Archaeological Research and Exhibition Center on the Constanta Peninsula

Authors’ Comment

The Archaeological Research and Exhibition Centre proposes a new relationship between heritage, the city, and the landscape, transforming the archaeological remains of the Constanța Peninsula from isolated elements into a coherent and active urban system. The project addresses both the functional requirements of contemporary archaeological research and the need to reintegrate heritage into the everyday life of the city, through an intervention that brings together conservation, restoration, research, and exhibition within a unified architectural ensemble.

The intervention is structured around three complementary components: Casa Magrin, restored and reintegrated into the public realm; the remains of the former Turkish Baths, preserved and interpreted in situ; and the new building, which accommodates the research, conservation, storage, and exhibition functions. Together, these elements establish a sequence of spaces that serves as an instrument for navigating the different historical layers of the site, while creating a museum experience grounded in discovery, continuity, and dialogue with its context.

The spatial organisation follows the principles of visual permeability and continuity of movement. The exhibition spaces are articulated through a sequence of platforms and sustained visual relationships with the maritime landscape, while natural light becomes a fundamental instrument in shaping the atmosphere of the interiors. The building’s volumetric configuration derives directly from the need to provide controlled illumination for the exhibition spaces, expressing externally the underlying logic of the interior organisation.

The intervention also extends to the existing museum in Ovidiu Square, where the basement is transformed into a visitable archaeological repository, the treasury collection is retained on the ground floor, and the library is rehabilitated and opened to the public.

More than a museum building, the project proposes an open cultural infrastructure capable of connecting research with exhibition and heritage with public space. Through the creation of a new pedestrian route linking Ovidiu Square, the archaeological sites, and Tomis Port, the intervention re-establishes the connection between the city and the sea, transforming archaeology into an accessible experience integrated into contemporary urban life.