type – Architectural & interior design
program – Office
location – Timisoara, Timis county, RO
date – 2016-2020
surface – 5300 m2
status – finalized
role – architectural planning, interior design, project management
co-author – arh. Macalik Arnold (Mossfern SRL)
team – arh. Molnár Attila, arh. Vass Dániel, arh. Macalik Arnold, arh. Szőke Eszter, arh. Szilágyi-Bartha József
structural engineer – ing. Dan Stănel (Arhispatial Studio SRL)
collaborators – Fragmentum (3d scan), Siculus Bau (constructor), Verbau (constructor), Grup Energo Instal (HVAC), Digi (electric and sanitary installations), Imsat Service Cluj (smoke detection), Exim Lemn (interior doors), Fenestella (windows), Glaw Glass (door & glass walls), Zigman (furniture), Padma trading (furniture)
photogarphy – Biró István
Inaugurated in 1937, the School, cantine and apprentice housing building in Timișoara was built according to plans drawn by architects Tașcu and Maria Ciulli between 1934-1936. This was one project of many made by them during the 1930’s for similar buildings (București, Tg. Jiu, Arad, Pitești).
The 4-story high building, occupying a prominent lot along one of the main Boulevards of the city (Revoluției, former 23 August), is in the proximity of the historical center and displays modernist traits. It was very advanced for its time, having a fully equipped kitchen, dining room, changing rooms, practice rooms, and even a pool in the basement.
The building has maintained its sober, representative and institutional character, even though it was misused and lacked maintenance for decades. Consequently, the main objective of our project was to identify and restore the character of the building, both through its built substance and through its atmosphere, so that it could once more enrich and strengthen the urban landscape of the Boulevard.
This meant restoring its outer shell to an image as close as possible to the original, through the use of limestone and quartz sand-based plaster, solid wood windows with exterior aluminium cladding, zinc sheets for roof drainage and detailing, and the removal of past, parasitic modifications and additions.
The interiors presented challenges in the sense that there was a desire to keep the institutional character of the building, given by the dense rhythm of concrete beams, chessboard patterned floor finishes bordered by heavy, dark plinths, and blend these as seamlessly as possible with the technology and furnishings required by a modern office building. Premium finishes were chosen such as large surface porcelain slabs for wall coverings, raised floors or sound insulating double glazed walls, alongside options to keep and restore original finishes where possible, such as concrete mosaic floors and single glazed metal windows in the staircase.
