Transformarea maidanelor din spatele cortinelor de beton n spaii publice pentru oraul vechi i oraul nou.

Turning waste grounds behind concrete curtains into public spaces for the old and new city.

ActivAre ActivAting the Downtown n centru

Dup blocuri, oraul istoric

Hidden Behind Blocks Lies the Historic City

Un ora de blocuri rspndit ca o tumoare n oraul vechi: n nici o capital din fostul lagr socialist (european) nu regseti ceva comparabil cu marile operaii totalitare din anii 70 i 80. Pn atunci, Bucuretiul postbelic cunoscuse doar mici ansambluri staliniste, extinderea prin cartiere funcionaliste, iar n centru, intervenii punctuale. Radicalizarea regimului Ceauescu a mers mn-n mn cu modernizarea oraului istoric de fapt, cu proiectul de nlocuire complet a acestuia cu un ora de tip nou, colectiv i omogen, instrument i expresie a construirii unei noi societi. Datorit dorinei dictatorului de a obine ct mai rapid noua scenografie, s-a nceput cu demolri liniare de-a lungul unor axe principale (existente sau noi), urmate de construirea unor fronturi continue i uniforme. Din fericire, pasul urmtor avansarea cu demolarea i reconstruirea n profunzime nu a apucat s fie dus la capt. De aceea, situaia se prezent azi sub forma unor cortine de beton de-a lungul bulevardelor, care ascund n spatele lor spaii libere neregulate (poriuni demolate i rmase libere) i o zon central tiat abrupt, de multe ori valoroas i aproape intact. Densitatea este considerabil, spaiul liber, extrem de redus.

A forest of blocks straggle just like tumors into the old city no other former Eastern European capital city experienced the huge totalitarian operations Bucharest underwent in the 1970s and 1980s. During earlier decades only few smallish Staliniststyle ensembles, functionalist neighborhoods, and city centre in-fills were built. The radicalisation of Ceauescus regime went hand in hand with the modernisation of the historic centre, indeed a project aimed at completely replacing it with a new, collectivist, and homogeneous city, itself a vehicle as much as the expression of the new society that was being forged. To complete this new stage setting at the fast pace required by the dictator, demolitions followed a linear trajectory along major axes (either in place or new) making space for the building of unbroken slabs with standardised fronts. Fortunately, the next step of in-depth demolitions and new constructions behind these lines was not carried out. As a result today concrete curtains along boulevards screen out irregular spaces (demolished and turned into terrain vague) and the jagged fringes of the historical centre, often intact and architecturally valuable. The density is high, while vacant land is scarce.
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Dup 1989, centralitate autist: bulevardul din fa i maidanul din spate

The Post-1989 Autistic Centrality Syndrome: up front is the boulevard behind it lies the waste ground

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Unele apartamente, destinate nomenclaturii, sunt de o calitate superioar mediei, ns cea mai mare parte nu difer deloc de cele din cartiere mrginae. ns, datorit poziiei lor n centru, prestigiul, valoarea economic pe piaa liber, deci i nivelul financiar al populaiei, sunt la niveluri ridicate. Dei criza a dus la o scdere generalizat a preurilor i chiriilor, diferena de pre dintre aceste apartamente i cele din zone exterioare s-a intensificat. Noile axe chiar funcioneaz ca bulevarde urbane spre strad, cel puin: spaii comerciale scumpe, trafic auto i pietonal intens. Prestigiul apartamentelor ns este strict legat de poziia n cadrul oraului; locuitorii nu se raporteaz n nici un fel la context. n spatele cortinei, spaiile libere nu folosesc dect pentru parcaje slbatice, depozitarea gunoiului, zone de serviciu: locuri moarte, lipite ns de un oraul vechi cu statut de zon protejat (!).

Though apartments specifically aimed at high party officials have an above-theaverage quality, most of the others do not differ significantly compared to those in suburban districts. However, their central location, prestige, and market value have attracted tenants of greater financial power. Although prices and rents have dwindled during the current crisis, the price difference between such apartments and those in districts further a field has sharpened. The new axes do work as urban boulevards - or at least the front facing the street does: posh commercial spaces, heavy car and pedestrian traffic. Nonetheless, the prestige of apartments here is closely related to their location within the city; their inhabitants hardly relate to the built context. Behind the concrete curtain, empty spaces are wildly used as parking lots, for garbage storage or service areas; in short these spaces are dead - despite their proximity to the old city which enjoys a protected-area status (!).
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Principiul esenial de intervenie: activarea locurilor reziduale i declanarea unui proces

