114 – TE3785 – ARHITECTURA DE FOTOGRAFIE SRL, ATELIER VRAC SRL, WOLFHOUSE PRODUCTIONS SRL, AMAIS INCLUSIVE DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURE SRL, RPR BIROU DE STUDII CONTEMPORANE SRL

Main Author: Arhitectura de Fotografie SRL, Atelier Vrac SRL, Wolfhouse Productions SRL, AMAIS Inclusive Design and Architecture SRL, RPR Birou de studii contemporane SRL
Co-authors: Arh. Marius VASILE, Arh. Pepe PERALTA GUERERRO, Arh. Cristi BĂDESCU, Arh. Zenaida-Elena FLOREA, Peis. Diana CULESCU, Urb. Iulian CANOV, Arh. Andreea PETRE, Arh. Ștefan SĂLĂVĂSTRU, Dr. Arh. Iris POPESCU
Architectural collaborators: arh. Alexandru CĂTĂUȚĂ, arh. Andrei CUMPĂNĂȘOIU, arh. Casian CIUREZU
Specialty collaborators: Peis. Andrei NICULAE, Ghid Alexandru BINESCU (Consultanță privind Istoria Revoluției din Timișoara), Dr. Arh. Iris Popescu (Consultanță privind proiectarea incluzivă și accesibilizare)

Vision for an Urban Synecdoche

Planned initially as an urban expansion, for a city that was rapidly overgrowing its restraining and redundant millitary shell, this territory that would later become Victoriei Square, has always acted as a sort of showcase for the city’s newest ideas for urbanity and society at large. Throughout modern and contemporary times, this place was a popular prooving grounds for cutting edge innovations like the electrical tram or electrical public lighting; it was also an early adopter of the European passion for highly curated public gardens and – of course – a ”de facto” catwalk for the latest fashion trends. It was therefore, a place for interaction and encounters, where one could show and tell, see and be seen, but also express and impress new ideas on society. The kind of place that could – and actually did – start a Revolution and bring about radical and permanent change.

Victoriei Square is in fact, a synecdoche of Timișoara. This place has flowrished and decayed in sync with the city, being a palpable expression for the special blend of urbanity that Timișoara has. Landmarks in Victoriei Square – the neoclasical Opera House (before the fire), the premodern „Corso” ensemble, the modernist (and, at the time) radical new façade for the Opera House, the somewhat „nation building type” Cathedral and the brutalist „Modex” Fashion House – they are actually a closely kept log. They are a diary of the city’s evolution and urban ambitions.

In these last decades, Timișoara has greatly transformed into an even more diverse and interconnected city, an innovation and technology powerhouse for Romania and Central Europe. Even before its selection as European Capital of Culture, it has quietly become a vibrant cultural center, but more importantly, it has become the premiere Romanian venue for contemporary visual arts and for architecture exhibitions. However during this period, Victoriei Square has – for the first time – fallen out of sync with the city.

Fixing this disconnect should not only imply an ample refurbishment, in accordance with contemporary design practices and with respect to its historical and representative character. In our opinion, this is an incredible opportunity for fixing the urban synecdoche and for restarting the tradition of urban „log keeping” though landmark buildings. It is an opportunity for creating synergies with „Modex” and throughout the city.

In addition to an inclusive and flexible public space, that is equipped to tackle global challenges like climate change, migration and worsening social inequities, we propose Timișoara build the „Gateway Pavilion” a new public landmark  that states its urban ambitions and reflects its new ethos, fit for the ‘20s. This Century’s ‘20s.

An inclussive design approach

Public space – by its nature – should act as an even playing field for society. Any planning and design process should start by thoroughly listening to the diverse voices of the community and be continued by a co-creation process that includes civil society and „expert” citizens from diverse social backgrounds This input is valuable in understanding the diversity of perspectives, test and improve solutions etc. Our team has already started interviewing people from Timișoara and plan to further develop this in all the subsequent phases of the project. Throughout these interviews, the main obstacles mentioned were related to the lack of information regarding landmarks in Victoriei Square and the surrounding area. The historical events that enfolded here are also difficult to grasp in relation to wayfinding, especially for people with visual, locomotory and intellectual disabilities. This is a downside that not only affects people with permanent disabilities, but also creates exclusion for able bodied people (eg. tourists, migrants, children etc) who do not have any way of understanding the full historical richness of the space.

