Hewn from the rock around 1500 years ago, the Abbey of St.
Maurice as a defensive fortification was hopeless. Continually
bombarded by falling rocks from the mountain above, it must have
been perilous to have lived there. But such occurrences were
just an irritant compared to the major rock slides that have
caused catastrophic damage to the abbey throughout its history.
A new canopy to protect the archaeological ruins of the old
abbey has been designed by Savioz Fabrizzi Architects. It has
taken its inspiration from the rock falls to provide a
protective canopy that is both conceptually and physically
contextual to this dramatic site. The canopy is built well above
the ruins maintaining the connection between the ruins and the
cliff face from which it was carved. On the translucent canopy,
170 tones of rock pieces are scattered across it giving a
dispersed and even light to the ruins below. The weight of the
rock acts as a load to prevent uplift to the canopy from wind
blasts. Viewed from a distance, the rock