Sveta Nedelya Square

Arriving from the station we see the distant profile of the mountains to the south: the space of the square finds its logical conclusion in the geography of Sofia.

We walk in the large space of Sveta Nedelya Square and we look for signs: what is this space? Is it a square, or a roundabout? Is it a square or a linear crossing? We see some ruins and speak to the archaeologists leading the works: is it this what is underground? No, “this is only a minor part of the Roman and Ottoman cities”, they say… Monumental rests are calmly waiting under the tramway rails. We discover the different characters of the four quadrants around the square, their spaces, variety and richness, ruins surfacing here and there… Pure times we live by.

Sveta Nedelya Square is, in the project we propose, not only a square but a collective and broad experience in time and space. A place, as all the centre of Sofia, where we can feel time, “pure time” as anthropologist Marc Augé describes it, without resuming history or completing it, but assuming it as a deep cultural and intimate experience.

Our proposal is to work on the paradox of the coexistence of different times in the same space. The different cities laying one on each other in the space of the square become, in the project, part of the everyday life of the people walking by, meeting there, strolling and chatting.

The project introduces a broader concept of heritage in a living city. A concept that goes beyond the listed buildings, spaces, and archaeological structures but includes senses, memories, habits, liveability. An approach that is aiming at changing the perceptions of the people towards a multifaceted heritage and bring it closer to their everyday life.

What is impressive in Sveta Nedelya Square is the continuity in time. The project makes this perceptible also in space by introducing a continuous surface that inserts a third dimension, lowering and lifting up, in and out. The surface is a way to highlight the complex and continuous coexistence of different aspects of our life: archaeology, urban fabric, green areas, public spaces, transportation. We propose to create a seamless transition between epochs, not two separate levels in the space-time, but one surface that integrates the various layers into a single entity.

Sveta Nedelya Square will always be a square and part of the central pedestrian promenade crossing North-South the centre of Sofia, but it will also represent a planetary metaphor of memory and vision of the future. A unique place to live by.

By revealing and getting closer to the extraordinary heritage, the new Sveta Nedelya Square finds a new role in the city of Sofia. It becomes a hinge in a system of archaeological sites today fragmented, not always visible or accessible, not part of the city space. The continuous surface valorises all the square.

New Urban Centre of Veliko Tarnovo

The concept for the development of the territory of the new urban centre is aiming at creating a place with a spirit and a place that is socially and economically resilient. To achieve this, our global urban approach follows three leading guidelines: express identity, take advantage of the existing, allow flexibility.

The concept develops around six major interwoven strategies built upon the genetic code of the place: Volumes, Programme, Connectivity, Spaces, Phasing, and Sustainability. These strategies follow certain principles inspired by the Veliko Tarnovo urban morphology thus providing for the coherent connections of the territory with the city on different levels: spatial, visual, social, cultural, economic. The joint and wise implementation of the strategies would guarantee both a territory with a strong identity and a place that transforms and adapts to life.

New Urban Park in Haskovo

The city of Haskovo faces the challenge of reusing a vast terrain of former military barracks. Abandoned for nearly a decade, the territory gradually loses many of its built structures and becomes unpleasant, dirty and avoided place. The city’s strategy is to transform the terrain into a new park.

The project is a competition entry designed in collaboration with place.make studio.

The project aims to reinvent the site’s potential as a connector between distinct city areas, diverse people and different times. The various proposed areas enhance the territory’s identity both as a former military unit and as a future city park. We took advantage of the existing. The individual functional areas are inspired precisely by the qualities of each particular place. The landscaping proposals integrate optimal reuse of natural resources – rainwater, timber, solar energy. The proposal preserves some of the anthropogenic assets – structures, building materials, peculiar elements. Thus, the new city park not only combines different places and activities but tells stories and engages the senses.