Breathing Spaces

Breathing Spaces is a long-term project developed by Beta – Timișoara Architecture Biennial (organized by the Romanian Order of Architects - Timiș Territorial Branch) as part of the LINA Architecture Programme. The project spans three years and activates neglected, underused, or contested spaces in the city of Timișoara, aligning with LINA’s objectives to shape more sustainable, inclusive, and accessible environments through architectural practice.

The project has evolved across three phases:

Activation of a neglected space (2022–2023): Ștefania Palace was reintroduced to the public through an exhibition curated by former Future Architecture fellows Unfolding Pavilion (Daniel Tudor Munteanu & Davide Tomasso Ferrando) and a book launch by forty-five degrees (Alkistis Thomidou & Berta Gutiérrez Casaos).

The other story of a central space (2023–2024): In the context of Timișoara being European Capital of Culture, LINA fellows Space Saloon, Filter Café Filtré - Atelier, and Ana Gallego explored and activated Victory Square, the heart of the city, through workshops and temporary installations (LIDO & Rrrrubble).

These actions highlight the intersection of spatial experimentation, public engagement, and collective reflection—contributing to LINA's strategic goals by fostering environmentally and socially responsible design practices, and opening new paths for interdisciplinary collaboration.

Collaboration with LINA Fellows

As part of the ECoC program, Beta curated a major installation: The Nursery. 1306 plants for Timișoara by MAIO. Alongside this, LINA fellows participated in workshops, lectures, and speculative design proposals for the square. Temporary installations LIDO and Rrrrubble were implemented by Ana Gallego and Space Saloon respectively.

This was supposed to be our last deliverable, but since 2023 was the year in which Timișoara was European Capital of Culture, our role within the ECoC programme was much more important than expected at the moment we signed the contract. In this sense, please accept the rearrangement of the deliverables.

In 2023, Beta team was in charge of creating a large-scale temporary installation in the Victory Square, the most historically and emotionally charged public space of Timișoara, the space where the Romanian Revolution sparked in 1989. The square was subject of a competition for the redesign of the space, so it was the perfect timing to start a conversation about the values we all seek in public space in present times. What does it mean to design for people, to design healthy and playful public spaces?

This is how the Nursery. 1306 plants for Timișoara came to life, designed by MAIO from Barcelona, the 24 meters high plant-tower in the main square had a 10 months life during 2023. Almost 200.000 people climbed it and experienced another perspective over the city.

You can see the full story here. The project was shortlisted for EU Mies Awards 2024 and the exhibition will soon arrive in Timișoara this year. In 2023, together with LINA fellows, we explored different possibilities of the use of Victory Square. The first event we organized was a workshop with the local community and MAIO team, so the fellows could get an insight of the context they are supposed to work in. The second part of the event was a public presentation: Anna Puigjaner from MAIO had a presentation about their practice, including the Nursery and its role and impact both in the city but on their professional practice as well. We had in Timișoara 3 teams of LINA fellows: Space Saloon, Filter Café Filtré - Atelier and Ana Gallego. Each team got the chance to present their practice and projects for the Romanian public but also to the other guests.

Within the event they also offered a glimpse of their first intuition of what possible temporary intervention could take place next to the Nursery, in Victoriei Square, which had a couple of unexplored potential. Since the International Competition was open, we hoped

that our temporary proposals would be taken by the participant architects and introduced in the final solutions. Happily, this happened.

In autumn 2023, LINA fellows came back to Timișoara to implement the two temporary

installations.

LIDO allowed people to step on the grass in the Victory Square, a huge unused decorative green space. It was a weekend long ludic experience which brought smiles on everybody's faces.

Rrrrubble was an installation that explored potential uses of the former underground pedestrian passages in the square, created during the communist regime, when cars were allowed in the city center. Using all sorts of materials from Beta Archive, Space Saloon coordinated a team of students to create two different public spaces - a protected stage for events and one introspective space. Both installations were activated by local artists.