(new) Fish Market in Galati

Authors’ Comment

Galați, in terms of urban identity, originated from the natural bay created by the Danube along the riverfront promenade (faleza). Over this forgotten core of the city's origins, an industrial function was grafted, forcibly imposed by political dictates. The site chosen for the diploma project is located at the end of the riverfront route.

Although historical analysis reveals the site as a central one, today it shares several characteristics with a peripheral space. The Danube frontage along the promenade communicates closely with the river, yet at the site, it turns its back on it.

The aim of the project is to reactivate this forgotten promenade—which currently has an uncertain, ill-defined termination—and to restore the connection with the Danube as the core of Galați's urban identity and life. The program was selected following an analysis of the social groups already present in the area, taking into account their overlaps and shared interests.

The (new) Fish Market in Galați was shaped by overlapping an open public space—allowing the promenade to penetrate into and under the shelter of the building—with a culinary space, both prepared (food court areas at the mezzanine, a restaurant sheltered by a ramp) and dedicated to preparation (fish stalls and related product counters). These intersect with an educational zone that attracts visitors outside peak hours, highlighting the symbiosis of a Danube aquatic ecosystem composed of water, plants, and fish.

Conceptually, the intent was to allow space to flow both longitudinally along the riverfront and perpendicularly between the city and the Danube. Beyond this, a controlled permeability of the architecture was pursued to avoid excessive transparency.

Thus, the cross-section emerged from the energy already present on the site. The apparent levitation of the structure and the creation of a variable height offer space the possibility to enter, remain, or flow onward. Seating areas are protected, while the lower level remains dynamic. The visual connection with the water anchors the observer in space, providing cues regarding location and offering controlled views of the surroundings from any vantage point. Gentle slopes evoke the fluidity of water, encouraging a sensory connection through reflections, sounds, and scents. Spaces are sculpted, echoing water's tendency to break and converge.

In terms of layout, the (new) Fish Market in Galați is placed on the ground floor to facilitate access for visitors and shoppers. Access can be gained from either the Danube or the city side. The interface with the urban organism is provided by a row of dynamic outdoor stalls—outdoors being a thermal consideration here—acting as a dynamic filter. They are enclosed via metal mesh shutters that densify the edge toward the city; when opened, this boundary blurs, almost completely disappearing at ground level.

The structure is hybrid, combining industrial features—cables, concrete supports, and the transparency and weight of glass—with the natural qualities of timber used for curved beams and columns, which are detailed with metallic connections where they intersect the concrete.

In conclusion, the project takes into account the elements already present on the site, enhances them, and enables them to work in synergy.