n aceste zone privilegiate mecanismele pieei libere funcioneaz n mod natural pentru construcii. Nu att stimularea, ct controlul i coordonarea operaiilor de reabilitare a construciilor sunt necesare: ne putem gndi la kit-uri (subansambluri standard pentru goluri, perei, balcoane) sau cel puin la regulamente pentru faade (inclusiv pentru publicitate) care ar duce la imagini controlate arhitectural. n ceea ce privete spaiul public, ruptura urban implic dou tipuri de abordare. n fa nu ar trebui dect reglementat amenajarea unor bulevarde care au deja o dinamic remarcabil ; n spate este necesar activarea spaiilor libere reziduale. Aceste locuri moarte au un potenial enorm
Zonele libere din spatele blocurilor capt importan la scara mare a oraului. Activarea lor se poate realiza printr-o chirurgie urban soft - prin reglementarea i amenjarea spaiului public. These empty spaces behind the blocks of flats spaces are essential at a general urban scale. Soft urban surgery through interventions in public space urban planning & landscaping.

de a face legtura ntre dou lumi oraul vechi i oraul nou i de a reintegra pri mari ale centrului n imaginea oraului i n circuitul economic i turistic. Ca atare, ele trebuie privite drept locuri importante la scara mare a oraului. Scopul interveniilor nu se poate rezuma la rezolvarea parcajelor sau a unor spaii verzi, ci trebuie s devin cel de a crea locuri publice atractive, integrate circulaiei generale a oraului i care s activeze att marginile cartierelor vechi, ct i partea din spate a irurilor de blocuri. crearea de spaiu public de calitate duce n mod aproape automat la aciuni de revitalizare individuale. Datorit lipsei de spaiu i vecintii cortinei de beton, construciile noi sunt dificile, iar demolrile pentru a aciona pe o arie mai larg, imposibile din motive sociale i economice evidente. Propunem ca principiu de intervenie o chirurgie urban soft, prin intervenii minimale, care s se concentreze asupra spaiului liber.
Zon de articulare Connecting area Activare Activation

The essential intervention principle: activate the terrain vague to trigger an improvement process
These are so-called privileged areas: free-market mechanisms function here on a natural basis when it comes to real estate development. What is therefore needed is not a stimulus for the building rehabilitation process but rather control and coordination mechanisms. One can think of some sort of kits - standard subunits for windows/ doors, walls, balconies -, or a set of regulations concerning faades (including advertising solutions) that would help control the architectural image. As far as public space goes, the urban fracture requires a sensitive dual approach. Up front one needs a simple set of rules to regulate the refurbishment of boulevards which have a remarkable dynamic growth of their own, whereas wastelands at the rear need to be activated. These dead places have a huge potential for bringing

together two separate worlds the old and the new city and thereby for reintegrating large areas of the centre into the citys image as much as into its economy and tourism. On the scale of the city these are places of major importance. interventions should not be restricted exclusively to solving the parking problem or landscaping some green areas; the aim of interventions should be the creation of attractive public spaces, integral to the citys overall fabric and connectivity. Such spaces should fully participate in activating the fringes of the old neighbourhoods as well as the areas behind the lines of blocks. in urban rehabilitation, the creation of quality public space triggers almost automatically individual revitalisation actions. Lack of space and the proximity of the concrete curtain make the construction of new buildings extremely difficult; extensive demolitions are almost impossible for obvious economic and social reasons. Therefore our suggestion favours a soft urban surgery with minimal interventions focused on existing free spaces.
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Cortina de beton Concrete curtain boulevards MAgic BLocKS | 51

Strategie

Strategy

Studiu de caz: o poriune din Calea Moilor. Rezerve de spaiu i un ora istoric invizibil Case study: a portion of Calea Mosilor Boulevard. Space reserve and the invisible historic center

Dat fiind importana i caracterul special al acestor locuri, interveniile trebuie reglementate prin proiecte urbanistice comandate de ctre administraie i acionnd asupra unor zone clar definite. Aceste proiecte ar trebui s cuprind att scara unui proiect urbanistic zonal sau de detaliu (zonificare, reglementri), ct i pe cea a unui proiect de amenajare de spaiu public (soluia arhitectural, tehnic i bugetul soluiei de amenajare). Cel mai eficient mod de declanare a procesului este prin realizarea unui proiect-pilot. Poziia i compoziia social a locuitorilor determin un avantaj economic, ns, n mod aparent paradoxal, i o noncomunitate. Ocupanii apartamentelor (de obicei, firme sau familii care nchiriaz locuinele de la proprietari) se schimb ntr-un ritm accelerat, locuinele sunt vzute mai ales

drept investiii; potenialul de cointeresare n faza iniial a proiectului, este, deci, foarte redus. Astfel, operaiile asupra spaiului vor cdea n sarcina administraiei. Cum finanri masive sunt improbabile, o strategie economic ar consta din urmtoarele puncte eseniale:

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Studiu de caz: o poriune din Calea Moilor. Gentrificare datorit poziiei ultra-centrale Case study: a portion of Calea Mosilor Boulevard: gentrification due to a highly central position in the city.

concentrarea pe intervenii minima-

le i eseniale. De fapt, n mare parte, un astfel de proiect urban nu trebuie dect s modifice, s ierarhizeze, s ordoneze i s coordoneze operaii care au loc oricum: amenajarea suprafeelor de circulaie, a spaiilor verzi, a locurilor de joac etc. Aproape aceleai lucruri, ns altfel. Obinerea de venituri prin crearea i nchirierea unor locuri de parcare legale i prin perceperea de taxe pentru folosirea unor spaii drept terase de restaurante etc. contientizarea veniturilor necuantificabile prin creterea atractivitii zonei (deci, implicit, a valorii funciare i a taxelor), injectarea de activiti noi etc.

