On the Phenomenon of Decay in Architecture; Theoretical Perspectives from the 1950s to the 2020s

Derelict, dilapidated buildings in various states of ruin have always been present in our built environment. Theoretical approaches to the issue of ruins within the field of architecture have been changing continuously in response to shifting social, political, economic, and cultural conditions. Although origins of the debates on ruins can be traced centuries back, the topic came into focus with renewed intensity following the mass destruction in the wake of World War II. This paper discusses relevant perspectives on the phenomenon of decay in architecture from the 1950s to the 2020s, and offers a critical synthesis of their diverse viewpoints, thus enabling further formulations of contemporary positions and design strategies concerning this increasingly significant subject matter

San Rocco/Koromačnik military camps (2nd–1st centuries BC)

On the San Rocco hill, remote sensing and field-walking campaigns indicated the existence of a large Roman military camp (Camp 1) extending over the whole area, a small camp on the top of the hill (Camp 2), and a large area south of it where orthogonal structures have been identified. To clarify the function and chronology of the remains, three trenches were opened in 2019 and 2021. Part of a terrace construction dated between the end of the 2nd and mid-1st century BC was found in Trench 1. Together with orthogonal crop and shadow marks, it indicates that a large part of the hill was arranged in terraces. The northern rampart of Camp 1 was excavated in Trench 3. The 6.5-m-wide fortification of Phase 1 consisted of four lines of defence combining a low stone wall with a wooden superstructure, protected by a palisade, two lines of wooden obstacles, and a stone escarpment. The structure, dated to the 2nd century BC, was destroyed by a fire and restored by adding an earth bank in Phase 2 (end of the 2nd or beginning of the 1st century BC). Camp 2 on the top of the hill was protected by a low walkway that consisted of an earth rampart reinforced on the inside by a row of stones and on the outside by a stone accumulation (Trench 2). Its construction in Phase 1 is dated into the pre-Caesarean period and the renovation in Phase 2 into the mid-1st century BC