Aquaculture Research Center

Authors’ Comment

The object of research that shaped the design phase is situated at the intersection of a natural environment and an industrial relic; this project operates within a “hybrid landscape” generated by the Bicaz Dam's construction. Consequently, the design takes a firm stance to preserve the site's industrial heritage.
These elements originated from the site’s initial function as a timber logistics facility. The main economic engine for the area was log rafting, which disappeared the moment the dam was constructed, and people turned towards manipulating wood on land. As their function evolved, these former technological machines became the structural support for the pioneering “Petre Jitariu” research station. From technological equipment (cranes), they became structural support for the “Petre Jitariu” research station.
While the site represents a natural landscape, it also has an intrinsic connection with industrial elements; as such, the available gantry cranes present on site became of interest in this study. The primary design decision preserves these concrete cranes, transforming them into an infrastructural host. The spatial approach relies on a symbiotic box-in-box strategy. Rather than parasitizing the ruin, lightweight, reversible modules are carefully inserted into its rigid grid.
Because the research program requires a free ground plane, the new volumes, circulation paths, and observational areas are elevated, supported by a secondary structure attached via tension cables. This organization ensures pedestrian permeability, conserves the fragile shoreline ecosystem, and provides essential space for heavy scientific diving logistics.
Functionally, the design is based on a hybrid metabolism: strictly regulated biological laboratories operating year-round, alongside a seasonal public interface. Through glazed facades, the scientific process becomes a transparent, live exhibit for visitors.