New Plaza Preserves Unexpected Historical Find

Plans to build a parking garage below an old plaza in Seville, Spain, revealed underground roman ruins. So the city built a new structure to hover over the site and to emphasize the area's historic amenities.

1 minute read

June 28, 2011, 9:00 AM PDT

By Nate Berg


Photographer Paul Clemence visits the site and explores how it preserves history and provides a new icon for the city.

"I enter the subterranean Antiquarium de Sevilla, the archeological museum, via an elegant system of glass walkways (designed by architect Felipe Palomino) to examine Roman relics. At ground level, a market hall with fishmongers, farm produce, and restaurants, make for a seamless connection to the city fabric and to its day-to-day life. Up another flight, the elevated plateau expands the plaza into higher ground, making a perfect setting for public events like concerts and film screenings. The patterned parasol structure that covers the whole footprint of the project creates a space at once open yet sheltered."

Monday, June 27, 2011 in Metropolis

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