Takis Gavrilis & Partners Design Group

The project consisted of the design for the construction of a shelter that would protect the Macedonian Tombs at St. Athanasios church in Thessaloniki, as well as for the reconstruction of the burial mound that covered them.
The main objective of the intervention was to restore the exterior form of the Tomb, so that it would not alter the landscape, which would characterize the future archaeological park to be developed around the tomb. Furthermore, the design aimed to maintain the stratigraphy of the tomb seen on the nearby slopes, thus providing valuable information regarding the way this historically important tomb was constructed. At the same time, the possibility of making the tomb accessible to the public was examined while creating a space of controlled temperature and humidity around it.
The suggested intervention included the construction of a hall with changeable height that will enclose Tomb III and the Burial Path. Access to those halls is achieved through a spiral tunnel that connects the hall with the entrance to the monument. The visitor first passes by the two smaller tombs (Ι and ΙΙ) before they enter the spiral tunnel. The rest of the area comprises two clearly distinct spaces, the projection hall and the exhibition space, which have a view over the Tomb.