New Urban Center and Exposition Center

competition, 1st Prize

Veliko Tarnovo, BULGARIA - 2018

The first evidence that emerges from the reading of the competition announcement is the goal of creating a new urban core, able to combine a building development and a strong economic development, linked to tourism, culture and leisure
It seems evident the intention to conjugate an idea of ​​high quality and contemporary architecture, with strong relationship with the historical city and above all with the natural environment of the site and the surrounding areas.
The possibility of building a considerable amount of surface and the absence of height constraints led us to imagine constructions at various heights, even noteworthy, degrading towards the valley, inspired by the Tuscan turreted cities, such as San Gimignano. Buildings with the ground floor corresponding to the various altitudes of the land, largely free (on pilotis) that allows a green landscape layout passing through, which crosses

and takes possession of the spaces of connection and relationship, returning them to inhabitants and visitors as a seamless park, a “nouvelle ville radieuse”. The elements of the architectural language that can be the guide of future architectural development will be, at the highest possible level, the maintenance of natural lighting and ventilation, the articulated and non-monolithic design of the buildings, with the presence of terraces, bowindows, level variations and of quotas, the use of natural materials belonging to the contemporary but also, in some way, to the tradition (glass, stone, plaster, wood). Everything will be connected and enveloped by the idea of ​​the park, with driveways and parking lots located mainly in the basement to leave the undulating surface to a strong and widespread presence of greenery, plants, shrubs, trees and pedestrian use.

The buildings themselves will have (on almost 60% of their roofs) green roofs, hanging gardens, as well as terraces and loggias lined with trees, most of the existing trees will be maintained and indeed the various areas will be complemented by new trees.
We have paid much attention to the creation of visual corridors that allow residents and visitors to appreciate multiple views of the old city during the pedestrian movement within the various areas, in particular we have also tried to identify some focus, through the creation of squares, open spaces, wide stairways like Montmatre, rest areas that are modeled in harmony with the morphology of the ground. These new places, also have the function of highlighting topical and important places of the area (such as the Former Flour Factory, the new museum space and the amphitheater of the

exhibition center, both of the project, etc.) in these spaces we will create natural shadings , rest areas, panoramic views towards the old city and in some of these, larger ones, it will be possible to organize small and large outdoor events. As already mentioned, the basic idea of ​​Landscape starts from the integration of the various green areas between them, without being fragmented or divided by barriers created by the building settlements, this continuity will allow to appreciate the natural, undulating hilly terrain, the variety of essences of different importance and dimension, the pedestrian paths, the strong connection, without interruption, with the main surrounding park, which extends in the most steep part of the hill, up to the river that flows down, on the border with the monumental peninsula

We have chosen a soft, vaguely oval shape, which offers on all sides and from all points of view a soft, plastic and inviting form, a shape that projects towards the old city and upwards, given the strong difference in height at different points in the plot.
The ground floor will house the connected functions, hall, cafeteria, cloakroom, bookshop, security, exhibition hall, services, offices, warehouses, facilities. Being backward from the external profile of the building there will be a strong suspension effect of the main body to the first floor which will consist of a body partially projecting outwards that will house the main functions, namely the 1200-seat hall and the connected functions.
The large room will be divisible in different or multiple ways, in 2, 3, 4, 6 smaller rooms, through the use of vertical mobile panels with perfect insulation, the large room will also be equipped with reserved areas for control rooms and simultaneous translations , stage and back stage, direct access to service through stairs and goods lifts. On the floor we will find access to the necessary escape routes, services, a large bar area overlooking the panoramic view of the old town and the peninsula, access to a panoramic terrace at the level of the roof, facing up and towards the heart of the new area of development.
The external envelope is made up of a tall and dense vertical wooden brise-soleil mesh, to emphasize the roundness of the building, to create uniformity of perception between the transparent and glass surfaces and the opaque and buffered surfaces, to enhance the chromatic variations and of light during the various hours of the day and during the night.
The external amphitheater will be created, in a natural way, dug into the slope of the hill and will be perfectly aligned with the monument on the peninsula.