2025 Mureș Parks, Târgu Mureș
From April 24th to 27th, 2026, the jury assessment of the projects submitted to the “PARCURILE MUREȘULUI, TÂRGU MUREȘ” International Design Competition took place. The competition was officially launched on December 30th, 2025, and is organized by the Romanian Order of Architects (OAR), alongside the Contracting Authority—the Municipality of Târgu Mureș.
The purpose of the design competition was to select the best project for the development of the Hippodrome Park – Municipal Park – Turbinei Canal blue-green ensemble in Târgu-Mureș, for the award of the design services contract.
The stake of the competition was to reintegrate the natural blue-green area related to the Mureș River’s watercourses into the urban space by creating a new major park system that would restore the identity of a city by the Mureș River to the municipality of Târgu Mureș. The aim is to enhance the landscape, ecological, and urban climate resilience values, while also providing an improved infrastructure for sustainable urban mobility for pedestrians and cyclists, and a wide range of recreational, social, relaxation, and leisure spaces, outdoor exercise, and play. With the reunification of the various green fragments of the Mureș (the Hippodrome area, the Relict Meander, the Mureș riverbank, the Municipal Park, the Turbinei Canal) into a coherent natural and urban network, the Hippodrome area and the entire suite of parks at the Mureș river have the potential to become a green urban landmark in the city’s network of public spaces and an ecological and symbolic link with the Mureș river.
On Tuesday, April 28th, from 2:00 PM, the Festivity Hall of Europa Elementary School has hosted the Press Conference for the announcement of the winners. The press conference was transmitted online on the OAR Concursuri Facebook page.
The jury of the competition, the mayor of the Târgu Mureș Municipality, Soós Zoltán and vice-mayor Kovács Mihály-Levente were present for the conference.
Among the participants to the competition were teams from Romania and the following countries: Hungary, Spain, Denmark, Italy, Croatia, Portugal, Turkey, Indonesia, China, France, Greece, Poland, Luxemburg, Ireland.
The results of the competition were announced on Tuesday, 28th of April 2026, 2:00 PM, Festivity Hall of Europa Elementary School. The event was live streamed on the official Facebook page of the Organizer, OAR Competitions:
AWARDED PRIZES
1st Place – Prize in the amount of 228,199.50 RON without VAT the estimated value of the design services contract, 14,952,128.21 RON without VAT (Maximum cost estimate for the design services established at 15,180,327.71 RON without VAT.)
2nd Place – Prize in the amount of 177,488.50 RON without VAT
3rd Place – Prize in the amount of 126,777.50 RON without VAT
4th Place – Prize in the amount of 76,066.50 RON without VAT – 1st mention
5th Place – Prize in the amount of 76,066.50 RON without VAT – 2nd mention
6th Place – Prize in the amount of 76,066.50 RON without VAT – 3rd mention
Following the Jury debates the winning projects were selected:
1st PRIZE
Project no. 110 – 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
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
2nd PRIZE
Project no. 112 – NORMA ARHITECTURA SI URBANISM SRL + BOCA STEFANIA LILIANA BIA + RECREATIV ARHITECTURA PEISAGERA SRL
Main authors: Boca Ștefania Liliana, Dâmbean Andreea, Fleșeriu Alexandru Nicolae, Kotró -Kosztándi Anna, Olteanu Alexandra, Péter Eszter, Secher Leonid, Uglea Claudia Andreea
Co-authors: Belea Iulia, Dubei Bianca
Architecture collaborators: Máté Krisztina, Márton Annámaria
Specialty collaborators: Tetelea Cristian Demostene
Country or countries of origin: Romania
OAR Territorial branch: Transilvania
” This project proposes a new landscape structure for the city based on a hybrid of urban and natural river morphology as an “urban meander” or a new “hydrological milieu.” The robust and well-considered vegetation scheme increases biodiversity and spatial experience at the urban scale across diverse conditions.
The project’s biodiversification scheme, unfolding over time under different conditions, reconnects citizens to the local urban ecology, allowing them to witness the evolution of the landscape over many years. The Municipal Park was carefully rethought, resulting in new, more functional spaces and improved microclimates.
The project’s foundation in ecological principles would jump-start self-sustaining processes that would economically increase biodiversity. Increased permeability, at large and small scales, will benefit managing intensive rain events. The simple earthwork in the hippodrome (cut and fill) will increase biodiversity.” – appreciation of the Jury
3rd PRIZE
Project no. 107 – PRÁCTICA ARQUITECTURA Y URBANISMO SLP + BEROS ABDUL ARHITECTI ASOCIATI SRL.
Main authors: Jaime Daroca, José Mayoral, José Ramón Sierra, Esenghiul Abdul, Christian Beros
Architecture collaborators: Ruxandra Sandulescu, Raluca Grecea, Joel Salamero, Ines Cacciolato, Josefina Joo Lee, Pablo Sanfuentes, Anghel Alessia Andreea, Pănescu Daria-Petruța, Trotea Teodora, Zigu Andreea-Mihaela, Costan Svinti
Specialty collaborators: Kelvin Ho (Renderings), Osvaldo Moreno (landscape consultant)
Country or countries of origin: Spaina, Romania
OAR Territorial branch: București
” The jury primarily appreciated the rhythm of nodes urban connections, both along the river and canal, and also across the city, with the potential to define a new identity for a new district through landscape interventions. The project considers the multiple ways to plug ecological intelligence into the city. The site-wide attention to the ecological connectivity and spatial qualities would greatly enhance habitat potential.
