University of Architecture and Urbanism Ion Mincu Bucharest

The University of Architecture

University year 2016-2017

Author: stud. arh. Georgiana Stoian

Coordinator: conf. dr. arh. tefan Blici

PROJECT: RESTORATION OF VERNACULAR SAXON ARCHITECTURE. THE SCHOOL AND

THE FORTRESS IN SASCHIZ, MURES

In a society characterized by change and consumption, the notion of patrimony and history
provides a sign of stability and belonging to a particular culture. World Heritage, on the other hand,
belongs to all the peoples of the world, UNESCO advancing this concept in order to better manage those
sites and exceptional assemblies, but also to improve cooperation between states, cooperation born out of
the common pleasure of beauty.
As far as Romania is concerned, there are seven villages listed in the World Heritage List as
"fortified churches": Biertan, Valea Viilor, Prejmer, Viscri, Saschiz, Clnic, Drjiu. They capture to a
large extent the type of habitation of the Saxon colonists brought by the Hungarian kings Geza II and
Andrew II at one point in time to strengthen their borders. These villages experienced a flourishing period
in the Middle Ages, but development ceased or slowed down, leaving behind living testimonies of a
tumultuous history on a foreign land. Over the past decades, some of these settlements have been thrown
into a shadow, with massive Saxon departures after 1989, triggering in some cases an accentuated state of
regress.
The inclusion of Saschiz in the world cultural heritage must not be synonymous with the
cessation of activity and development, but with the orientation towards certain values around which the
settlement can orbit. By understanding the mechanisms underlying the actual image of the village,
directions of development can be drawn in harmony with those characteristics that give the integrity and
authenticity of the place. In this context, monument status strengthens the possible image of a restoration
and research center in the field of architecture, focusing on the development and improvement of the
existing already built fund.

Located in Mures County, about 20 km from Sighisoara, Saschiz is part of the township with the
same name, including the villages Mihai Viteazu and Cloasterf. Being at relatively short distances from
the other villages listed on the world cultural heritage list, or other settlements with ecclesiastical citadels,
fortified churches or refuge towns, Saschiz enjoys a favorable, central position. The architecturally and
historically rich fund, along with landmarks such as the fortified Evangelical Church and the refuge city,
are the basis for the application of integrated conservation processes, justifying it and encouraging it at
the same time. These aspects, together with the architectural similarities between the settlements,
represent the premises of the vision of enrolling the village on the map of the restoration and research
centers, becoming a model for similar localities in Transylvania.
Considering the proposal for the development of the settlement as a restoration center, the edifice
of the German school is the most suitable place for setting up the school. Its central position, along with
its previous function, justifies this. Also, while respecting the civic nucleus unchanged for centuries, any
public service, especially education, must operate within the existing perimeter.
The main building, designed to accommodate classrooms and information presentation
laboratories, represents the interface between the proposed function and the external environment, while
the volume proposed within the parel focuses strictly on specialized workshops.

The restoration school is aimed at young people at local, county and national level, offering
practical courses and workshops divided into different specializations, functioning according to a calendar
similar to the higher education institutions in Romania. Following courses that will be accredited, young
people will be encouraged to find different restoration sites in the country or will be able to open their
own businesses, with the necessary management courses being offered throughout the learning program.
This encourages a new generation of craftsmen who can actively work on the restoration sites in
Romania.
Encouraging the participation of young people from other localities than Saschiz will be
supported by ensuring accommodation in the village. Under these conditions, the two plots on
Fishergasse, at no. 190 and 191 are proposed. The short distance from the center (about 5 minutes), as
well as the location on the road to the Orthodox church and the hearth of the Romanians, encourages the
idea of a route linking the main functions of the village, offering coherence. Regarding the constructions
proposed on the two lots, the adopted solution sought to take over specific compositional rules of the area.
Although the two plots work together, they will not be treated in a fusion style, keeping their boundaries
in the layout of the spaces. Street volumes are for student accommodation, while the barn volume
completes the composition, separating the garden from the yard. This volume has the role of gathering the
inhabitants of the three volumes around the various activities that can be carried out within it.
. The fortress is an important presence and landmark for the Saschiz community not only for its
defense role, but also for the important social roles it has played in the lives of the villagers. The
beginning of the eighteenth century was marked by the entry under the Habsburg influence, a moment
when the defensive systems existing on the territory of Transylvania diminished their strategic
importance. Nevertheless, the Saschiz refugee fortress continued its role in the life of the Saxons.
The possibilities of restoration and preservation of the peasant fortress can be summarized
through two main directions of approach: restoration and refunctionalization with obtaining an image
close to the original one, or preservation with local additions of structure and material to preserve the
image of ruin.
Starting from the second approach, the status of ruin will be assumed. The proposed interventions
are minor and provide structural stabilization elements (struts inserted into the walls of the priest's tower,
pre-stressed elements at the right side of the wall). Ruin is not the last step of the fortress, nor is it a
disagreeable step that has to be stopped. Considering that this stage is but another stage in its existence,
the ruin becomes a picturesque backdrop for recreation and education. Without claiming accurate
reproduction, the inserts use new materials (metal) that can be removed later on to facilitate new research.
It is proposed to restore the guard roads on a metallic structure, as they are continuous, including
the crack between the voivodal towers and ammunition. This break, along with other missing elements of
the fortress, will not be completed, they will not be treated as lacunae, but as witnesses that potentiate the
beauty and the passing existence of the ensemble. This is also the direction behind the interpretation of
towers as access points to different perspectives of the city and its surroundings. For this reason, the
floorboards are not completely rebuilt and have no claim to reproduce the original. They become just
means of vertical access to investigate and understand defenses. The watchtower, which is 80% fallen,
will be treated only under the sign of its role - the observation point. The chapel will be treated as an
information point, as the advanced status of degradation, and little information about its status are
encouraging in a broader interpretation process. Continuing in the basement through a proposed space in
an area without significant archaeological deposits, it complements the experience of discovering the
fortress.