The reconstruction works at archaeological sites need to be approached with caution to prevent disturbing any surviving evidence. This study aims to develop criteria for the evaluation of reconstructions at archaeological sites. The criteria have been developed through review of current international and national conservation charters to help improve reconstruction proposals. These criteria are determined considering the remain scale and the site scale. Accuracy of the reconstruction, avoidance of physical damage, compatibility of materials, distinguishability of the interventions, availability of the interventions for future applications, and reversibility are the criteria concerning the remain scale; limits of the intervention, retainability of the original characteristics of the site, and perception of the reconstruction are the criteria concerning the site scale. These criteria are applied to the reconstruction works realized at the West Stoa of Agora,İzmir, Turkey during 1930s, which had to be dismissed and reimplemented in 2000s. The recent reconstruction was applied with compatible materials; the interventions did not damage the original materials and they are distinguishable. This study of the reconstruction presents the latest architectural information, provides a basis for future studies, and is reversible. The reconstructed structure does not falsify the original characteristics, but enables increased perception of the site.

a b s t r a c tProtective structures are advantageous to extend the life of exposed remains and to display objects of cultural significance. A considerable number of shelters and enclosures have been constructed of transparent materials to enhance the display function. This study aims to examine the utilization of transparency in design of protective structures in terms of advantages and disadvantages. To fulfill this aim, a group of protective structures, which were completely transparent or with transparent faç ades, such as the Roman Villa at Piazza Armerina, Sicily (Italy), the Fishbourne Roman Palace at West Sussex (England), the Roman Bath at Badenweiler (Germany), the Cathedral ruins at Hamar (Norway) and the Terrace Houses 2 at Ephesus (Turkey) were investigated in terms of their effect on preservation and display of remains. The selected examples illustrated that greenhouse effect, condensation, loss of transparency and excessive lighting are the problems to be considered in the design process. As a result, transparent materials used in protective structures should be selected carefully according to their thermo-physical properties such as solar, thermal and light transmission in order to reduce the negative effects of overheating and condensation.