· A multidisciplinary team of Foster + Partners, led by architects Maximilianand Daniel Zielinski, is working on two major projects: reconfiguration of thePalas Iași mixed-use complex and the concept for an urban reconversion and regenerationproject proposed in Constanța, an over 800 million Euro investment
· These are the first projects that Foster + Partners will implement in Romania
· Learn more about the Foster + Partners architects' vision for thedevelopments in Iaşi and Constanţa: https://bitly.cx/kioK
IULIUSCompany, one of the largest real estate developers in the country, continuesits mission to contribute to the urban regeneration of Romanian cities andinvests in complex mixed-use projects with major economic impact. IULIUS marksa new strategic development stage and will collaborate with Foster + Partners, oneof the most innovative and world-renowned architecture firms, to implement thecompany's new urban development vision.
The twoprojects that IULIUS is developing in Iași and Constanța will harness Foster +Partners’ 50-plus years of global expertise. The partnership will take urbanregeneration and reconversion initiatives in Romania to the next level,offering functional and sustainable architectural solutions, adapted to thecurrent needs of their respective communities and harmoniously integrated intothe urban fabric, thus substantially improving the residents’ quality of life.The architects’ holistic approach will be reflected in these two major projects:
ü Palas Iași reconfiguration: the company’s landmark projectand its best-performing one in the retail segment outside the Capital will bereconfigured to meet the current demands of the market and the community. Thetransformation will highlight the uniqueness of the location by integrating thePalace of Culture and positioning it in the city’s civic and cultural centerand thus enhancing the visitor experience.
ü Large-scale urban reconversionproject in Constanța: an investment upwards of 800 million Euro targeting the Oil Terminalplatform, which will be completely decontaminated and reconnected to the restof the city, in a modern, vibrant, and sustainable urban environment. Theconcept proposed by Foster + Partners offers a vision for the redevelopment ofthis area, now completely isolated from the rest of the city, transforming itinto an attractive hub, with integrated functions that will support theeconomy, tourism, and social life. The project will revitalize Constanța andstrengthen the city’s status as a strategic economic, social, and cultural hub,while contributing to regional and national competitiveness.
“Our entire activity over the past 25years has revolved around projects that transform cities into better spaces forcommunities. The projects initiated with Foster + Partners are two of the mostcomplex initiatives we have undertaken so far. In Iași, we are upgrading anexisting complex in an iconic historical location, where reverence for thesurrounding monuments, such as the Palace of Culture, is paramount. InConstanța, we are likely dealing with one of the largest decontaminationprojects in Europe and the opportunity to give an identity to an area currentlyisolated and contaminated. We propose to fully reintegrate this urban space,now an enclave, into the city and transform it into a vibrant center withfunctions that the city currently lacks. With the expertise of Foster +Partners architects and by working closely with the authorities and therespective communities, we are confident that we can implement a vision thatredefines urban development standards in Romania,” said Iulian Dascălu, President ofIULIUS Company.
Foster + Partners has designed retail,office, and residential buildings, as well as infrastructure solutions andurban developments all over the world. They created numerous architectural andengineering masterpieces, such as Apple’s headquarters in California, 30 StMary Axe, also known as the Gherkin, the Great Court at the British Museum, andthe Millennium Bridge in London.
“We are honored to work with IULIUS inaddressing the challenges of urban regeneration in two cities of greatsignificance in Romania. Both the Palas Iași project, with its historical andcultural complexity, and the reconversion of the platform in Constanța, alarge-scale industrial area, offer opportunities for creating lasting positiveimpact. It is rare to find a developer with the courage and vision to take onsuch ambitious challenges. We are proud to lend our expertise and we areconfident that, through this collaboration, we will transform these locationsinto sustainable and attractive destinations, serving as models for thefuture,” said Maximilianand Daniel Zielinski, Senior Partners Foster + Partners.
The new Palas Iași – 80,000 sqm retailarea
The reconfiguration of the Palas complexin downtown Iași will be an extensive process, carried out in stages startingthis year. Foster + Partners is reimagining the multiple uses in the complex –experiences, retail, food, and park – focusing on reconfiguring and optimizingthe existing spaces to expand the retail area up to 80,000 sqm GLA. Thisexpansion addresses the demands of retailers looking to enter the regionalmarket or to expand their existing formats.
