ART Forum

I believe in competitions. In their purpose as catalysts of learning and creativity. We have so far participated with Forum ART in over 60 competitions; we have only won one mention and one first prize in a student competition. Which may prove that we are democrats - we let others win. But joking aside, regardless of the result on the podium, the contest retains the round and transparent body of the eon of "who we are". And since the purpose of this article is to propose ideas about the architect's position and role, we will support these ideas with examples from several competitions: Ovidiu Square in Constanța, the redevelopment of the former customs premises in Osaka, the Soveja resort and the project for the Gabroveni Inn.

In Ovidiu Square we wanted to relive the joy and freshness of the children of the 70s, who wondered that people could gather in such large numbers on such a small peninsula, wanting so much to drink bragă, eat pretzels and boreci. I relived the fantasy loving every nook and cranny of the square now (sad folly), forgetting of course that the local government dreams of erasing three thousand years of history and immortalizing the moment of today. Classical architecture, quoted with utter tactlessness. Only Ovid was left room to look out to sea. And yes, pedestrian.

Osaka was far away. We raved about the rhythm of the city and the waves. Brownian motion and fractals. We opposed the rhythm of the city's volumes to the rhythm of the crashing waves. We waded in the water of the bay, we flapped our wings in Bucharest for a storm to happen there (all this happened a long time ago: we were not the cause of the real and so painful tragedy now!).

Soveja was a demonstration of "urban design". We had to be clever because we were the designers of the Union Square in Focsani (a project that obsesses me and to which, taking advantage of the reader's patience, I will come back). We brought bicycles to Soveja, we skied biathlon with the Norwegians on TV. We envisioned a polynuclear little town joined by a cam-tram, we gathered disorderly from the forest and erected a barrier between us and it, to look at it as in a mirror. We envisioned bridges and ski trails through the resort, so that the sleepy after daydreaming and love to be hit in the face by sweaty arrows passing in front of the window.

At Gabroveni we dreamed - in Romania - of history layere to see in the section. We weren't good enough, we said from the start. But we loved living the Roman dream of climbing up an old house and stepping into another, even higher house, onto an even newer terrace. And just as we've long dreamed of being Scarpa, we now played Louis Kahn (I should mention that we wished we'd gone to his classes - we would have been Botta or Rashdie, of course). [...]

I believe in competitions. I believe in their purpose as catalysts of learning and creativity. I have taken part so far with Forum ART in more than 60 contests and I have ever only won a mention and a first prize in a students' contest. Which may prove our democratic nature - we allow others to win too. Leaving jokes aside, no matter the result, contests keep the round and transparent body of the eon that we are. And since the whole purpose of this article is to put forward ideas about the position and purpose of the architect, we shall support these ideas with examples gathered from a number of contests: Ovid Square in Constanța, re-urbanization of former customs areas in Osaka, the new layout of Soveja resort and the Gabroveni Inn.

In Ovid Square we wanted to revive the cheerfulness and freshness of those children of the 70s, surprised that they could gather in such large numbers on that small peninsula, eager to drink millet beer, to eat pretzels and Turkish borec pies. We relived that fantasy, loving every corner of today's square (the sad madness of it), fully oblivious of the fact that local administration dreamed of erasing three thousand years of history and immortalizing the present day. Classical architecture put in place with a total lack of tact. Ovid alone was allowed a place to look over the sea. And, yes, the square is pedestrians only.

Osaka was far off. We were delirious about the rhythm of the city and the waves. Browning movement and fractals. We contrasted the rhythms of urban volumes to the rhythm of the waves breaking against the city side. We splashed in the gulf waters, we fluttered our wings in

Bucharest hopeful to cause a tempest out there (all these happened long time ago, and we are not to blame for the too real and painful tragedy of today!)

Soveja was a demonstration of an "urban project". We had to be intelligent for we had designed the Unity Square in Focșani (a project that obsesses me, and that I shall, with your kind permission, return to). In Soveja we brought bicycles, we skied in the biathlon with the Norwegians on TV. We imagined a multicentred small town, connected by an old-type tram, we gathered unorderly from the woods and erected a barrier between the forest and ourselves so we can look at it as if in a mirror. We imagined bridges and ski trails in the resort, so that the ones asleep after daydreaming and love are hit in the face by the dewy arrows that fly in front of the window.

At Gabroveni we dreamed - in Romania - about layers of history seen in section. We were not good enough; we said it from the beginning. But we loved too much the Roman dream of mounting on top of an old house and entering another, and going higher up, onto a newer terrace. And as we had dreamed of being Scarpa long before, we were now playing Louis Kahn. (I have to mention that we wish we had attended his courses - we would have been Botta or Rashdie, of course).