Bridging cultural gaps in the city. Integrating the periphery through a new cultural model

This thesis work aims to investigate the powerful impact of culture-led urban development in the setting of the Bulgarian capital city of Sofia. The area of the project is located in the periphery of the modern city and it’s locked between an ex-military school and an informal minority settlement. In direction North-South the site has the potential to connect with two of the largest residential districts. There the urban fabric is characterized by prefabricated multi-story apartment buildings. The entire area offers very complex environment that lacks a good relational system and organized planning. Among the most distinct problems of the entire area is the lack of cultural infrastructure which reflects negatively on the quality of life in the entire north-west periphery. Thus the status quo should be challenged at multiple scales and the final design proposal has to offer a new cultural hub that includes library, sports and learning centers. The new structure has to be easy to access and to serve as a cultural root to all of the surrounding areas, home for more than 250 000 citizens. The project was originally influenced by the recent events that put the region of Sofia among the finalist of the competition for European Capital of Culture 2019. Although, Sofia didn’t win, the concept of the project was inspired by the influences of the campaign and rises very significant topics related to the integration of minority groups and the lack of cultural access in the urban periphery.