Underwater Park Visitor Center: Its Tasks, Functions, Structure

Abstract

Underwater cultural heritage and issues related to its study, preservation and museumification are increasingly emerging in the Russian museological and cultural discourse. Major engineering projects that affect the seabed require underwater archaeological surveys, followed by preservation of underwater artifacts.The process of underwater cultural heritage preservation and actualization in the coastal zone is increasingly taking the popular approach — creation of underwater parks and routes. The theory of formation of underwater parks as museum-type institutions and the development of opportunities for preserving cultural heritage in the underwater environment attract the attention of subject matter specialists. At the same time, the approaches to organizing the ground structure of these institutions do not receive enough attention from researchers.This paper aims at forming a structural concept of an underwater park’s visitor center. The article identifies the main studies concerning the theoretical basis of designing underwater parks and forming visitor centers, highlights the possible tasks, and defines the key functions and structural content of an underwater park’s visitor center.The research is based on Russian and foreign theoretical studies, primarily by authors from the Mediterranean countries. The article considers the design of visitor centers through the prism of mainly Russian works devoted to the creation of visitor centers and museums on the basis of land-based specially protected natural areas.In conclusion, the article highlights promising areas for further research in relation to underwater parks and the methodology for preserving and updating underwater cultural heritage with their help.