Location Sofia
Year of design 2018
The area of Sofia Central Station has great potential for development with skillful urban planning and the implementation of an appropriate investment strategy that will radically change the image of the territory and make it a preferred place for work, living and recreation.
The project analyzes the problems in the territory and proposes a program for their solution by "reversing" the model of functioning of the urban environment and unlocking its potential for development through key architectural and urban interventions.
Sofia Central Station Area
Go North Sofia: Secondary city center - Sofia Central Station area
The leading messages of the project are:
- Urban space for people instead of cars: Reversing the model of functioning of the urban environment: pedestrian public spaces are leading. Bringing cars to the underground level and getting people to the ground level.
- Improving the functioning of the space in front of the Station: Building an accessible urban environment at ground level: without obstacles or levels to overcome. Improving the feeling of security among pedestrians. Creation of short routes to public transport stops.
- Improving the image of the area through investment in the public realm and parks: construction of multifunctional open spaces and areas with significant landscaping at ground level. Creating long walking and cycling routes.
- Pedestrian connection of the territory with the city center and the zones to the north: Construction of a new road and pedestrian infrastructure to connect the two sides of the railway lines. Revitalization of the territories north of the Central Station to attract investments.
- Creating a destination by recognizing the area as a location of important cultural and entertainment facilities for the city: a concert hall, an event center, design hotels, a public park, innovative residential and office buildings, a university faculty, a museum, and others.
- Planning an appropriate functional mix to enliven the space 24/7: An appropriate mixture of cultural, commercial, office and residential functions, engaging a critical mass of workers and residents in the new sites, complemented by a significant number of external visitors and travelers.
- Planning the appropriate structures and buildings: creating innovative architecture. Opening up the ground floors and reviving the street level around the buildings; creating a second level with public spaces within the buildings. Rich landscaping of roofs and facades.
- Consideration of the scale of the surrounding environment and respect for the traditional environment and the heritage of Architectural Modernism: use of the traditional neighborhood development for the center of Sofia and preservation of the views of Vitosha mountain from the key pedestrian areas.
- Urban space for people instead of cars: Reversing the model of functioning of the urban environment: pedestrian public spaces are leading. Bringing cars to the underground level and getting people to the ground level.
- Improving the functioning of the space in front of the Station: Building an accessible urban environment at ground level: without obstacles or levels to overcome. Improving the feeling of security among pedestrians. Creation of short routes to public transport stops.
- Improving the image of the area through investment in the public realm and parks: construction of multifunctional open spaces and areas with significant landscaping at ground level. Creating long walking and cycling routes.
- Pedestrian connection of the territory with the city center and the zones to the north: Construction of a new road and pedestrian infrastructure to connect the two sides of the railway lines. Revitalization of the territories north of the Central Station to attract investments.
- Creating a destination by recognizing the area as a location of important cultural and entertainment facilities for the city: a concert hall, an event center, design hotels, a public park, innovative residential and office buildings, a university faculty, a museum, and others.
- Planning an appropriate functional mix to enliven the space 24/7: An appropriate mixture of cultural, commercial, office and residential functions, engaging a critical mass of workers and residents in the new sites, complemented by a significant number of external visitors and travelers.
- Planning the appropriate structures and buildings: creating innovative architecture. Opening up the ground floors and reviving the street level around the buildings; creating a second level with public spaces within the buildings. Rich landscaping of roofs and facades.
- Consideration of the scale of the surrounding environment and respect for the traditional environment and the heritage of Architectural Modernism: use of the traditional neighborhood development for the center of Sofia and preservation of the views of Vitosha mountain from the key pedestrian areas.