Reinvent / Reuse / Reignite
The main purpose of my graduate work - says Ivan Andonov - is to transform a central urban area that, despite its enormous architectural and historical heritage, is in ruins. Historically, Dimitar Kudev's tobacco warehouse in Plovdiv existed in order to be able to support financially the then "House for Charity and National Health" - a hospital built by Dimitur Kudev (Kudoglu) in the beginning of 20th century and equipped with the most modern medical equipment, absolutely free for the citizens of Plovdiv. Inspired by the history of the building, the needs of the city, and the ever-growing number of tourists visiting Plovdiv, I decided that it would be best to give these warehouses a function that gives them back to people and the city, to serve and enrich them. Thus, the concept of the three tobacco warehouses (that of Kudoglu - Warehouse 1 on Kapitan Andreev Street and its two adjacent ones, one of which Total Sport - Warehouses 2 and 3 on Ekzarh Yosif Street) was formed- they were to become a new city museum.
Urbanistically, the main concept of the building lies in the idea of recognizing the three warehouses as one whole in the city environment while preserving their unique identity and industrial character. This goal is achieved through clear architectural solutions that are recognized both in the façade and the exterior as well as in plan, section and in the new materials that I have chosen.
Firstly, I have closed the space between the three warehouses and raised it to the same level as their ground floor - 1.8 m above the street level. Then, depending on their condition after the fire, each of the three buildings was treated differently. In warehouse 1 is planned a completely new reinforced concrete structure and internal room organization – this building is now home to the Historical and Archaeological Museum. In warehouse 2 only some internal walls and a new floor structure are added, and the original reinforced concrete elements and masonry are preserved. Here is the Museum of Industry and Craftsmanship, as well as a workshop and small offices that can be used by young entrepreneurs. Since Warehouse 3 (Total Sport) did not suffer major damage from the fire, only a new roof was planned for it. It houses the Museum of Modern Art and Architecture, the offices for the employees of the museum, workshops for artists and a cafe. The new roofs of the buildings are very important architectural and conceptual elements. The models and visualizations show how they, together with the enclosed space between the warehouses, unite the three buildings and transform them into an architectural ensemble that clearly belongs together. To preserve the original proportions of the warehouses, the height of the new roofs is the same as that of the Kudoglus warehouse before the fire.
The existing facades are, of course, one of the most important architectural elements of the project - above all those of the Warehouse 1. The fire in 2016 has left a clear mark on the building’s façade – many of the beautiful Art Nouveau elements and the richly decorated wooden window frames are forever lost. The beautiful white plaster that used to cover the walls is gone on many places and the old brickwork is now visible. The fire is very important, albeit tragic, part of the history of buildings, and it was important for me to reveal the wounds that he has left so that they could still be visible and recognizable on the new, restored façade. On the gypsum model, one can clearly see the difference between the old and the new, simplified architectural elements that replace the formerly destroyed decoration but preserve the proportions and rhythm of the façade. In order to fully understand the difference between the old elements, the fire damage and my intervention, all the new components are made of concrete. Wood-framed wooden windows have been replaced with new ones with simplified metal frames. All new roofs are placed 30 cm behind the original façade to make the difference between old and new clearer.
Perhaps the most important conceptual solution is the choice of material for new roofs and bearing structures. In order to highlight the industrial character and the history of the buildings, concrete impregnated with iron particles is used. In the reaction with air, the metal in the concrete is oxidized and thus creates an orange-rusty hue. The color of dry tobacco, which has inspired life in these buildings, is the past decades!
For the building plans, I thank UACG, Department of History of Architecture and Arch. Georgi Petev. For the information about the history of the buildings and Dimitur Kudev, I thank Mr. Dimitur Raichev.
Ivan Andonov
To get in touch with architecht Andonov, you could use the follwoing email address: andonov1992@gmail.com
