A new museum dedicated to the Cypriot artist Marios Tokas is set to be established in the center of the Ypsonas municipality. It designates a new reference point for the area's development, which delineates both morphologically and culturally a new public square. The building, aiming to serve as a backdrop for the evolution of public life, chooses to occupy only part of the intervention area and allocate the remaining space to the square that is created in front of it.
From a distance, the monolithic vertical volume seems to complement and frame the complex environment into which it is added and the low-rise residences of the area. Its irregular geometry, deriving from the organic paths that surround it, is punctuated by openings of various sizes, revealing punctually its interior. Approaching it from a shorter distance, the materiality of the building’s facade becomes perceptible. It translates the traditional stoneworks of Lofou settlement, the birthplace of the Cypriot artist, into a contemporary construction vocabulary. Local stones of different sizes are mixed with aggregates and light-color concrete, creating an envelope with high thermal and mechanical specifications that matures and changes over the passing of time.
Following the materiality of the museum, the new square is formed out of local cobblestones. Tall trees and organic plantings create shaded resting areas, while a vertical water feature enhances its microclimate. As one approaches the museum, the pavement of the square gently slopes, inviting visitors to enter its interior.
Emphasizing the building’s public character, the museum organisation aims to create communal, multifunctional spaces that can be opened to the public and operate complementarily to the exhibition material. On the ground level, the foyer along with the related public and administrative spaces are organised as an extension of the new exterior square. The first overground level hosts the main exhibition area. The second one is arranged as a versatile exhibition space overlooking the new museum’s garden. Different spaces of the building program are consolidated creating spaces with large proportions, which can support a wide variety of functions and adapt to the constantly changing requirements of a contemporary museum and an open community.
