101 – KA7315 – TUDOR VLĂSCEANU ARHITECT SRL, ALT CORP ARCHITECTS SRL

Autor principal: Tudor Bogdan Vlăsceanu + ALT CORP (Cosmin O. Gălățianu, Cosmin Georgescu, Cristian Beșliu, Octavian Bîrsan, Andrei Theodor Ioniță) + Marius Indrei

Colaboratori specialități: Oana Frențiu (herbalist), Cristina Colis (arhitect și designer de permacultură)

The Pedestrian Axis

A Path Toward a Greener City

At the urban scale, our approach resembles that of archaeologists, carefully observing, meticulously peeling back layers, and gradually uncovering the hidden features of the city, long buried by time and forgetfulness. The city’s fabric holds immense potential and value, waiting to be re-emphasized so that the story of the present can unfold.

The generous space of Civic Centre Park, the wide promenade of Victoriei Boulevard with its generous sidewalks and well-placed greenery, the potential-filled open space in front of the Station, currently serving as a small parking lot and bus stop, the pedestrian passage beneath the Railway Station that uniquely links the otherwise divided parts of the city, the Tractorul Park continuing with a nearly kilometer-long pedestrian and bicycle path cutting through the former Tractorul Factory – featuring the iconic architecture of Octav Doicescu, now home to start-up offices and residential areas-the vast, easily reconfigurable parking space of Coresi Mall, the future Rulmentul Park and Cultural Centre, and the riverbanks of Timis are all artifacts that should not remain isolated moments. Instead, they should be part of a larger, coherent whole.

The existing value far outweighs the small interventions needed to bring these elements together into a cohesive whole. While broader discussions on reducing car use in the city will continue, small redesigns can make a big impact. For instance, the existing underpasses beneath Mihail Kogalniceanu Street could be reconfigured for smoother pedestrian access, and a similar upgrade could improve walkability at the less appealing intersection of Victoriei Boulevard and Garii Boulevard. The parking area in front of the Railway Station could be transformed into a more fitting urban plaza, while the required green spaces at Coresi Mall could easily be restructured to create a connected park, rather than scattered, residual unattractive patches that add little to no value.

The Rulmentul Park and Community Centre will be crucial in establishing the destination point for this new urban axis. It will also serve as a much-needed link between the northern part of the city and the surrounding natural landscape, the Timis River. To put this vision into context, we are proposing a 3-kilometer-long pedestrian axis that could connect to an 8-kilometer riverfront. By comparison, the historic citadel spans only 800 meters, the popular Tampa serpentine trail is 2.7 kilometers, and the Drumul Vechi route to Poiana Brasov is 5 kilometers.

The Enclosed Garden

A Journey from Industry Back to Nature and a Renewed Relationship with the Landscape

In industrial times, construction was primarily driven by production processes. Today, however, the approach to building and demolishing on our site must adhere to a new set of principles. These principles should take into account existing studies that highlight what is valuable and what is not, encompassing both architectural heritage and the local flora and fauna, while also incorporating a broader, forward-looking vision that considers the city as a whole.

As outlined in the historic study, our first step was to restore the Hangar Axis (1935) to its former glory. We then sought to carry this approach throughout the entire site. A strip of buildings was created, incorporating the six original hangars and extending to include both existing and future architectural constructions. This hardscaped strip adapts to the surrounding context by bending to first accommodate the Timis River and then to unify all significant buildings. This approach creates a perimeter ring of interconnected edifices that encircle a central garden.

This ring serves as the interface that connects and interacts with the surrounding city. To the west, it responds to the bustling 13 Decembrie Boulevard. To the south, it opens up to the potential of linking with the 3-kilometer-long pedestrian axis. To the east, it creates a new gateway for accessing the site through a new train station, connecting with the topography of the former residue deposit, which will eventually become a park. On the northern side, it connects through the Community Centre to the 8-kilometer-long riverfront of the Timis.

The enclosed garden seeks to redefine how we perceive the urban landscape–as something interactive, part of a dynamic, ever-evolving natural process. It is envisioned as an immersive experience, a space for community engagement, and a place of production rather than mere contemplation. Our goal is to move beyond the notion of a static outcome that often severs ties to the past and locks the future into a fixed image, with all efforts focused on preserving that image. Instead, we view this garden as a space that changes and evolves with time, guided by the singular aim of reintroducing and nurturing biodiversity. This process requires time and experimentation. We imagine the garden growing alongside the knowledge and involvement of the local community that will cultivate and care for it.

However, a few clear guidelines and steps must shape our path forward. First, we will preserve as much of the existing vegetation as possible. We plan to introduce species that complement the current flora. In the initial phases, we will focus on plants that are well-suited to thrive in challenging soil conditions, like ours, and species that can aid in the remediation of soil affected by past or potential contamination. With minimal interventions, we aim to unlock the potential of existing seeds trapped in the soil and beneath the concrete. We will also introduce trees that attract birds for feeding and nesting, while the diversity of flora will draw in bees. This will set the engine of a biodiverse ecosystem in motion.

