UNStudio wins international architecture competition for new development in downtown Iași

UNStudio has won the international architecture competition organized by local developer IULIUS for a residential development in downtown Iași, in the Sf. Andrei–Palace of Culture Square area.

The “Bridging Time, Bridging Communities” solution designed by UNStudio was selected by a jury made up of architects Șerban Țigănaș, Augustin Ioan, Dragoș Ciolacu, Mihai Corneliu Drișcu, and Matei Bogoescu, and historian Cătălin Turliuc.

Four top architecture firms participated in the international competition organized by IULIUS in Iași: Foster+Partners, MVRDV, UNStudio and Zaha Hadid Architects.

The competition challenged contenders to propose a contemporary architectural complex “that would complete the current urban landscape of downtown Iași, defined by iconic landmarks of various architectural ages.”

The jury described the project of UNStudio as “the most complete and balanced answer to the complete set of criteria in the competition theme.” The project was designed on the “develop around the theme of City Horizon” principle.

In its reasoning, the jury concluded that “the volume is flat and the lowest of all the proposals. The horizon of the city is, in fact, an extension of the plateau of the Palace of Culture Square, which lends itself to a 360 degrees panoramic view of Iași and its urban scape. The spatial connection between upper and lower levels of the site is mediated by the planted parcourse, a real oasis.”

UNStudio is an international network specializing in architecture, interior architecture, product design, urban development and infrastructural projects. It has six full-service international offices in Amsterdam, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Frankfurt, Dubai and Melbourne.

The Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, the Four Frankfurt mixed-use complex, the Arnhem Central Station, Doha Metro Station, and the Erasmus Bridge in Rotterdam are some of the buildings designed by UNStudio.

The exhibition “A Iași for the Future,” open at the Palace of Culture in Iași until July 14, showcases the proposed solutions.

(All photos courtesy of Iulius)