In the summer of 1999 I collaborated with Harm Timmermans in a workshop at the Ion Mincu Institute of Architecture in Bucuresti. A workshop organised within the Tempus-exchange-program. A short exchange. 14 Romanians visited Eindhoven and another 14 Dutch students visited Bucuresti. The workshop in Bucuresti was arranged by Jos Bosman and Gabriel Pascariu.
The subject of our workshop was about the urban reconsruction of a site located on the river Dumbovita in the North-West part of the city of Bucuresti. The site was a former industrial area bordering the campus of the polytechnica on one side and on the other sides marked by industry and a few houses. The 14 Dutch were divided into 6 groups. As said before I collaborated with Harm Timmermans in one group.
We planned one big event-floor with only one urban machine of leisure and information in the middle. We asfalted the whole area which had and will have little hills. We put in one big open road / flat eventfloor of 100m wide through the area. The road is part of the ringroad of Bucharest. On the hilly asfalt eventfloor we placed a grid that as formaly as Ceaucescu's boulevard has the same direction. On this grid we planted trees, to give the necessary shade. We also introduced an elevated grass floor. This floor partly covers the 100m road to give shade and shelter for the cars that park there. The grass floor also hover over the river. It is even possible to dive from the grass-floor into the water Directly on the road we placed an urban machine. A multipurpose building. Mainly a big football stadium for Rapid Bucuresti (We went to their championshipgame but like lots of other people could not get in because it was allready full. The old stadium is only 1 kilometer away and probably to small. Hence the idea) The seating area hangs from a large construction. The field and the rest of the mulit-purpose building stand loose from the seating area. If you are on the field you can look under the seats. On the sides of the stadium are large screens. The biggest is used for a dacia-in cinema. The others are used as computerscreens for the students in their campusflats. That way everyone can see when they surf the net and where they surf to.
Dwellings are suficient in the area, let's make an event!