Since such places are of such great importance and specificity, interventions should be carried out through urban projects commissioned by the administration with regard to clearly defined areas. Projects should include both the scale of an area plan or of a detailed local plan (zoning, regulations) and a proper public space landscaping project (including architectural and technical solutions as well as the actual implementation budget). A pilot project would be the most efficient way to start the process. Though location and the tenants social status generate an economic advantage they also produce, paradoxically, a noncommunity. Tenants here change quite often as apartments are usually rented out to third parties, be they companies or families; they are regarded as money-spinning

investments. Therefore it is highly unlikely that owners will become actively engaged during the first stage of the process. So, it is the administrations task to activate this space. Since massive financing is quite unlikely, an economic strategy would pursue the following key points:

Focus on a minimum of essential inter-

ventions. In fact, such an urban project will only have to modify, prioritize, order and coordinate operations already underway: improvement of traffic and green areas, of playgrounds, etc. Do almost the same things only different. Generate income by creating and renting out legal parking lots and by collecting taxes from those who use certain spaces such as restaurant terraces, etc. increase awareness as to the unquantifiable income resulting from the areas growing appeal (implicitly including the increase in land and tax revenues), and the generation of new activities, etc.

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SPORT
FUNC IUNI

CULTUR NATUR RECREERE

EDUCA IE COMER LOCURI DE JOAC SPECTACOL ANUAL PERMANENT LUNAR

Activarea spaiului public Urban Activation Of Public Space

CET EN I
C

IT

IZ

DURATI

SPTMNAL ZILNIC

EC

ACTORI

REZIDEN I

ASOCIA II DE PROPIETARI

CET ENI AI ORAULUI GOSPODRII VECINI ASOCIERI ALE ASOCIA IILOR DE PROPIETARI

Activarea spaiului public O matrice cu diferite funciuni i actori indic posibilitile de principiu de a activa spaiul liber pe durat temporar sau permanent.

IN

NEIG

H BO U R S

RE

ZI

DE

RESI D

EN

EN

TS

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Un spaiu public continuu n spatele cortinei de beton Spaiul liber de pe Calea Moilor poate fi privit drept un potenial spaiu public nu doar pentru locuitorii blocurilor, ci i pentru vecinii din centrul istoric i pentru cetenii oraului, n general. Insernd funciuni i activnd aceste zone moarte, s-ar obine n anumite poriuni secvene ale unui spaiu public continuu i dinamic.

O secven de spaii publice active Sequence / Continous Public Spaces

FUNCTIONS

A continuous urban public space behind the Concrete Curtains The open space on Moilor boulevard can be seen as a potential urban public space for local residents as well as for neighbours from the historical center and for citizens in general. By lending spaces different functions and by activating them a sequence of differentiated and dynamic public spaces will appear.

SPORT

DURATION

ACTORS

RESIDENTS CITIZENS NEIGHBOURS

HOME OWNER ASSOCIATIONS HOUSEHOLDS ASSOCIATIONS OF H.O.A.

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M A IN I/

TR AM VA I

WEEKLY DAILY

PERMANENT

MONTHLY

/A UT OB UZ

YEARLY

CA

RS

/T

RA

EDUCATION COMMERCIAL CULTURE KIDS - SPACE NATURE ENTERTAINMENT RECREATION

/B

US

Activation of open space A matrix with different functions and actors shows in principle the possibilities for short- or long-term activation of open space.

SPA IU PUBLIC PUBLIC SPACES

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P PE IETO DE N ST I RI AN

Calea Moilor: aplicarea principiilor ntr-un loc real Calea moilor: aplying principles to a real place

