High school in Drumul Taberei neighborhood - Recovery and adaptation of the old urban structure

Authors’ Comment

In an urban context undergoing continuous transformation, the conversion of the former PTTR High School seeks to preserve and revitalize a school complex built in 1970, adapting it to contemporary educational needs and to the evolving life of the community.
Drawing on an analysis of the historical and urban context of the microraion neighborhoods, the proposal addresses not only the rehabilitation of a building, but also the regeneration of a broader area with significant urban potential.
Through this intervention, the project proposes both a functional and a symbolic transformation: from a rigid structure, abandoned and gradually forgotten over time, into a vibrant multifunctional ensemble integrated into the urban life of the Drumul Taberei neighborhood.
Project objectives:
- The conversion and extension of a school complex undergoing a continuous process of decline
- Opening the boundaries of the school to the community: transforming its “edges” into the most vibrant spaces of the ensemble
- The memory of the place: understanding and respecting the original principles of urban planning by reinforcing and enhancing the existing urban morphology
- The school as a “micro-city”: movement and pause
The findings of the research into the current shortcomings of educational infrastructure were translated into a proposal for the comprehensive regeneration of the site, capitalizing on its strategic position between two major boulevards and reconnecting it to the dynamics of the city through the principles of open urbanism characteristic of the microraion: permeability, functionalism, and a renewed openness to the community.
Building on the objective of transforming the school into a “micro-city,” the project retains two of the five original buildings: the main high school building and the former canteen.
This decision reflects the intention to preserve the memory of the place while transforming its boundaries into spaces of urban interaction, shaping the ensemble as an active landmark within the life of the neighborhood.
The project explores the transformative potential of educational and cultural infrastructure within former socialist neighborhoods, based on the premise that educational spaces—particularly neighborhood schools—can once again become active nodes in the community’s collective memory.
The study is structured around a central research question: How can the role of school architecture in post-war neighborhoods be reactivated in a way that responds to contemporary needs without erasing the value of the existing urban fabric?
In search of an answer, the research is guided by three fundamental questions - where, what, and how—addressed through historical analysis, an investigation of the relationship between school, neighborhood, and city, and the formulation of development strategies.
Considering education as a fundamental pillar in shaping social life, the proposed school transcends its traditional status as a space devoted exclusively to formal education. It becomes a place for living and working, accommodating a wide range of complementary functions: recreation, sport, culture, dining, and community gatherings.
Thus, spaces traditionally dedicated to educational activities (music rooms, workshops, laboratories, and sports facilities) are conceived to remain accessible to adults as part of educational and social programs taking place outside school hours.