3D printed canopy uses passive environmental control to protect roman tombs in spain

"A lightweight, 3D printed and textile roof protects the Tombs of Postumio and Tres Puertas at the Archaeological Complex of Carmona in Seville, rethinking how contemporary architecture can engage with heritage conservation. The project by Juan Carlos Gómez de Cózar and Manuel Ordóñez Martín introduces a single canopy that covers both Roman tombs while operating as an environmental machine designed to stabilize their long-term preservation."

"The canopy rises just enough to accommodate curvature and airflow, positioning itself within the landscape as an artificial topography. Its presence is deliberately restrained, emerging from the ground to protect what lies beneath while avoiding visual dominance over the archaeological site. Beyond shelter, the double-layer envelope functions as an active environmental system. Ventilation and air extraction components are embedded within the roof to regulate temperature and humidity, maintaining stable hygrothermal conditions critical for the conservation of the tombs."

"The structural system by Juan Carlos Gómez de Cózar and Manuel Ordóñez Martín, both PhD architects, minimizes the number and visual impact of supports, reinforcing the idea of an open, continuous space above the tombs. This strategy preserves sightlines and maintains a sense of spatial continuity across the site, allowing the architecture to recede in favor of the archaeological remains. Integration with the natural surroundings is prioritized over formal expression."

A lightweight, 3D-printed and textile canopy shelters the Tombs of Postumio and Tres Puertas at the Archaeological Complex of Carmona in Seville. The single canopy forms an artificial topography that rises minimally to accommodate curvature and airflow while avoiding visual dominance. A double-layer envelope integrates ventilation and air extraction to regulate temperature and humidity, maintaining stable hygrothermal conditions for conservation. The structural system minimizes supports to preserve sightlines and spatial continuity. The system is lightweight, industrialized, reversible and recyclable for rapid assembly and removal, with an environmental footprint under 100.0 kg CO₂e.

Read at designboom | architecture & design magazine