The new premises of the School of Architectural Conservation and Restoration and the School of Urban Planning in Sibiu

Authors’ Comment

The diploma project proposes new premises for the School of Architectural Conservation and Restoration and the School of Urban Planning in Sibiu, responding to the need for spaces specifically adapted to the technical and pedagogical requirements of the two disciplines. Located at the edge of the protected historic centre, on a site affected by the demolitions and urban restructuring of the communist period, the project also seeks to repair an urban discontinuity and reintegrate the corner of the urban block into Sibiu’s characteristic compact fabric.
The proposal draws on the morphology of the historic city, its built density, deep plots, sequences of courtyards and passageways, and steep roof structures, reinterpreting these elements through a contemporary architectural language. A main volume, positioned parallel to the street, restores the continuity of the street frontage and accommodates the permanent activities of the School of Architectural Conservation and Restoration, particularly the design studios. A series of wings extend from this volume deep into the plot, housing specialised workshops, laboratories and spaces for temporary activities. Between these volumes, a sequence of courtyards with varying degrees of privacy allows workshop activities to extend outdoors.
The spatial organisation is based on the model of the Peripatetic school, where learning is not confined to the classroom but continues through movement, observation and encounter. Circulation thus becomes a pedagogical space in itself. Passageways, enfilade sequences, courtyards and the timber gallery generate a continuous, sometimes indirect and almost labyrinthine route that connects the studios, library, digital archive, laboratories and the two schools. The gallery acts as a threshold between interior spaces and courtyards, while also providing a place for informal encounters and the exchange of ideas. Its fixed and movable panels allow for natural ventilation while maintaining a continuous visual connection with the outdoor spaces. The sequence of these spaces supports the idea of “learning together”, in which specialised activities alternate with informal moments of work, observation and dialogue, while movement through the school itself becomes part of the educational experience.
The School of Urban Planning is integrated into the existing former Evangelical School building, complemented by design studios, shared working spaces and temporary accommodation for visiting professors and specialists. Shared facilities, including the café, art and drawing supplies shop, canteen, library, material library, lapidarium and laboratories, strengthen the relationship between the two schools while partially opening the complex to the city.
The spatial sequence culminates in the attic of the main volume, conceived as a contemporary agora and as the social and intellectual core of the academic community. Inspired both by Sibiu’s characteristic steep roof structures and by the concept of the shared studio at Frank Lloyd Wright’s school, the attic is conceived as a flexible space for individual and collaborative work, design reviews, lectures, presentations and exhibitions. Furniture is integrated into the ends of the timber structural frames, while the central area remains open and reconfigurable.
Through this organisation, the building is conceived not merely as a setting for education, but as a pedagogical instrument in itself: a system of spaces, routes, thresholds and places of encounter in which architecture supports continuous learning, collaboration and direct engagement with the practices of architectural conservation and restoration.