110 – EC2023 – MANOPERA ARCHITECTURE SRL 

Main authors: Borșan Radu, Cuc Romeo, Latiș Larisa, Olaru Mădălina, Sabău Raluca
Architecture collaborators: Boroica Denisa, Damian Alexandra, Guriță Alessandro, Moisi Cristian, Orban Aron, Rotar Ariana, Savin Denisa
Specialty collaborators: ing. peis. Danci Cristiana, ing. hort. Dan Valentin Sebastian

Country or countries of origin: Romania
OAR Territorial branch: Transilvania 

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“The jury agrees that the winning design (1st prize) will contribute to the well-being of the inhabitants of Târgu Mureș and surroundings, unite a fragmented territory into new open spaces and connections, clarify and amplify the relationship between the city and the river.  The project will support the city in adapting to climate change challenges and impacts and positions it as a regional–and global–model for climate-resilient urban development.    

The winning scheme is a clear and ambitious proposal. The winning proposal:  

• Reveals the island territory between the canal and the Mureș River by establishing a continuous park system.
• Establishes a vibrant, continuous space for pedestrians, from the city center to the Hippodrome Park, by separating pedestrians from vehicular circulation.
• In the Hippodrome park, it proposes a thoughtful combination of new woodlands, integrating scenographic and multifunctional clearings, with a clear geometry that refers to the symbolic idea of a hippodrome.
• Solves the issue of the railway crossing by creating a cleverly positioned tram/metropolitan train station that also serves the Hippodrome Park, the Municipality Park, and the surrounding districts.
• Creates a hydrological scenography for each entrance to the Mureș River bank.   

The overall concept is of a large island of public green space with a strong identity and program, becoming a vibrant public district in the city. The hippodrome plan reinforces the clear identity of its historical uses through a rational and functional geometry. Pathways and new structures are at a human scale and appropriately distributed and located within the project. Interventions along the River Mureș bank enhance public access without interfering with flood control. 

The proposed planting along the canal will provide an inviting microclimate in hot summers and inviting textures in the winter. . The planting scheme increases biodiversity and diversifies the spatial experience. The hydrological system forms a strong urban design element, and there is a clear increase in permeable surfaces and stormwater management. Bridges and constructed elements are well scaled and present a unified set of urban interventions that can quickly enhance the value of the canal as a public greenway.” – appreciation of the Jury

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SLOW WATERS, SOFT THRESHOLDS, ENHANCED BIODIVERSITY functions simultaneously as the project title, the guiding process, and the resulting condition for the Hippodrome Park, Municipal Park, and Turbinei Canal blue-green ensemble.

CONCEPTUAL APPROACH

The proposal repositions the Mureș river corridor as a continuous green-blue system where water, vegetation, and urban life operate at compatible rhythms. Instead of controlling the river , the project works with its existing topography, residual branches, and level differences to slow down water, expand ecological capacity, and improve public access.

SLOWER WATER GENERATES RICHER HABITATS AND MORE ACCESSIBLE LANDSCAPES.

The river system has been heavily regulated since the 1970s, losing much of its ecological and spatial complexity. Therefore, interventions focus on transforming the river from a linear barrier into a porous structure. Meanders are reintroduced where possible, banks are softened, and water is redirected into wetlands and retention areas. These elements improve flow velocity, support sedimentation, and create conditions for riparian vegetation and aquatic life to develop. Fish passages, large stone insertions, and shallow gradients allow continuity for fauna while maintaining hydrologic balance.

WATER AS STRUCTURE

Water is treated as an active design material and is associated with a circulatory system that supports life. Rainwater management follows the same principle of slowing and dispersing: runoff is captured locally, guided through permeable surfaces and vegetated swales, and directed into wetlands and bioretention zones.

SOFT THRESHOLDS

Edges between land and water are redefined as gradual transitions rather than fixed lines. These “soft thresholds” allow seasonal variation, controlled flooding, and ecological exchange. They also make the river physically accessible, replacing steep or inaccessible embankments with stepped, sloped, or planted interfaces. Public access is not imposed everywhere, but carefully calibrated. Areas of high ecological value remain protected, while others allow direct contact with water through metal grating walkways, pontoons, decks, and gentle banks.

