A new(9) OPTION Architects

Growing architectures

text: Daniela PUIA

Headquarters: Str. Cetății, nr. 2/1-2, Baia Mare, Maramureș
Team: Matioc Adrian, Suciu Samuel, Mitru Petre, Ianuli Nicoleta, Moldovan Ildiko, Paskucz Ioan Stefan, Mitru Ildiko, Tima Erika, Pocol Adrian, Biru Hanna, Butean Mihai

Team

O 9 OPTION was born in 1998 when the two architects Ildiko Mitru and Ioan Ștefan Paskucz decided to continue the collaboration of the previous years in a new formula and with new ideas, whose results are visible today. In their 20 years of practice, the architectural office has accumulated an impressive portfolio, realizing a wide variety of projects: individual and collective residential buildings, office, commercial or industrial buildings, restoration and rehabilitation projects, historical documentations and studies, urban and spatial planning and interior design documentations and projects, etc., not only in Baia Mare, but also in other cities in the country.
Today they are already well known and appreciated for the extensive urban scale rehabilitation projects implemented in Baia Mare and for the restoration projects of historical buildings that have become examples of best practice in the field. Their passion for the local history and tradition and, why not say it, their love for the city have materialized through their significant contribution to projects such as the rehabilitation of the Historic Centre of Baia Mare and the restoration of some of the historic buildings in the area. At the same time, their permanent collaboration with local visual artists found its expression in the rehabilitation project of the Painters' Colony, a symbol of the artistic identity of Baia Mare.

© 9OPTIUNE

Awards:
2004 - Grand Trophy of the Ministry of Culture and Worship - work Millenium III Business Center in Baia Mare
2004 - "Nicolae Ghika-Budești" Award for National Cultural Heritage - Millenium III in Baia Mare
2005 - Arhitext Design Award, exterior design section - rehabilitation of Libertății Square in Baia Mare
2015 - III "City. People. Light" - general lighting plan for the Citadel Square in Baia Mare
2018 - German Design Award - Rehabilitation of the Citadel Square in Baia Mare
2018 - UAR President's Award, Public Building Architecture section, BNA 2018 - Restoration and rehabilitation of the painters' colony in Baia Mare
2018 - Award (ex aequo) Inclusive Public Space section, BNA 2018 - Rehabilitation and promotion of the cultural and historical identity of the Citadel Square and Stefan Tower in Baia Mare

REHABILITATION OF THE HISTORICAL CENTER OF BAIA MARE

The rehabilitation of the Historic Center of Baia Mare is a long-standing project, initiated and supported by the local administration since the 90s. The 9Opțiune team has been involved in this project from the very beginning, since 1999, when it won the ideas competition for the Urban Plan for the Historic City Center and conceived the principles of evolution and the image of the city whose core was to be gradually rediscovered and remodeled in the following years.

Millennium III Business Center

The project for the rehabilitation of Libertății Square and three historic buildings in front of it is well known today as a significant example in Romanian practice. The project was initiated by the local public administration, financed by the Phare 2000 Program and carried out in the period 2002-2004^.1 Its particularity is the theme itself:

The realization of a modern Business Center in the historical area of the city.

Organized in a pavilion system in 3 historic buildings in front of Liberty Square and extended into the square by a large pedestrian area for strolling, recreation and various events (exhibitions, concerts, etc.), the Business Centre includes office space, conference rooms and showrooms/galleries, all designed to provide a flexible and technologically well-equipped business environment.
The Libertății Square space, previously just a road junction, thus becomes a pedestrian meeting and recreational space for locals and visitors alike, with terraces, cafes and restaurants, and the three existing buildings, previously unused and dilapidated, are transformed into modern business, office and art gallery spaces.
In terms of rehabilitating the historic area, the project primarily meant reclaiming an urban space by redeveloping Libertății Square and giving it back to people/pedestrians and outdoor commercial and cultural activities. The redevelopment respects and evokes the atmosphere of the fair space that functioned here for centuries, from the medieval period to the first half of the 20th century. At the same time, the recovery and refunctionalization of the three buildings in front of the market are steps to save and enhance the historical heritage and models for the rehabilitation of the existing built heritage. Decisions on restoration solutions were conditioned by the value and condition of the buildings and involved consolidation, conservation and restoration works, complemented by new interventions with contemporary architectural accents. Their re-functionalization encouraged further projects, with other existing buildings on the market front being restored in the following years.
In the context of the funding accessed and the local, national and international institutions involved, the challenges of the project were multiple: the responsibility of rehabilitating the area and the historical monuments was compounded by the strict criteria of Romanian and European legislation imposed by the funder and very restrictive deadlines (the entire work was completed in less than two years).
The initiation, conception, implementation and successful completion of the project was the merit of a multidisciplinary team of specialists and professionals. Its impact has been significant both within the local community and urban life, and professionally. For example, the concept, challenges, solutions, technical and theoretical details and solutions were discussed after the completion of the project at the 2005 Tușnad Symposium, which was entirely dedicated to the rehabilitation of the built heritage of Baia Mare^.2