The unique quality of an enclosed garden will nurture this new, yet fragile, habitat. Over time, season after season, the garden will evolve. This ever-changing process will not only be beautiful to observe, as different stages of development create diverse landscape features, but it will also offer a captivating opportunity to learn from and engage with. We envision this garden attracting professionals dedicated to its care, along with a community, from young to old, eager to learn from and interact with it.

The cultural center

In an act of retracing the historical becoming of complex 6, which was obtained over time throughout successive additions of halls and annexes, the cultural center is to be seen as a group of connected buildings, each accommodating its own dedicated function.

This new aggregate first reclaims the lost longitudinal axis of the “promenade” along the old halls by dismantling the C15c building down to its vertical bearing structure – the concrete pillars. The next step in the process of dividing the now indefinite whole of the complex is separating the C15b hall from the two buildings (C15a and A1) to which it is attached. Cutting out two of its five modules, one on each side connected to the whole, we concentrate the cultural center’s main functions in one singular construction. It is now the case of an isolated object, bearing its own expression based on adding new needed layers under the preserved structure of the C15b hall.

The historical C15a hall is restored to its original form and fully opened towards the inner park of the industrial site, in the sense of obtaining an immense public foyer which is neither outside nor inside. The A1 building is also restored and configured to accommodate the administration offices, the artist residences and the makerspace workshops.

The spaces in-between the three components are not to be seen as mere resulted intervals but as a set of narrow streets to the river, hosting either the café’s outdoors, a possible opening of the multifunctional hall towards the outside or group activities related to the ground floor workshops of the former A1 building.

Contained within the preserved “exoskeleton” of the old hall (C15b), a new structure shapes the overall functional layout of the cultural center’s main building, orienting the foyer and library towards the park while keeping aside the multifunctional hall and the rehearsal rooms. The space layering relies on a monumental staircase placed in the very core of the building, yet there is also another, unconventional, way of exploring the complex. (Fig. A.) An exterior link between the buildings is raised in the form of a suspended walkway, a pair of loops measuring both the interior of the outdoor foyer (the former 15a historical hall) and the exterior of the cultural center. This added structure becomes a roundabout tying together the now detached components of the old complex 6, but, most important, it facilitates a certain closeness with the bigness of an industrial architecture, like a floating gallery exhibiting scale. 

LANDSCAPE DESIGN STRATEGY AND INTERVENTION AREAS:

The Enclosed Garden (A1, A2, B, C)

The inner ‘green core’ of the site is divided into several main zones that depend on one another in order to achieve a long-term sustainable park beyond its mere leisure purposes. The aim of our proposal is therefore to enact a true ecological restoration process with respect to the memory of the former industrial site.

The NW end of the enclosed garden (zone A2) is to be organized based on its preexisting orthogonal layout. Keeping in mind all the species found on site, new trees and vegetation are to be brought on site in order to densify this inner forest. In parallel with this intervention that happens gradually, zone B will be subjected to various re-wilding operations that aim to put an emphasis on autochthonous species and their inherent potential. The overall strategy is divided into several important moments and two main stages of development:

Stage 1 (5-10 years)

The quasi-continuous concrete slab found in front of C15a building (zone A1) will be perforated at an even pace in order to give chance to the seeds buried beneath it to sprout and further expand following the irregular grooves of the ruined concrete floor. This process will be carefully monitored in order to discover what species are found where. This slow and meticulous re-wilding process will be intimately related to botanic activities happening in zone A2 – The Greenhouse, where, in parallel to the studies pursued in zone A1, efforts will be made to grow small plants, shrubs and even trees compatible to the ones already found on site – the focus will be mainly on pioneer trees and grasses/bushes with de-contaminating proprieties.

The Greenhouse found at the NW end of the former C25 hall will continously develop over time into a full scale tree and vegetation nursery that will act as the site’s very own re-naturing ‘factory’. This isolated botanical research outpost will also provide young trees for the area found North of C15 building, close to Timis river (D), the outer circle (E) and the recreational garden – ‘the Palaestra’ (C) with exteriour courts.

The river (D)

In this area, another slow-developing process will start to happen in relationship with both the cultural center and the river (Zone D1). This part of the project will be especially used for leisure activities (picnics, camping sites etc.) and will be organized as a triangular meadow pointing towards the river. The river itself will be part of the entire “re-wilding” process by means of a series of interventions that aim to reclaim its natural flow. This implies digging a series of diamond-shaped canals and grooves organized in a lattice-like matrix. These series of small islands will let the river ‘choose’ its own path and, further on, it will help boost the riverbed biodiversity.

