On the edge. Archaeological museum and visitor center of the ancient city of Gabii

Nothing chronicles human existence as profoundly as the city; it serves as a stage where the anthropic act of occupying space finds its oldest and deepest expression through construction. As the poet and essayist Joseph Brodsky wrote: «there are places where history is inevitable, places where geography provokes history». The ancient city of Gabii offers an emblematic case for investigating the relationship between urban form and soil morphology. The settlement is situated within a palimpsest defined by a complex orography, centered on the Castiglione crater. Surrounding this feature lies a network of radial urban traces from the ancient city, most of which are no longer visible today. This research develops a stratigraphic reading of the site, highlighting the original axes, paths, and structures that defined the spatial organization of Gabii during its earliest phases. These evidences serve as the theoretical foundation and generative model for the architectural intervention. Building upon these traces, the project proposes an archaeological museum and visitor center conceived as an interpretative device for urban form, where architecture actively bridges the past with the contemporary perception of the site. The proposal engages with the debate on the regeneration of archaeological parks, seeking to overcome the «fatal separation» theorized by Francesco Venezia and the «restrictive conservationism» that, as analyzed by Federica Visconti, exacerbates the conflict between archaeology and architecture. This intervention demonstrates how the dialogue between these two disciplines can guide strategies that critically integrate protection and enhancement, aiming for a new re-signification of the territory.