VENERATING VOLUBILIS.

A proposed new visitor centre for the Roman site of Volubilis in Morocco will be a living museum for artefacts unearthed as archaeological excavations continue.

Lying to the west of the Moroccan city of Fes, Volubilis is one of North Africa's best preserved and most significant archaeological sites (AR July 2001). Occupied by the Romans in about 40 BC, it developed into a thriving city of 20 000, with a flourishing trade in oil, corn and wild animals for gladiatorial games. Its ruins were first identified in the nineteenth century and excavations begun in 1887. Remnants of the city's forum, basilica, temple, ramparts, oil mills and a huge triumphal arch are well preserved. Especially notable are a series of mosaic floors depicting scenes from classical mythology and everyday life.

Volubilis is now a World Heritage Site and the painstaking work of excavation and documentation continues to this day. Supported by the British and Moroccan governments, the Institute of Archaeology at University College London (UCL) and its Moroccan counterpart are undertaking a major joint project on the site. This involves a five-year programme of archaeological investigations concentrating on a previously unexcavated area south-west of the Roman city.

As well as conservation and management, a key aspect of the programme is the construction of a new building by John McAslan + Partners to accommodate the 100 000 visitors the site attracts annually.

At present, there are no proper tourist facilities and nowhere to house the bronze, pottery and stone relics unearthed by the excavations. Visitor numbers are expected to keep rising, adding to the physical pressures on the site, and long-term protection must be reconciled with these demands.

Drawing together display, research, education and administrative spaces, the new visitor centre will be located on a ridge to the eastern edge of the site, overlooking the remains. The lower floor of the two-storey building is partially dug into the hillside, minimising its bulk. Above, a glass pavilion houses the main exhibition space. A barrel-vaulted roof made of lightweight fabric forms a gently undulating white tent hovering in the desert landscape.

Interpretative presentations will address the history of Volubilis and its relationship with the surrounding landscape and people. The excavation and conservation programme will be directly linked to the exhibitions, so that visitors can experience first hand the results of on-site excavation and analysis. Rather than a static array of glass cases, the aim is to create a living museum that reflects archaeological progress and discovery, as Volubilis gradually yields up its treasures.