The ARTCOR Creative Industry Center is situated within the courtyard of the Chisinau Historical Center Art Academy (AMTAP). This center serves as a hub for fostering the creative industrial environment in Moldova. Its establishment was made possible through the Moldovan competition project, funded by USAID and supported by Sweden and the UK.
▲ General layout plan
The spatial strategy of the building is deeply rooted in its site, which is a 19th-century architectural monument reflecting community architecture.
The BIM package encompasses a new 400-square-meter building alongside a 450-square-meter section of the old college building. Additionally, part of the site (1,200 square meters) included a 300-square-meter old warehouse and tofu block building, which was demolished to create more public space.
The new building is designed as a multifunctional cultural and commercial space. The second floor is allocated for shops, workshops, and partner organizations. The roof, designed as a green terrain, is accessible via the outdoor auditorium staircase and overlooks the residential monument facing Cazimir Keshko.
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The left side of the first floor in the college building (constructed in 1950) houses workshop spaces, a media library, and conference rooms. Additionally, it includes an administrative center, bookstore, and design store. The music section, comprising recording and rehearsal spaces, has been relocated to a newly designed basement.
▲ First floor plan
▲ Second floor plan
Our mission was to preserve the historical essence as much as possible while creating a hybrid functional space. To foster an active urban environment, we transformed the courtyard into a lively urban area accessible to all visitors and enhanced the building’s functionality by designing explorable roofs.
The landscaping emphasizes vegetation and artistic spaces, incorporating urban furniture as artistic installations. At the entrance to the lane stands the “Knowledge Tree” statue, symbolizing the essence of creativity. The courtyard is divided by the “Stone River,” which was formerly a sewer for surface water drainage.
The new building features reinforced concrete blocks clad in weather-resistant steel. The concrete facade is adorned with shallow relief block symbols that celebrate the beauty of human nature.
The interior’s sense of antiquity is conveyed through structural elements such as the sunken ceiling, internal auditorium staircase, and colored concrete wall surfaces. The furniture and ceiling lighting, particularly in the central area, were custom-designed by the lead architect. For the decorative elements in this central zone, the architects collaborated closely with students, artists, and college professors. The restrained interior design allows visitors to focus their attention on the art exhibits.
ARTCOR emerged through a steady and creative process in the city of Chisinau, contributing to the development of the national creative industry. Over time, this center is expected to become a focal point attracting urban tourism traffic.
▲ Sectional view
Project Information
Designer: Maxim Calujac
Building Area: 850.0 m²
Project Year: 2019
Photographer: Volker Kreidler
Client: COR – Creative Industries Association in Moldova
Engineers: Anatol Butnaru, Valerii Bulanov, Evghenia Galcovscaia, Tudor Arhip, Andrei Bors
Landscape Architects: Maxim Calujac, Irina Dubinschi
Consultant: Alexandre Shevchenko
Artists (BIM Engineers): Vasile Sitari, Elena Frunze, Nadya Izosimova, Ana Costov, Vasiluta Vasilache, Alyona Ciobanu, Veronica Belous, Arteom Vizitiu, Maria Huțanu, Andreea Cioară
Design Team: Irina Dubinschi, Anton Brenci
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