RESTORATION LAB AT THE SCULPTURE MUSEUM,
COPAN RUINAS, HONDURAS

Project done in collaboration with Arch. Carlota Valladares.

The sculpture museum in Copan is the second largest museum in Honduras and holds a substantial Mayan sculputure collection recovered by various archeologists over the past 120 years of investigation in Copan. Currently  some of the investigations are being conducted by Harvard University, UPenn, ASCOPAN, and local archeologists assigned by the Honduran Institute of Anthropology and History IHAH.

Despite the presence of a center for investigations located 5 miles away from the main archeological site, Harvard University and UPenn are interested in having a small laboratory dedicated to the summer courses and practices that both institutions organize  every year in Copan.  the IHAH assigned an empty space at the sculpture museum to be utilized for these purposes.

The program for the project consisted of 3 main spaces:

1. Conference room / library for 8-10 people
conference table and 10 chairs
book storage
AV equipment
delicate equipment

2. Laboratory
4 workstations
fume extraction equipement
work island for teaching demostrations

3. Sculpture restoration
2 sand beds
4  workstations
open storage