Citadel Square

Conceived simultaneously with the project for the Libertății Square, the rehabilitation of the Citadel Square was realized only ten years later, in 2012-2015, when the project received funding through POR Axis 1, NV/1/1/1.1/PDU/1/7/16.03.2010, SMIS Code 18165. The project proposes the transformation of the square into an urban space with a predominantly cultural and religious destination, by highlighting the Stefan Tower, highlighting the existence of the "St. Stephen" Church (disappeared in the mid-19th century), harmonizing with the other ecclesiastical buildings in the area and creating a new museum space of European standing, with multiple information related to the history of the medieval fortress Rivulus Dominarum^.3

The square complex includes: The Stefan Tower ensemble (14th century), consisting of the Stefan Tower (15th century) and the foundations of the Gothic church (1347), the Roman-Catholic Church of the Holy Trinity of the former Jesuit monastery (1717-1719) and the Degenfeld House (16th-17th centuries). The Church of St. Stephen was dismantled in 1847, only the tower remains. The place of the church was taken by a plantation of selected trees that evolved in harmony with all the historical monuments in the square, which also led to the classification of the area as a public square with secular trees. The archaeological excavations carried out in the Citadel Square during the rehabilitation works made it possible to reconstruct the shape and dimensions of the church, now marked in the square's landscaping. The tower of the old church has been consolidated and preserved, the staircase has been restored, the bells and the clock have been restored and the interior spaces have been fitted out to host exhibitions and cultural events. In the former lapidarium at the base of the tower, the shrine that functioned here in the 20th century has been restored. A reception and information point for tourists has been set up in the immediate vicinity of Stefan Tower. An important part of the rehabilitation project was the illumination of the archaeological remains and the Stefan Tower, which creates a duality in the perception of the newly created space in zenithal light and night lighting and gives the space a personality.

The project has had an immediate impact on the local community, restoring a part of its forgotten history and becoming an important tourist attraction. At the same time, the project was also appreciated in the professional environment, winning national (at the National Architecture Biennale 2018) and international awards (City.People.Light.Awards in 2015 and German Design Award in 2018).

General designer, architecture: SC 9OPTIUNE SRL
Resistance: SC CONCEPT INVEST SRL
Electrical installations: SC PROCONCEPT SRL
Low current installations: SC ELECTROTREND SRL
Plumbing, heating: SC NORD CLIMA SRL
Technical expertise: SC DIKO SRL
Preliminary study of art history: drd. WEISZ ATTILA
Archaeological research: JUDEȚEEAN MUSEUM OF HISTORY
AND ARCHAEOLOGY BAIA MARE
Biological expertise: SC GREEN PARTNERS SRL
Geotechnical study: SC MOODY SRL
Topographic study: PM GROUP TRADE SRL

PAINTERS' COLONY
Str. Victoriei, nr. 21, Baia Mare

For more than 120 years Baia Mare has been the place where local and European artists have been living and creating in an artistic community with a special personality, a "painters' colony". Listed today as a category A historic ensemble in the List of Historic Monuments, 2010 (MM-II-a-A-A-04494), the Painters' Colony has become an important symbol of the artistic identity of the community of Baia Baia Baia.