Clear investigation into the application and self-sustaining ecological processes that will lead to greater biodiversity. The hippodrome included diverse ecological character. The jury appreciated the systematic de-paving scheme for the stormwater management.
The systems of urban connections were inventive and well-detailed, with a core spine and points of interest that would increase social interaction and accessibility to the green corridor. The jury recognizes the potential to start a self-sustaining ecosystem, but it could be difficult for the city to maintain the novel patches, such as “rhizo-filtration”. Implementing, maintaining, and protecting these patches would require highly-trained staff.” – appreciation of the Jury
1st MENTION
Project no. 102 – TRANSYLVANIA LABS SRL.
Main authors: Árpád Zsolt Bartha, Birthler Klaus, Loránt Kovács, Pulugor Jonathán Zsolt, Endre Ványolós
Co-authors: Kinga Katinka Ferenczy, Gáspár Iszlai, Dániel Komes, Tas Sándor Molnár
Architecture collaborators: Dániel Székely, Mark Cîmpian
Specialty collaborators: Áron Géczi, Mária Henning, Krisztina Ferencz, Szabolcs Siklody, Klementina Székely
Country or countries of origin: Romania, Hungary
OAR Territorial branch: Mureș, Brașov-Covasna-Harghita
”The jury appreciated the gradient from the riparian zone to a zone between meadow and bosque, reinventing the lost river pattern. The hippodrome plan was very legible and coherent to the jury and had a scale at which the ecological dynamics would function well.
The jury noted the clarity of the landscape strategy through Miyawaki patches, where new plant communities emerge and quickly become legible as a regenerative strategy, engaging public attention. The jury appreciated the economical strategy of cut-and-fill for a more ecological function and for the urban connection to the river.” – appreciation of the Jury
2nd MENTION
Project no. 118 – PUNCT BIROU DE ARHITECTURĂ SRL
Main authors: Andrei Bacoșcă, Mădălina Doroftei, Ruxandra Grigoraș, Lázár Csaba, Mădălina Perju, Daniel Șerban
Country or countries of origin: Romania
OAR Territorial branch: Transilvania
”The paths in the Hippodrome park frame the landscape, while views are framed from new access points. The grading of the low areas brings a well-scaled geometry in the plan and section. The jury appreciated the traffic calming on the riverbank edge. The landscape strategy breaks down the spaces of the hippodrome intelligently and establishes new viewsheds in the park, with groves of trees framing the scenography, a kind of geometric picturesque. The underpass connecting the municipal park of the hippodrome is complex but generous.” – appreciation of the Jury
3rd MENTION
Project no. 119 – ATELIER MENOU SRL + SFERA ARHITECTURA SRL
Main authors: dr. arh. Miruna Moldovan, arh. Adrian-Ovidiu Bucin, dr. arh. Alexandru Sabău, arh. Ioana-Andreea Sabău, ing. peis. Alexandra-Mara Buz, arh. Laura-Sabina Dragomir, stud. ing. peis. Dinu Lazăr, stud. arh. Daria-Sanda Mălan, stud. arh. Magda Nemeș, stud. arh. Mădălin-Constantin Stanciu, stud. arh. Carina Șuteu
Country or countries of origin: Romania
OAR Territorial branch: Transilvania
”The potential of the project is exuberantly depicted in the axonometric friezes, which illustrate how the scheme would activate the new green-blue corridor in the city. The jury appreciated the gateways and “learning circuits” that engage humans and other species. The project presents a well-detailed, well-researched explanation of plant communities and their implementation in the parks and corridors.
Urban connections are numerous and well located. Maintenance is well thought out, with clearly zoned ecological corridors treated separately from the high-maintenance areas.” – appreciation of the Jury
The Contracting Authority of the competition is The Municipality of Târgu Mureș, the beneficiary of the project which will be contracted following the competition.
The competition is organized by the Romanian Order of Architects (OAR), in accordance with the OAR Good Practices Guide for Design Competitions (edited in Romanian – Ghidul de bune practici în organizarea concursurilor de soluții OAR, 2018, rev. 2025), in compliance with the provisions of the legislation in force regarding the award of public procurement contracts. The Design Competition is a public, single-stage competition, open to Romania, all countries of the European Union, of the European Economic Area, and to the Swiss Confederation. The design competition is organized as an independent procedure, in accordance with art. 105 letter a) of Law no. 98/2016 regarding public procurement, and subsequently, pursuant to provisions under art. 104 para. (7) of the same law, the design services contract is to be awarded to the winner of the competition, following a negotiation procedure without prior publication of a participation announcement.
The competition jury was selected from experts with international experience, including architects and urbanists from four countries:
- land. arch. Henri Bava (FR) – President of the Jury
- arch. Daniela Florina Miheț – Representative of the Contracting Authority (RO)
- land. arch. Sarah Anne Cowles (GE, US)
- land. arch. Julie Lilas Martineau (BE)
- arch. Bogdan Severus Demetrescu (RO)
- arch. urb. Angela Kovacs (RO)
- land. arch. Ada Diana Codrean (RO)
The organising team from the Romanian Order of Architects was also present for the Jury assessment, without the right to vote:
- arch. Mirona Crăciun –OAR Competition Advisor, Competition Coordinator;
- arch. Raisa Parpală – OAR Competitions, President of the Technical Committee;
- land. arch. Ana Horhat, arch. Mircea Munteanu – Professional Advisors;
- urb. Louisiana Stoica – OAR Competitions, Jury Secretary.
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