Main intervention
Every year ONE ARCHITECTURE WEEK realises a number of interventions in public space with two main goals: experiment and sustainability. To experiment: with a physical structure, which addresses issues of the the festival’s main topic and location. Sustainability: to leave a positive trace of change in the area, which it has engaged with.
Thе main intervention of 2016 happens at an open-air public green space, located between blocks 1, 2 and 3 in Trakiya. It is an underused space, which the festival wants to help turning into a common good. It features all the characteristics so typical for a Bulgarian panelki neighbourhood: uncared areas of grass and vegetation, abandoned kids playground, lack of parking places, etc. But it also features, again typically for such a Bulgarian urban area, small gardens taken care by certain inhabitants, besedkas, benches and tables placed by the citizens themselves, repairs of the pavement and other public infrastructure realised by the locals. This specifically chosen green area is both specific, as well as generic. Bulgarian cities are full of such areas.
The aim is to create a number of physical structures, which work as a showcase of how citizen participation can be integrated into the planning process.
The intervention is a collaboration between different architects. A Polish (H2 from Warsaw), a French (Gonzague Lacombe and Alexander Roemer) and an Austrian (Gabu Heindl) team each work on three different, but yet well-coordinated installations. Prior to their participation a Bulgarian team,INFormal, was involved. INFormal managed the first stage of the intervention: analysis and design brief. In the course of 10 days they set up a mobile structure, which was used for gathering people and organising events. In this process they observed how inhabitants move and use the space, what are the different interest groups, what do people wish or hate about the space, etc. On the basis of their observations and a number of interviews, they put together a design brief for the three foreign teams. Based on this brief, the foreign teams gave initial ideas, which INFormal put for discussion with the locals once again. Afterwards the final designs were drafted. As a last step of the realisation, the local inhabitants are involved once more.
More detailed information about each of the installations can be found here: Pool-platform by Gabu Heindl, Lion by H2 and the Jammin’ Kiosk.
The whole process aims to serve as an example both to the locals, as well as the authorities, of how people can be fruitfully involved in creating, changing and maintaining the urban environment. ONE ARCHITECTURE WEEK strives to encourage a process of urban transformation, characterised by participation, transparency and durability.
Come and see what architects, citizens and administration have done!
The Polish participants comes in Bulgaria with the support of Polish Institute in Sofia.
The French participants comes in Bulgaria with the support of Institute Francais in Sofia and Embassy of France in Sofia.
The Austrian participants in Bulgaria with the support of Embassy of Austria in Sofia.