Historical landmarks and functional continuity

The first painting school was started here by local artists in 1896 for the summer period, in addition to Simon Hollósy's school in Munich. It became permanent two years later in 1898. The site chosen by the artists for the school's activities was Szechenyi Park, now Queen Maria Park, in the north of the city. The school was an immediate success, attracting in the following years more and more local artists, as well as artists from other countries and cities of the world - a situation that is also evident from the numerous paintings depicting the city and the landscape of Băimara, which participated in national and international exhibitions.
Appreciating the value of the art school and its international openness, the local administration has been constantly involved in providing the necessary premises for the artistic activities and their maintenance. The first building, erected in 1896, consisted of a wooden shed built in the park to protect the painters' easels from rain and wind. It functioned as a studio until 1925, when it was moved to the site of the present colony. But the impact of the painting school and the artists' insistence soon led to the construction of permanent stone and brick buildings with specific spaces for the activities carried out: workshops, living quarters and an exhibition hall. The land on the banks of the river Săsar at the southern end of the park was chosen for the new buildings. In 1900 a first building with two workshops (C1) was erected here. As soon as it was occupied by artists, it was extended with living quarters. Two new buildings with ground and first floors were built between 1910-1911, based on plans by the Hungarian architects Zoltán Bálint and Lajos Jámbor (Frommer) and construction work by Csisza Jozsef. One of the buildings was intended for the school of painting, the other for new workshops. The school building (C2) housed an exhibition hall covered with a skylight and two workshops. The second building (C3) consisted of four workshops, two on each level, each with a living room and outbuildings.
The Painters' Colony of Baia Mare, as we know it today, came into being in 1911, when the new buildings were completed. The moment was also formalized by the foundation of the Society of Painters of Baia Mare in the same year. From that moment on, the buildings would be administered by the City Hall and would function permanently as an Art School, workshops and housing, the spaces being rented to the artists who lived, worked and exhibited here for more than a century.
A high point in the development of the colony came in the 1970s, when two new buildings (C4, C5) were constructed with sculpture workshops on the ground floor and painting studios upstairs and minimal rest and outbuilding spaces. During the same period, a series of additions to the existing buildings were also made with annexed spaces.

Rehabilitation project

Further significant works in the colony were not carried out until 2009, when the extensive rehabilitation project of the complex was initiated, by which time, although the status and main function had never been changed, the complex had unclear ownership and was in an advanced state of disrepair, primarily due to misuse.
Although initiated in 2009, the Baia Mare Painters' Colony Restoration and Rehabilitation project - considered the greatest achievement of the artistic community in Baia Mare - was only implemented in 2015-2018, through the combined efforts of artists, architects, public administration and the local community.
Enhancement of the local artistic phenomenon in a broad international context by transforming the colony into a multifunctional center that could host, in addition to creative and exhibition activities, multiple cultural activities (lectures, conferences and various large-scale events) - this was the aim of the project.
The proposed rehabilitation solution is based on the concept of continuity, highlighting the evolutionary process of the art center by articulating historical and new forms. Arguments for this approach were the successive building stages adapted to the possibilities and needs of each period, from 1900 to the present. Thus, the project reconfigures volumetrically, plastically and functionally the existing buildings, marking the previous stages and their relationship with the new interventions. By enlarging, over-storey and attic, it increases the number of existing workshops, improves their quality and comfort, and reconfigures, diversifies and enlarges the exhibition space.
The colony complex now includes six buildings: Access Pavilion (C6), Hollósy Gallery (C2), Thorma János Pavilion (C3), Réti - Grünwald Pavilion (C1), Mihai Olos Pavilion (C4) and Walter Friedrich Pavilion (C5). The Access Pavilion was designed and built in 2012 and marks the main pedestrian access from Victory Street. Made of exposed concrete, metal and glass, it is intended for the display and sale of publications, advertising materials and promotional items of the Arts Center, and serves as an information and documentation point. The Hollósy Gallery has been remodeled to include six exhibition halls, and the entire building has been flexibly configured to accommodate multiple events to today's standards. The Thorma János, Réti - Grünwald, Mihai Olos and Walter Friedrich Pavilions have been expanded and refurbished, now comprising a total of 28 studios with varied configurations that meet the demands of modern artist housing, providing the necessary comfort for artists to create and live in alike.

