Scientific scenarios for the adaptive reuse of the Hammam as a public service center for Mediterranean cities.
The Islamic bath house Hammam is a central place for social life and cultural heritage of the Mediterranean civilization with complex urban and societal relations and various functions: besides its value as a cultural heritage, the Hammam is also an integrative part of the public life in the Islamic society and an example of architectural and cultural Mediterranean life, a place for semipublic activities, a space with specific architectural typologies, a support for health care and hygiene, a provider of drinking water, one of the rare public meeting places for women in the Islamic context, a place for relaxation and a place for religious, artistic and ceremonial activities.
The HAMMAM project develops strategies and designs new concepts of adapting the old Hammam features to a contemporary Islamic life, at the same time assessing possibilities for a joint usage of the Hammam by the local dwellers and tourists interested not only in architecture, but also in getting to know other life styles.
The HAMMAM study uses a case study approach, which starts the investigation from the local situation (cultural, economical and technical) of six specific Hammams in five different Mediterranean countries and one European country (Turkey) and develops sustainable user concepts for the different sites.
A principal goal of this study is to understand and evaluate the function, the concept, the technology and the rules for the running of a Hammam. Besides this study will assess risk factors arising during the revival process of traditional Hammams and carry out an users’ risk assessment for a cultural heritage building that has a day-to-day usage.
With the disappearance of Hammams, Islamic cities are about to loose a major feature of their cultural heritage with deteriorating consequences on the urbanistic, societal and architectural qualities.
The result will be a guide of design for a Hammam that has its place in the dynamics of transformation within the Islamic society, containing rules and recommendations.
European Commission 6th Framework Programme
Specific Targeted Research Projects (STREP)
FP6-2003-INCO-MPC-2 (517704)
About Project