CONTINUOUS MOVEMENT

The project clarifies and extends pedestrian and cycling routes into a coherent network that connects the three sites and links them to the city. Paths follow the logic of universal accessibility, with clear hierarchies and minimal conflict between users.

THREE LANDSCAPES, ONE SYSTEM

Each site develops a distinct character within a shared framework: Hippodrome Park becomes a biodiverse floodplain landscape, self-sustaining vegetation, rich habitats, and non-invasive circulation; Municipal Park reinforces its urban and civic character, combining open lawns, event spaces, and an accessible water edge structured around a fish ladder and urban pocket with direct relationship to water; Turbinei Canal transforms into a linear park, where the canal profile is widened, vegetated, and accompanied by continuous pedestrian and cycling paths, punctuated by resting platforms.

WATER MANAGEMENT

The studied area is sensitive from a water management perspective. The city of Târgu Mureș experienced major flooding in 1970 and 1977, which led to the regularization of the river to prevent further events. The site lies between two main water bodies, the Mureș River and the Turbinei Canal. To manage rainwater effectively, impermeable surfaces should be reduced to the minimum necessary. Runoff from streets should be collected, filtered through a hydrocarbon separator, and then discharged into the nearest water body.

GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE

The city’s green structure consists of two main components: the river and its surrounding spaces, and the Cornești Plateau on the opposite side. This structure is reinforced by tree alignments along the main streets, which act as connecting links. The green corridor is further supported by existing fauna and flora, although obstacles along the Turbinei Canal disrupt its continuity. These interruptions can be addressed by introducing a bypass, allowing both the canal and the relict meander to function as an extended ecological corridor between the two existing dams.

SPORT INFRASRTUCTURE

Building on the area’s existing sporting character, the project extends and opens it up into a continuous landscape of movement and recreation, accommodating a wide range of everyday uses, from cycling and running to play and informal outdoor activities. An accessible and continuous landscape of movement.

URBAN CONNECTIONS

Târgu Mureș has two main traffic axes, one running north–south and the other east–west. The intervention area acts as a link between the historic city center and the green corridor. While several pedestrian connections exist between the Turbinei Canal and the city center, links between the canal and the Mureș River are limited. The proposed interventions complete the existing network, improving the connection between the river and the city.

ACCESIBILITY

In the present, alternative transport relies on buses and a limited cycling network. Although future plans propose expanding bicycle infrastructure, the studied area remains largely overlooked. By building on both existing and proposed routes, the network can be extended to better integrate the site. The railway is an underused asset that could support a metropolitan train system, already anchored by two existing stations and further developed with additional stations.

ECOSYSTEM AND BIODIVERSITY

RELICT MEANDER

For the first section of Relict Meander, a hygrophilous woodland of Alnus glutinosa and Alnus incana is proposed to restore the riparian character, enhance biodiversity and resilience. The existing Salix alba-dominated areas are locally supplemented with Alnus to increase structural diversity.

MUREȘ RIVERBANK

The Mureș Riverbank area reflects the riparian character of the Relict Meander through the use of the same tree species, although in a lower planting density. Wet meadows, which are typically treeless, predominate in this area and favor the development of herbaceous vegetation, including sedges, rushes, and moisture-loving wildflowers.

HIPPODROME PARK

In the Hippodrome area, a woodland zone is proposed, initially established on a planting grid composed of 17 tree species, of which approximately 40% belong to the genus Quercus. The species were selected according to the specific conditions of each patch, with moisture-loving trees placed near water and other species assigned to the drier areas.

BYPASS

In the bypass area, only the species that had to be removed for the construction of the fish leader were eliminated. The existing specimens were preserved, as the shade they provide is important for fish.

TURBINEI CANAL

Along the Turbinei Canal, species diversity and abundance were already significant. Certain species were removed in order to ensure the optimal development of neighbouring vegetation, while others were excluded because of their invasive character. The area was subsequently complemented with linear tree planting and a shrub layer.