Hugh Broughton Architects wins Getty shelter prototype contest for one of Cyprus' most important archaeological sites

The Getty Conservation Institute (GCI) and the Department of Antiquities of Cyprus (DoA) have announced their selection of London-based Hugh Broughton Architects in an international competition to design prototype protective shelters for the Nea Pafos UNESCO World Heritage site in Cyprus.

The firm’s minimally-invasive pair of passive-design-influenced shelter proposals beat out a shortlist that included Carmody Groarke, Machado Silvetti, and three others.

“Our designs reflect a creative and methodical collaboration between architects, conservation specialists, and engineers, all of whom are looking forward to working in partnership with the GCI and DoA to develop proposals to preserve the future of this stunning historic place,” the firm’s founder Hugh Broughton said at the announcement.

The competition’s brief tasked them with the development of two protective structures for the separate Villa of Theseus and House of Orpheus, which both include important mosaic pavements dating to the end of the 2nd Century AD. For their design, Hugh Boughton’s team paired with conservation specialists from Martin Ashley Architects to create a column-free hipped roof structure rendered in local vernacular materials that can be assembled and remade using a “kit of parts” approach. As the Getty’s Jeanne Marie Teutonico noted, this presents a design the organization felt was “sensitive to the archaeological context.”

“The protection of the mosaics of the important UNESCO World Heritage archeological site of Nea Pafos, which are of unique value, is among the priorities of the DoA,” Dr. Marina Solomidou-Ieronymidou, director of the Department of Antiquities of Cyprus, said finally. “The concept design developed by Hugh Broughton Architects considers the main criteria put forward as part of the competition, such as the need to preserve the integrity of the site and the broader area, and other environmental factors and visitation issues. The proposal will be finalized following discussions with the DoA and GCI and will be implemented based on governmental procedures.”