All age, but especially child-friendly urban design

„If we can build a successful city for children, we will have a successful city for all people.” (Enrique Peñalosa). Enrique Peñalosa famously postulated that children are an „indicator species” for cities. Just like wild salmon thriving in a river, the presence of children of different ages, being active and visible in public space, is a sign of healthy urban habitats. Thoroughout the design process, our options were guided by a constant concern for improving and shaping the public realm so that it becomes a positive, safe and engaging universe, ready to be explored by people of all ages. We cam to the conclusion that if public space works for kids, it should work for just about everyone.

Play + Wayfinding = Playfinding

We admire (seemingly) random art in public space. Whenever it comes with a playfull or engaging twist, we get even more excited. This is the case for seven art pieces that have been instaled during a previous public space refurbishment in Cetate, the neighbourhood directly to the North of the competition area. These inspired our design for Playfinding, a collection of inclusive and playful landmarks that engage and inform people while also drawing from the materiality and qualities of the Cetate art pieces. The Playfinding objects are stategically places throughout the competition area creating alternative and engaging exploration routes in the public realm. Playfinding is a scalabe urban instrument, as it could easily be replicated to serve in the other neighborhoods of Timișoara, and thus become part of the city’s urban branding.

On public art & memorials in Victoriei Square

Throughout Victoriei Square, one can find a diverse array of monuments and memorials related to the 1989 Revolution. Though an etherogeous mix, often lacking propper information and context regarding the artistic or memorialistic intention they are all significant elements for this urban territory. Even though we think that certain spatial rearengements are needed and can be done with little effort, it is not for us – the designers – to arbitrarily decide on any substraction nor any physical permanent addition on this memorialistic suite. This action is not strictly a designer’s option and can only be done in the future stages of the project, as a result of thorough public consultation.

Even though we oppose new phisical and permanent memorials, we propose the city takes into consideration other immaterial or ephemerous memorials and celebrations of victory. One such celebration could be an overscaled light beam, that could be installed on the roof of the Opera House, and that is to be lit yearly, only for victory cellebrations. A second immaterial memorial could be changing the name of a street within this competition’s design scope, from Nicolae Paulescu – a proeminent scientist that was also a major promoter of fascism, anti-Semitism and eugenics, in the Interbelic period – with the name of Ladislau Csizmarik – a Hungarian ethnic and music teacher, assassinated in Piața Operei on December 17, 1989 while he was teaching the revolutionaries how to sing “Wake up, Romanians!” (then, a forgotten patriotic song that is currently Romania’s National Anthem).  

Crucificare as it was intended

„To look at a sculpture doesn’t just mean to look at it but to see it. It doesn’t just mean to ‘internalise’ it but also to question it, it doesn’t just mean to ‘feel’ it but to touch it from within.” (Paul Neagu). Paul Neagu strongly believed artists are not just makers of things that people can look at. He embraced the concept of „Palpable Art”, emphasizing that art should go beyond visual aesthetics and engage with multiple senses for its survival. He constantly encouraged a new way of experiencing and thinking about artistic expression. His work draws upon Romanian folklore and geometry. He creates totemic symbols that engage all five senses and aim to have a profound and potentially healing effect on the audience.

It is our proposal to remove de piedestal on which A-Cross („Crucificare”) is currently sitting, and bring it back to the ground level. The piece is currently placed in an up-side-down manner, so we also propose to reset it in accordance to the artist’s original vision. In our proposal, the work should sit on a soft surface – stabilized sand (but it can also sit on grass or gravel) that has the role to link the art with nature, the people and additional elements that form the cosmic galaxy imagined by the artist. At the same time, the new setup is meant to spur interaction and encourage viewers to explore the art of Paul Neagu through touch, taste, smell, and sound, not just sight – in accordance to his ideas about the tactile and sensory qualities of art.

Clear and interlinked ladscape design options

The plant selection includes a diverse range of trees, shrubs, vines, perennials, and grasses chosen for their ornamental qualities like foliage, colour, texture, and structure, but also for user experience for the ecosystem services they can offer to micro-fauna such as bees, butterflies, and small animals. Rather than focusing solely on local flora, the emphasis is on species that are currently resistant to pests and diseases in the Romanian context, offering additional benefits like fragrance and sound. The goal is to establish a sustainable, resilient green layer that introduces seasonal variations to enhance user experiences, support wildlife, and reduce water usage and maintenance efforts. For the central axis, the proposal suggests planting Liquidambar styraciflua (sweetgum), a species rarely found in Romanian green spaces. These trees will create a green promenade between the Opera and the Cathedral. The choice is based on factors including its ornamental appeal, ecological benefits for users and wildlife, suitability for future pruning, and resistance to pests and diseases.”