The promenade and outer circle (E)

The exterior circle surrounding the site will act as both a green protection zone with various access points  and a promenade connecting the cultural center and the inner enclosure to its surroundings and to the city. Most of the parking lots and bus drop-offs are also to be found here.

Stage 2 (10-20 years)

The second stage of this ecological strategy will imply expanding the greenhouse with an exterior, partly covered, nursery for bushes, shrubs and hanging plants used for both ecological and research purposes, but also for production purposes. For this reason, our proposal suggests using the hall found at South of 25d building for potential laboratories and classrooms for horticulture and agronomy students and researchers.

During this stage of development, the proposal suggests also expanding the ‘re-wilding’ process of the Timis river to the NW and SE of the cultural center and connecting the river to the two landfill hills found to the East (Zone F). This is a great opportunity for the activities found in Zone C to also expand beyond the limits of the former industrial site.

This final stage will also come with an expansion of both production activities, and also cultural and educational ones. Open air workshops concerning permaculture, urban farming or comunitary gardens where people can grow and pick their own vegetables, or can even sell/trade them at the markets taking place in the former halls.

Having potentially solved the issue of re-wilding and re-naturing the former industrial site, the controlled soil in the greenhouse and the nursery can ultimately be put to use by planting medicinal, therapeutic or aromatic herbs. An alternative scenario can be using the nursery for hop cultivation and repurposing the hall found at South of 25d building as an artisanal brewery. The overall layout of this straregy is illustrated below in its definitive stage.

Project phases

Phase 1 – Project with public financing

• Construction of the Rulmentul cultural center, a first development magnet for the industrial site
• Construction of the first access road through the site, by connecting the existing network to the west (Blvd. 13 decembrie) and to the north (road to Sanpetru)
• Parking related to the center, 25 parking places, 2 buses
• The connection with Timis river, through the development of the green space in the north area of the cultural center
• This space is directly connected with the open air events space in the old hangar belonging to the center

Phase 2 – Project with public financing

• Defining the future perimeter of what will become “the enclosed garden”
• Beginning of the inner park’s construction
• Decontamination of the area
• Cleaning, mapping and preservation of existing nature operations
• Operations to unlock the potential found: depicting existing seeds, geological specificity and compatibility of flora breeds with the spontaneous vegetal patrimony
• Identifying the community principal actors, specialists and NGO organizations that will further lead this process

Phase 3 – Public private partnership

• Development of the north of the site
• – Tracing and construction of the secondary north road that serves the new development
• – Reconditioning of the existing buildings (mainly the Administrative pavilion and its front garden) following the historic study guidelines. The site allows for new buildings as well, thought for residential use. The available intermediary spaces will be treated as public open spaces, and they will be designed as such. The overall program designated for the area includes education: a school and a kindergarten, a medical center and several small and medium event spaces. The ground floor will offer shops and other public spaces: coffeehouse, bakeries, terraces

Phase 4 – Public private partnership

• Development of the Hall 25. Dismantling of 3 of the 4 exiting modules, keeping the south building that becomes an office building, ideally for research in connection with nature sciences as part of a greater connection with the enclosed garden. The 3 modules remain only at structural level and they will house a nursery

Phase 5 – Project with public financing

• Dismantling the existing structure in front of the Hangar 5 building (after dismantling the C15c building down to its bearing structure in Phase 1)
• Elaborating a diagnosis of recoverable pavements (patches of cobblestone and concrete slabs) in order to begin developing the design for a new hardscape along the hall’s historical axis/promenade
• Assigning new functions for the remaining old hangars, suited for the spatial/structural typology of big halls:
  • cultural: concert halls, galleries/museums
  • commercial: markets, fairs
  • sports: for enclosed/covered arenas (with a plausible possibility of converting C16 hall into a ”palaestra” accomodating small courts – tennis, basketball, volleyball etc.)
  • emergency/crisis cases: refugee camps

Phase 6 – Public private partnership

• Relying on the park’s potential public attractiveness and its positioning towards the boulevard, developing a strategy for office building investments, private businesses and commercial spaces

Phase 7 – Project with private financing

• Relying on the openness towards the park and its privileged view over the city and Tampa peak, developing a strategy for accommodating residential low-rise buildings alongside C27a and C28 halls after their restoration

Phase 8 – Project with public financing

• A conversion of C16 hall into a public ”palaestra” (as mentioned in Phase 5) can act as the core for a further development of a recreational and sports area in the south-east of the ”enclosed garden” and advancing towards the existing topography over the Timis river
• This phase can conclude the overall layout of the proposed hardscape as a pedestrian limit enclosing a renaturalised park

Phase 9 – Project with public financing

• Reusing parts of the former train tracks for developing flexible public transport mobility and placing a new train station dedicated to accessing the park from the main train station in the city center

Phase 10 – Project with public financing

• Scattering small structures, low-maintenance pavilions for public utilities such as toilets, pergolas, observation points, kiosks, small amphitheaters