Flirt

Parcare organizat Organized parking

Sport

Joac Playing

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Citit Reading

Conversaie Conversation 56 | MAgic BLocKS

Servicii Services

Aglomeraie pe bulevard Crowded street MAgic BLocKS | 57

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Studiu de caz: poriunea definit de bulevardul Calea Moilor, strzile Corbeni, Popa Petre i Cercului
Calea Moilor reprezint un exemplu perfect al reconstruirii agresive a unei axe istorice i al imposibilitii de intervenie prin construcii i demolri. n prezent, poriunea aleas este n mod evident un nonloc: maini parcate haotic pe fiecare metru ptrat accesibil, spaii verzi sub forma unor maidane ngrdite, calcane. Ca prim pas, n zonele reziduale de margine se vor amenaja 40 de locuri de parcare rezidenial. Prea puine de altfel, nici un fel de soluie organizat n-ar putea acoperi necesarul , astfel nct restul de locuri va trebui asigurat prin msuri la scara cartierului (garaje sub- i supraterane). Se vor amenaja locuri de parcare pentru biciclete, motociclete i scutere. Spaiul verde existent este extins i primete plantaii suplimentare (arbori i gazon) i este completat vizual de unul dintre spaiile de parcare, amenajat cu dale nierbate. Punctul Trafo existent devine un pivot public, suport pentru couri de baschet ce deservesc dou miniterenuri de sport. Elementul major al noii amenajri este o banc din metal i lemn, cu variaii pe vertical (locuri de aezat, culcat, dat cu rolele i skate-boardul), o linie continu care organizeaz spaiul general i definete zone sociale diferite. Banca nconjoar

Case Study: the area closed off by Calea Moilor Boulevard, Corbeni, Popa Petre, and Cercului streets.
Calea Moilor perfectly illustrates the aggressive reconstruction of an historic axis and the impossibility of building or demolishing constructions now. Obviously, the chosen area is a nonplace: chaotically parked cars on every available inch, fenced wastelands as green spaces, blind walls. As a first step one would organise the existing residual space into 40 resident parking places. Obviously not enough; no smallscale solution here as only larger-scale neighbourhood garage projects (subterranean or over-the-ground) could do the trick. Bicycle and motorbike stands will also be set. The existing green space is quite large and will be further planted (trees, lawns); it will also be visually complemented by one of the parking lots covered with grass tiles. The existing transformation plant will be turned into a pivotal public object supporting baskets ball stands that cater for the 2 mini sport grounds. The centerpiece of the new arrangement is a bench made of wood and metal, with vertical variations (areas for seating and lying down, roller-skating, skateboarding), an unbroken line that organises the overall space and creates different social areas. The bench designs the perimeter of the sport grounds, separates strictly
Vizualizarea unei posibile soluii. Reabilitarea spaiului public ar fi probabil urmat n mod natural de activarea individual (i privat) a parterelor blocurilor. Plan al ansamblui i vedere a elementului principal de mobilier 1. Spaiu verde (existent i extins). 2. Spaiu pentru sport. 3. Spaiu public (mineral). 4. Banc liniar organiznd spaiul general i definind zone sociale diferite. 5. Cimea 6. Parcaj pentru locuine, tratat cu dale nierbate. 7. Parcaj de proximitate. 8. Pivot social - Post TRAFO devenit suport pentru echipamente sportive Visualisation of a possible solution. Public space rehabilitation would be followed naturally by individual (and private) activation of groundfloors. General plan and view of the main furniture element 1. Green spaces (existing and extended). 2. Sport. 3. Public space (paved). 4. Liniar bench organizing the general space and defining different social areas. 5. Small fountain. 6. Parking with grass tiles. 7. Parking space. 8. Social articulation the electric transformer turns into a structure for basket stands MAgic BLocKS | 63

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Definirea unui spaiu public veritabil i activarea limitelor. Defining a real public space and activating the limits.

Intervenie cu mijloace minimale i folosind elemente de la faa locului. An intervention through minimal means and re+using existing elements.

terenurile de sport, desparte cile de acces la parcaje de zonele strict pietonale, determin buzunare pentru grupuri mici sau mari i zone de plantaii noi. Accesul spre Calea Moilor este marcat prin orientarea i densitatea corpurilor de iluminat, prin pardoseli i plantaii. Transformarea spaiului va determina cel mai probabil deschiderea ctre el a parterelor blocurilor de pe Calea Moilor. Credem ns c va funciona de la nceput ca un scuar central, un spaiu al locatarilor de la bloc i ai cartierului de case, dar i al bulevardului, un loc pentru skateri, rolleri i cei ahtiai dup baschet, bunici, liceeni ndrgostii i pentru biei i fete de firm care i vor mnca sandviciul i salata pe banc la umbr.

pedestrian areas from those leading to the parking lots, and builds pockets for smaller or larger groups and new green spaces. Access from Calea Moilor will be marked through the positioning and density of street lights, pavement and green fencing. In time, this space change will probably invite the ground floors of blocks on Calea Moilor to open up to it. However, we believe that the space will function from the very beginning as a central square, one enjoyed by block- and individual unit- inhabitants as well as by boulevard passers-by; it will be a place for skaters, rollers or basketballlovers, grandparents, teenagers in love, one where yuppies will eat their prt-a porter sandwiches or salads on the shaded bench.
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