Innovative Building Technologies for Sustainable Architecture in Heritage Sites: The Revitalization Project of the Ancient Greek Colony of Megara Hyblaea in Sicily

The present research aims at revitalizing the archaeological park of Megara Hyblaea through innovative strategies developed within the PON project entitled "An early warning system for cultural heritage / e-WAS". In this national funded project, Sicilian research institutions, universities and companies work together with the common goal of developing new technologies for the protection and enhancement of historical and cultural heritage. They also aim to improve its strategic management and protect it from risks. The ancient Greek colony of Megara Hyblaea is immersed in an industrial landscape that stretches along the coast of eastern Sicily from Augusta to Syracuse. The sense of the original place has been erased by an indiscriminate occupation of the land by industries which has left, here and there, an archipelago of "heritage relics" of various kinds, which are equally close to the smelly chimneys and the horizon of the sea. This landscape of contrasts, dominated by petrochemical industries, has over time hindered a cultural tourism appropriate to the representativeness and importance of the findings, despite the efforts made by the authorities responsible for its protection. With a view to pursuing the primary objectives of the e-WAS project (i.e. guaranteeing safety and damage prevention with timely interventions to protect against risks), it was planned to install on site some prototypes of lightweight shelters and architectural modules. They have reduced environmental impact and are responsive and designed to protect the sensitive areas of the excavations and at the same time to facilitate the use of the archaeological site. The design of these technological elements is part of a broader and inter-scalar strategic design, in which the revitalization of the heritage goes through the remodeling of a network of physical and intangible relationships between the heritage itself, the place and the community