18th Century Romanian Bastion Transformed Into Green-Roofed Public Center

In a sign of the times, Architecture studio <a href="http://www.studioarchaeus.ro/">ARCHAEUS</a> transformed an 18th century <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastion">bastion</a> into a park and community center. Bastion Theresia Timisoara was built as a defensive perimeter for the Romanian town of&nbsp;Timisoara and has languished for decades in the center of the city. <a href="http://www.studioarchaeus.ro/">ARCHAEUS</a>' renovation carefully inserts a modern plaza and assembly room amid the brick and timber buildings and vaulted&nbsp;masonry&nbsp;walls, and a huge green roof now caps the extensive and inviting <a href="http://inhabitat.com/urban-renewal-initiative-revitalizes-three-historic-sites-in-new-delhi-india/">reurbanized space</a>.

The old fortress' location in the middle of town makes it a natural hub for transportation and assembly, and the <a href="http://inhabitat.com/green-roofed-mirador-interactive-museum-melts-into-the-chilean-landscape/">extensive green roof</a> incorporates it into the city's urban green belt.

The complex was initially in a state of disrepair, and the architects took great care in removing cement patches added in the 70s which would have further deteriorated the <a href="http://inhabitat.com/atelier-tekutos-earth-brick-house-is-the-epitome-of-efficient-local-design/">original brick</a>.

The design was clearly thought through for the long-term - the team applied metal and other materials which can then be&nbsp;easily&nbsp;removed during future <a href="http://inhabitat.com/renovation/">rehabilitation</a> efforts.

Even the PH of the mortars and paints match the existing materials.

The use of the space as a public venue was also carefully considered.

The many concrete ramps and open portals to the street offer bicycle-friendly paths, which local kids on BMXs will soon made full use of.

A <a href="http://inhabitat.com/oaklands-renovated-museum-is-a-green-roofed-urban-gem/new-24-2/?extend=1">glass-lined subterranean assembly</a> is placed smack dab in the middle, with a shallow ramp funneling visitors downwards.

The new assembly building.

The main building’s huge attic, which is made from <a href="http://inhabitat.com/big-wins-kimball-art-center-competition-with-its-twisting-timber-eco-tower/">large timbers</a>, has been converted to daylit multi-use spaces complete with rows of skylights.

The building has been carefully restored with electrical and plumbing services carefully placed to reduce penetrations in the walls and floors.

The <a href="http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncer_abstracts/index.cfm/fuseaction/display.abstractDetail/abstract/7791">high albedo</a> of the plaza and green roof also helps reduce the summer's heat.

The structure's original purpose was to keep strangers and foes out - however the bastion has now been reborn as magnet for visitors with its many paths of egress and open program.

Sectional diagram.