Organised by The Order of Architects in Romania (OAR) and the Municipality of Cluj-Napoca

The design competition aims at selecting the best project for The Cluj-Napoca East Park, for the award of the design contract.  

The new arrangement will have to ensure the conservation under optimal conditions of the wetland with its specific flora and fauna, developed spontaneously and being an unique biotope in the urban environment of Transylvania. At the same time, the promoter wants to arrange a park that fulfils the usual functions for these kinds of public spaces, and that both socially and functionally reactivates the area through the landscape qualities of the created frames. By being integrated into the system of other urban planted areas, the future East Park will become an important node in the green network of the city and of the East area of the Cluj-Napoca municipality. 

The area already referred to as the "East Park" has a total surface of 45.5 ha and includes the water surface and the shores of Lake 3, the area of the former RADP nursery for plants and a wetland that, along with a chain of lakes, is a unique biotope in the urban environment. The new arrangement will have to ensure the conservation of the spontaneously developed wild habitat of the area.

At the same time, the promoter wants to arrange a park that fulfils the usual functions for this kind of public spaces, and that both socially and functionally reactivates the area through the landscape qualities of the created frames. By  being integrated into the system of other urban planted areas, the future East Park will become an important node in the green network of the city and of the East area of the Cluj-Napoca municipality.

The purpose of the competition is to find the best solution for arranging and equipping the East Park, which involves:

  • Protecting the existing biocenosis, unique in an urban habitat;
  • Identifying innovative methods of visual and auditory interaction with the protected biotope, without disturbing its natural processes;
  • Landscaping proposal for the protected areas, which should mediate the relationship between the public garden and the biotope to be preserved: to delimit them without separating them;
  • Landscaping proposal for the public garden functions with all necessary facilities and equipment (alleys, rest areas, playgrounds, places for adequate sports activities, public lighting, etc.);
  • Increasing the vegetation area by 200-300%, thus achieving a planted area of 60-75% of the total site and increasing the ecological impact on the area of influence;
  • Achieving a functional zoning for the necessary equipment and constructions;
  • Resolving accessibility and connections with neighbouring built and planted spaces;
  • Integration of the shores of Lake 3;
  • Defining a core in the green network of the city for future development in the South-East direction, together with supporting the ecological function of the area.

The Contracting Authority is the Municipality of Cluj-Napoca, the owner of the land and the beneficiary of the competition results.

The competition is organized by the Order of Architects in Romania, in accordance with the Competition Rules of the International Union of Architects – UIA – and the provisions of the International Regulations for architecture and urban design Competitions, adopted at the General Conference of UNESCO in 1956, as revised on November 27, 1978, the provisions of the Guide of good practice in organizing OAR design competitions, published in 2018, in compliance with the legal provisions in force regarding the award of public procurement contracts.

The Design Competition is a public, single-stage competition, open to Romania, all countries of the European Union, of the European Economic Area, and to the Swiss Confederation.