Requalification of the Acropolis of Byrsa and Rehabilitation of the National Museum of Carthage
Carthage - Tunisia

The Acropolis of Byrsa has been through a history of prosperity and construction as well as destruction and colonisation, with every civilisation trying to impose on the previous one. The concept of the project starts from the desire for reconnection and reconciliation, intervening on the site today means glorifying the history of the hill and rebuilding a relationship between the locals and their heritage. Our project is not about imposing a new layer on the existing ones, but rather is to create a platform to bring together the different elements: the ruins, the museum, the cathedral, the archaeological sites, the landscape, and the sea, to make the people aware of this richness and allow them to reclaim their own heritage. The platform: an urban catalyst, as a response to this desire and a tool to suddenly have a panoramic view of all the other archaeological sites around the Acropolis of Byrsa. The patio: The court is one of the main features of the vernacular architecture of Tunisia, in line with the Islamic architectural style, where the patio becomes the garden of senses where water, vegetation, and architecture dialogue with harmony. The project presents different patios with different aromas and vegetation according to the sun analysis of the site. The arches: a shape that has been materialised by every civilisation differently, the arches in stone, the Roman bricks arches, the Islamic ogival shape evocated in the Cathedral and the Museum. Our intention is to use the arches as an element of reconciliation between all these identities. We are also interested in the arches as boundaries, an arch is a door, a passage but it is also a structural element where the forces are distributed perfectly.