UNFORMED DESIGN Wins Burgas Park Zone 3 Competition With Sunken Art Center
UNFORMED DESIGN has won first place in the Park Zone 3 competition with their innovative project named 'Ground of Descent.' This endeavor is set to revitalize a derelict excavation site in Burgas, Bulgaria, creating a contemporary art center and community space. The contest, hosted by the Burgas Municipality and supported by the Burgas 2032 Foundation, attracted 145 submissions globally. The design emphasizes preserving views of the city and includes two distinct visitor pathways: one through a geometric garden and another along San Stefano Boulevard. The facility will feature galleries, educational spaces, artist studios, and a prominent exhibition hall within a striking concrete structure.
Key facts
- UNFORMED DESIGN won first prize in the Park Zone 3 competition for 'Ground of Descent' in Burgas, Bulgaria
- The competition, organized by the Municipality of Burgas and the Burgas 2032 Foundation, received 145 international entries
- The design reuses a long-abandoned central excavation known as 'The Hole' rather than backfilling it
- Most of the cultural program sits below street level to retain surrounding city views
- Access routes descend from Troikata Square and along San Stefano Boulevard
- The sole above-ground element is a rammed concrete cube housing a main hall with a ten-meter ceiling and skylights with blackout systems
- Program includes galleries, educational facilities, artist studios, workshops and gathering areas around sunken courtyards and light wells
- Facades use stratified rammed concrete mirroring the site's geological layers, with exposed reinforced concrete retaining walls
Entities
Institutions
- UNFORMED DESIGN
- Municipality of Burgas
- Burgas 2032 Foundation
- designboom
Locations
- Burgas
- Bulgaria
- Troikata Square
- San Stefano Boulevard