“George Coșbuc” Flower Market - Rehabilitation and Expansion

Authors’ Comment

The project proposes the rehabilitation and expansion of the George Coșbuc Flower Market, located at the southwestern edge of Bucharest's central area, within a zone characterized by a strong industrial identity. The urban context of the site is defined by the presence of significant industrial complexes, such as the former Bragadiru Brewery and the former Customs Warehouse, which played a crucial role in the economic development of the area.

The market, inaugurated in 1950, served as a commercial hub until the 1980s, when major urban transformations triggered by the construction of the Palace of the Parliament and the Civic Center led to territorial fragmentation, resulting in the economic and social decline of the area. These changes caused the physical and mental isolation of the George Coșbuc Market, turning it into an enclave, disconnected from the northern central area of the city.

Currently, the market faces a functional and qualitative division: the original area, now used for administrative purposes, and a secondary area characterized by improvised structures and deficient infrastructure. The project aims to address these challenges through an architectural intervention that revalues the market as a coherent and active urban space, adapted to the contemporary needs of the city.

The proposed intervention seeks to align the site with an urban masterplan that includes the surrounding industrial neighborhoods. The main objective is to restore the permeability and connections of the area, creating a market that functions as an important urban node, capable of unifying and mediating between the existing industrial fabric and the traditional residential fabric. The project prioritizes the continuity of pedestrian flows and the alternation between interior and exterior spaces, thus contributing to urban revitalization.

The project has three essential architectural elements: the reconfiguration of the existing market, which becomes a transitional and cohesive element between the different areas of the site; the canopy, designed as a unifying element at both architectural and urban levels, ensuring the coherence of the ensemble; and the tower, which will function as an urban landmark and a research center for vertical farming, integrating technological innovation into the reconfigured industrial landscape. Through these interventions, the architectural solution aims to revitalize the area, create a reference urban landmark, and harness the potential of the heritage, contributing to its urban and cultural regeneration.