Tektum Arhitectură

Description

The building in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, hosts an architecture office and took shape as a response to the various challenges of the project theme: the proximity to a medieval wall with a Roman block foundation, planning regulations and constructive constraints, and energy-efficiency requirements. Most impactful was the incorporation of the old city wall, revealed to the public at the request of the Archaeological Commission, which led to a particular site occupation, concrete cantilevers, and an overturn of the initial nZEB calculations. Recast as an eye-catching feature, the stone wall spans four of the five levels, which include technical and communal areas, a conference room, and office spaces. The street-facing side is defined by the narrow staircase that covers the flank of the neighbouring Bauhaus-style building. The latter dictated both the cornice and the roof pitch. A recess in the new façade reveals the medieval wall, creating a small entrance court overlooked by large windows. Similar openings face the backyard, effortlessly framing the landscape of unplastered firewalls. The light pink brick recalls these surroundings, along with the notched zinc plates of the roof, burnt-wood window frames and copper sills. Inside, the textures of the medieval wall are juxtaposed with contemporary materials: painted unjointed exposed brick, unfinished concrete, metal detailing and oak panelling.