in this project for the future by making use of their ancestral knowledge. The project stands on a slab of “poor concrete” (soil and cement) to prevent moisture through direct contact with the soil.
The pillar structure; wooden straps and beams which are proposed structure have excellent structural qualities. The structural pieces used were obtained in order to allow the complete manufacturing on-site with artisanal techniques.
The materiality of the museum and cellar walls were required to be protected from moisture found on location, since Choco is one of the wettest places on earth, the behavior of materials is subject to it. The bareque (mixture of soil and organic material poured into the bamboo framework) is the material chosen for the areas where the architectonic structure is exposed. This material is one of the most commonly used for vernacular-architecture in Colombia.
Besides being considered environmentally friendly, it is one of the best materials to control temperature and humidity. As a result of the infrastructural shortage of water and energy, the design responds to the idea of self-sufficience with solar panels, rainwater harvesting and filtering pits for waste. It is expected that the construction will begin in 2016 with the support from Sanctuary and surrounding communities.
Design. David Fuentes, Ivanna Díaz, Felipe Gonzales, 2015