Impact of transparency in the design of protective structures for conservation of archaeological remains

Protective structures are advantageous to extend the life of exposed remains and to display objects of cultural significance. A considerable number of shelters and enclosures have been constructed of transparent materials to enhance the display function. This study aims to examine the utilization of transparency in design of protective structures in terms of advantages and disadvantages. To fulfill this aim, a group of protective structures, which were completely transparent or with transparent façades, such as the Roman Villa at Piazza Armerina, Sicily (Italy), the Fishbourne Roman Palace at West Sussex (England), the Roman Bath at Badenweiler (Germany), the Cathedral ruins at Hamar (Norway) and the Terrace Houses 2 at Ephesus (Turkey) were investigated in terms of their effect on preservation and display of remains. The selected examples illustrated that greenhouse effect, condensation, loss of transparency and excessive lighting are the problems to be considered in the design process. As a result, transparent materials used in protective structures should be selected carefully according to their thermo-physical properties such as solar, thermal and light transmission in order to reduce the negative effects of overheating and condensation.