This diploma thesis presents a proposal for the creation of a Museum of Geology in Santorini, with the aim to promote the geological history of the island and to explore the former quarry zone of the extraction of Thera land and pumice stone, which is located in the community of Fira.
The main outlines of the shape of the building come from the imaginable vectors to the volcano and to the listed building located in the area. In this way, it is attempted to ‘frame’ the main visual escapes where each reference point is located. As the content of the museum exhibits are divided into two themes, a museum of geology and rocks of the island and a museum for the extraction of Thera land, each building mass contains exhibits and information about the reference point that inspired its form and is 'framed' in the edge of each of these masses. The mass of the construction is underground, on the one hand so as not to alter the contour and the character of the place and on the other hand to put the visitor into a dark route inside the land, which makes the tour experiential.
The mines of Thera land of Santorini are a monument of the industrial heritage, it is an open geological museum, but at the same time it reflects the historical and social development of the island. One of the aims of this thesis is to highlight the above points in a discreet way that respects the environment and the heritage of the place.