Reflection of Resilience
Personal Info
Name: Bogdan Stoicescu
Nationality: Romanian
Institution / Company: Université catholique de Louvain – Faculté d’architecture, d’ingénierie architecturale, d’urbanisme – LOCI Bruxelles
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bogdan.stoicescu/
-HONOURABLE MENTION of Non Architecture Award 2022 Competition | Category: Architecture & Interiors
Located on the Dniester River on the northern coast of the Black Sea, Akkerman is Ukraine’s largest and best-preserved Medieval fortress. Built during the XV century AD on the remains of the ancient Greek city of Tyras, the fortress was attacked, conquered, and strengthened many times in its tumultuous history.
Considering the tragic war unfolding, this centuries-old monument that stood its ground despite all odds can become a symbol of resilient resistance and a refuge for culture, as war endangers people’s lives and their cultural production alike.
The project seeks to transform the fortress’ 13-meter-deep moat, an in-between space that has lost its original function, into a place that can shelter people, treasured belongings, and artifacts from the dangers of war, letting culture manifest itself even during troubling times. A 600-meter sunken passageway is envisioned, pedestrianized, and paved with porcelain tiles whose aesthetics and chromatics are reminiscent of the water that used to fill the ditch. The liminal spatial experience is enriched by a corridor garden, while the zenithal light reflects the artifacts on the ceramic floor. I imagine its thick pigmented concrete walls hoisted up with chains, like a fortress’ gate bridge, as the “sarcophagus” would finally open to reveal its artifacts in times of peace. Offering visitors a poetic view from above, the 38 bridges consist of steel beams with chains attached to them, which hoist the upper walls in an almost impossible play of forces that would nevertheless preserve the structural integrity of the old walls.
Project Type:
Museum / Refuge / Repository
Jury Comments
– Rebel Architette
The proposal presents a significant endeavour to safeguard heritage subjected to continuous threats across generations. The design exhibits an engaging blend between temporary installation, art and gallery space and a shelter that reclaims an abandoned site, benefitting the entire city.