"Here we felt it was our moment!!! Contemporary architecture to materialize itself in the spirit of art and culture, through our competition, architects, and collaboration with artists, thus bringing added value to this ensemble"(architect Stefan Paskucz).

"In short, we believed in a Grand Project. We believed in a Colony that could be developed and extended underground, by respecting the park, and above ground, in order to amplify in the future an avant-garde architecture of infinite value."The fact is that since the reopening of the Colony, the painters have been reopening it on coordinates that are part of the dynamic European dimension that has inspired this phenomenon, through the presence of large-scale exhibitions, artists and guest personalities who will revive the spirit of this place, the new generations of artists will enjoy a different legacy than the one we, the current generation, have received"(Laura Teodora Ghinea - President of the UAP Baia Mare Branch).

After 3 years on site, the colony was inaugurated in November 2017 and gradually reopened to artists and the general public.

RESTORATION AND REHABILITATION - PAINTERS' COLONY

General Designer: SC 9OPTIUNE SRL
Builder: SC Euras SRL, SC Liontech SRL, SC Flamgard SRL
Complex project manager: arh. Ildiko Mitru
Architecture project manager: arch. Stefan Paskucz

Elaboration team:
Architecture: SC 9OPTIUNE SRL
Architects: Stefan Paskucz, Erika Tima, Hanna Biru, Petre Mitru
Trainee architects: Nicoleta Ianuli, Mihai Butean, Samuel Suciu, Adrian Matioc
Artistic components: Laura Teodora Ghinea
Engineer: Ildiko Moldovan
Sub-engineer: Marta Popa
Designer: Adrian Pocol
Resistance: SC ARCOLAR SRL
Plumbing: SC GROUP KMN SRL
Electrical installations: SC AMI SA
Low current electrical installations: SC AMI SA
Natural gas installations: SC AMISA.PROIECT SRL
Signage: INSIDE MEDIA

BIBLIOGRAPHY

GHINEA, Laura Teodora, Colonia pictorilor: 1896-2017, (Cluj-Napoca: Editura Școala Ardeleană; București: Editura Eikon, 2017)
Restoration and rehabilitation of the Baia Mare Painters' Colony, UAR President's Award, National Biennale of Architecture 2018, https://www.uar-bna.ro/2018/proiecte/408/
Point of documentation Colonia pictorilor,
http://www.arhiforum.ro/proiecte/punct-de-documentare-colonia-pictorilor
9Optiune, www.9.optiune.ro
Incursiune în realitățile reabilitare patrimonului costruito - Baia Mare, May 25-28, 2005, Imola Kirizsán (editor), Utilitas, Cluj-Napoca, 2007
MITRU Ildiko MITRU, PASKUCZ Ștefan Ioan PASKUCZ, "Reabilitarea Pieței Pieței Cetății - Turnul Ștefan din Baia Mare", Arhitectura Magazine no. 3/2015,
http://arhitectura-1906.ro/2015/10/reabilitarea-pietei-cetatii-turnul-stefan-din-baia-mare
Millennium III Business Center, www.millennium3.ro
Rehabilitation and promotion of cultural and historical identity of the Citadel Square - Stefan Tower, www.dezvoltareurbana.baiamare.ro/piatacetatii

NOTES

1. Millennium III Business Center, www.millennium3.ro.
2. Incursiune în realitățile reabilitare patrimonului construído - Baia Mare, May 25-28, 2005, Imola Kirizsán (editor), Utilitas, Cluj-Napoca, 2007.
3. Ildiko Mitru, Ștefan Ioan Paskucz, "Reabilitarea Pieței Pieței Cetății - Turnul Ștefan din Baia Mare", Revista Arhitectura, nr. 3/2015, http://arhitectura-1906.ro/2015/10/reabilitarea-pietei-cetatii-turnul-stefan-din-baia-mare.

SUMARUL REVISTEI ARHITECTURA, NR.6/2018
"THE NEW" PARADIGM OF HOUSING