INTERPRETING THE RUINS: THE RESTORATIONOF THE CLUNIA

ROMAN THEATRE.

FlaviaZelli1

1 LaboratoryofResearchandInterventioninArchitectural,HeritageandCulturalLandscape . Departmentof

TheoryandArchitecturalProjects,ArchitectureSchool,UniversityofValladolid.Spain.

flaviazeta@gmail.com

ABSTRACT

Being a fragment, the ruin can tell simultaneously the presence and the absence of the past’s architecture,

vanished but still perceptible. Its demand of intelligibility is, first and foremost, a call to

reconfiguration, according to new traces andreadings.

The intent of this paper is to explain the case of the Roman Theatre of Clunia (Spain), which restoration is

the end of an innovative and continued research process that investigate how the drawing, as a method

of analysis, contributes to the advancement of knowledge regarding the interpretation of archaeological

vestigesanditsreconfigurationtoo.

This intervention has been made by a multidisciplinary expert team in order to reconfigure the space for its

protection, understanding and use as a place for performances and shows, envisaging the recovery of this

spacetoultimatelyreturnittosocietyatalllevels.

The Theatre Restoration maintains the authenticity of the few remains without losing the evocative

character ofthe ruins,allowing the building toregain its original spatiality,part ofits functions andmake it

legibleforreturningvisitorsbyarchitecturalmechanisms.

Avoiding an obvious literal translation of its pristine forms, the operation uses overlapping, reversible, identifiable,

constructivelycompatiblearchitectural componentstoassistthereconfigurationofthetheatreasanewarchitecturalunit

inwhichtheoriginalremainsalongwiththearchitectureshowvisitorsthemagnitudeofthepast.

Parole chiave/Key-words: Architecture, archeology, heritage, landscape, Bressanone.