ANDREESCU&GAIVORONSCHI is celebrating 34 years in the Romanian contemporary architecture. A series of projects and edificies obtained recognition. Among the over 60 national and international distinctions, the most important are: The European Award for Steel Construction ECCS in 1997; Nominated for The Mies van der Rohe EU Architecture Award, 2008, 2012; Shortlisted at WAF, Barcelona 2010, Berlin 2016; Winner at BIG SEE Architecture Festival Ljubljana 2019, 2020, 2021; President’s International Jury Saint Gobain Gyproc Trophy Prize 2021; Winner at GDA 2018, 2020; BETA Prizes in 2016 and 2018. Present on websites such as 1996, in Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Budapest, Leipzig, Thessaloniki, Szeged, Vienna, Istanbul, Brussels, Tokyo, Singapore, Berlin, Barcelona, Seoul, Frankfurt, Ljubljana, Novi Sad, etc.
Project description in English
The modernist, late 1920’s villa is situated in an elegant residential area in central Timișoara (Romania). It stands back-to-back to the valuable ensemble of the local archbishopric. The project is about rebooting the damaged villa, expanding it and transforming it into a contemporary Youth Centre. The concept runs on two threads. First, the preservation of the appearance of the villa by retrofitting the concrete structure and restoring both the interior and the exterior. The nearby presence of the intact twin villa offered precious insights. Second, the villa was extended with a „suspended” new auditorium, connected to the small archbishopric garden via a landform. This transitional space will host events, meetings and casual interactions. The new space is endowed with an ample stained-glass wall, overlooking the garden, created by a noted artist: Orăvitzan. The work will be enhancing a particular aspect of the interplay between light and space: solar light („Lumen”) vs. symbolic, un-created light („Lux”). The cooperation between architect and artist in order to obtain a fully integrated work of art was complex but rewarding. Light must be treated carefully using the best materials and technology.
The main goal of the new space was to create a bridge between old and new, between the closed world of spirituality and the open world of the contemporary youth. It is a one-of-a-kind project recreating an entire ensemble, giving new life to a beautiful heritage building, promoting links between worlds using the magnificent interplay of light and space.
