A Hybrid Museum-Library for Larnaca
Architectural Design VIII/Department of Architecture - UCY
Description
Larnaca is redefining its cultural role as it prepares to become the 2030 European Capital of Culture. A Hybrid Museum-Library for Larnaca is a public infrastructure that connects memory, knowledge, research and the city’s everyday life. The brief moves beyond exhibitions and books, envisioning an open cultural place that activates public space, welcomes diverse communities, and stays active year-round.
Grounded in an exploration of Cyprus’s cultural heritage, museum–library typologies, selected sites and their urban contexts, each proposal develops a thematic museum narrative such as sericulture, weaving, traditional music and dance, sport or basketry. The projects respond to questions of access, coastal microclimates and local urban dynamics. The design process combines architectural concepts and spatial narratives with structural and constructional logic. Students explore building systems and envelope typologies, including opportunities to integrate energy systems into the design.
European sustainability priorities and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals inform the projects, with emphasis on accessibility, social inclusion, responsible material selection and reduced operational energy use. Through drawings, diagrams and physical models, the studio presents proposals for sustainable, culturally active architecture in Larnaca.
Affiliations
All models have been created by FabLab UCY (coordinated by George Veshiaris).
CREDITS
This course is coordinated by Dr. Maria Matheou.
Christina Michaelidou is an architecture student based in Nicosia, Cyprus. Her creative practice is shaped by an interest in spatial design, visual storytelling and the relationship between digital environments and the built world.
Marilena Kyprou is an architecture student at the University of Cyprus. Throughout her studies, she has developed a strong interest in experiential architecture and its relationship with human psychology, exploring how emerging technologies can contribute to the design of meaningful spatial experiences.
Chrysovalanti Constantinou is an architecture student based in Nicosia, Cyprus, currently entering her 5th and final year of study. She is strongly interested in integrating social and technological strategies that support the development of sustainable and inclusive urban solutions.
Maria Matheou (course tutor) is an architect, researcher and façade engineer working at the intersection of academia, design and industry. She holds a PhD in Architecture from the University of Cyprus and has developed an interdisciplinary profile centred on adaptive and lightweight architectural systems, responsive building envelopes and sustainable construction. She was a Junior Professor (2020–2026) at the Institute for Lightweight Structures and Conceptual Design at the University of Stuttgart, where she led and contributed to research on kinetic façades, adaptive structures, solar-responsive design and full-scale prototype development.
Her work combines computational design, environmental simulation, innovative materials, sensing and actuation technologies, and physical testing to improve daylight performance, energy efficiency and urban environmental conditions.
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