Extension of Craiova Old Market-Gastronomic and Cultural Complex Dedicated to Commercial Memory

Authors’ Comment

The project proposes the regeneration of Craiova’s Old Market, an area strongly shaped by the history of trade, food culture, and urban exchange, yet currently fragmented and insufficiently connected to the surrounding city. The intervention starts from the existing identity of the place—Puțureanu Inn, the former market halls, and the memory of the old marketplace—bringing them together within a contemporary gastronomic and cultural complex.
The choice of program is directly derived from the historic character of the site. The inn embodied traditions of hospitality and food, while the market halls were spaces of commerce and exchange. Gastronomy, therefore, becomes the common element through which these two typologies can be reinterpreted and transformed into a contemporary program, preserving the memory of the site while generating new forms of public activity. Restaurants, a food hall, local commerce, culinary laboratories, workshops, exhibition spaces, and educational facilities create a new urban scenario in which gastronomy and culture become instruments of regeneration.
A central aspect of the intervention is the reinterpretation of the site’s topography. The existing slope and level differences are not treated as constraints but become an essential part of the architectural concept. Through a sequence of platforms, terraces, and pedestrian routes, the project gradually mediates between the various levels of the terrain and creates a continuous and accessible connection between the surrounding public space and the interior of the complex. The new intervention therefore acts not as an isolated architectural object but as an extension of the city, drawing existing pedestrian flows into the site.
At the heart of the composition lies a sunken courtyard, positioned at the point where the main routes of the project converge. It functions as the spatial and functional core of the complex, distributing circulation towards the building and the underground program. Through its central position, the courtyard organizes the relationship between the historic halls, the inn, and the new intervention while becoming a public space for gathering, events, and gastronomic activities. Its sense of centrality is reinforced both by the routes that lead towards it and by the visual connections established between the different levels of the complex.
The project therefore aims not only to preserve historic fragments but also to reconstruct the urban continuity of the Old Market. Through the reinterpretation of topography, the integration of gastronomic and cultural programs, and the creation of a strong public core, the intervention transforms the site into a new point of connection between the memory of the place and the contemporary life of Craiova.