The reconfiguration will make Palas a greenerand more dynamic destination, with a superior offer in terms of premiumshopping, dining, and entertainment experiences for all audiences and a moreintegrated connection to the Palace of Culture.
Palas Iași is the highest performingcommercial development outside of Bucharest, with an annual footfall upwards of22 million visits, making it the leisure destination of choice for residents inthe region and from the Republic of Moldova. The complex is also a strongbusiness center and it also has a strong cultural and artistic scene. Theopening of Palas Campus in 2023, a project designed as an extension of PalasIași, marked the development of the largest business hub outside the Capital,with 60-plus companies and 14,000 employees, right in the city center.
Proposal for Constanța – Year-roundpremium destination
In Constanța, IULIUS is proposing anurban reconversion project for a 38 hectares land owned by Oil Terminal, thathas been inactive for 10-plus years. The industrial area will be restored tothe city in the form of a mixed-use urban development hub, designed to matchthe needs of the community, as identified in the dialogue that the company isfostering at a local level. One majorchallenge to this project is the environmental remediation of the land impactedby the previous oil products storage operations conducted there until a decadeago. The bioremediation, a complex process, has been initiated, andthe costs and logistical efforts will be covered by the company.
The investment will feature diverseuses, making it a year-round attraction: office, retail, entertainment,educational and cultural facilities, retail park, botanical garden, publicfacilities, Aqua Park, coffee shops and restaurants, a fresh market, etc.Modern infrastructure will also be created to support the mobility andconnectivity of the project, in line with the urban development strategy of thecity.
About Foster+ Partners
Foster+ Partners is a global studio for architecture, urbanism and design, rooted insustainability, which was founded over fifty years ago in 1967 by NormanFoster. Since then, he and the team around him have established aninternational practice with a worldwide reputation for thoughtful andpioneering design, working as a single studio that is both ethnically andculturally diverse. The studio integrates the skills of architecture withengineering, both structural and environmental, urbanism, interior andindustrial design, model and film making, aeronautics and many more – ourcollegiate working environment is similar to a compact university. Thesediverse skills make us capable of tackling a wide range of projects,particularly those of considerable complexity and scale. Design is at the coreof everything that we do. We design buildings, spaces and cities; we listen, wequestion, and we innovate.
Thestudio has established an international reputation with buildings such as theHearst Headquarters in New York, 30 St Mary Axe, popularly known as TheGherkin, in London, Millau Viaduct in France, the German Parliament in theReichstag, Berlin, The Great Court for the British Museum, Headquarters forHSBC in Hong Kong and London, Commerzbank Headquarters in Frankfurt, the MetroBilbao, the Carré d’Art Nîmes, and the sustainable Masdar development in AbuDhabi. Recent work includes Apple Park in California, Bloomberg’s new Europeanheadquarters in London, 425 Park Avenue in New York, the new extension to theMarseille Airport, Battersea Roof Gardens in London, and two new stations forSydney Metro. Currently, the practice is involved in projects such as the NewSlussen Masterplan in Sweden, Kuwait International Airport, One Beverly Hillsmasterplan in California, 270 Park Avenue in New York and the renovation ofTransamerica Pyramid in San Francisco.
AboutIULIUS
IULIUS Company is a realestate developer and operator specialized in mixed-use urban regenerationprojects in Romania, with 25-plus years of real estate experience and operatingin four major Romanian cities – Iași, Timișoara, Cluj-Napoca and Suceava.
The company portfoliocomprises more than 310,000 sqm of retail premises in two mixed-use urbanregeneration projects (Palas Iași and Iulius Town Timișoara), the nationwidenetwork of regional shopping malls (Iulius Mall – Iași, Cluj-Napoca, andSuceava), and the Family Market projects in Iași (Miroslava and Bucium). Theprojects are regional market leaders and draw more than 70 mil. visits everyyear.
In just 10 short years, IULIUScame into prominence as one as the most active developers and operators ofclass A office buildings, creating regional business hubs and multinationalcreative communities under the United Business Center national brand in threemajor academic centers in Romania – Iași, Timișoara and Cluj-Napoca). In total,there are 15 green buildings with a total area upwards of 242,000 sqm, accommodatingmore than 140 company offices and 29,500-plus employees.
IULIUS projects aresustainable concepts that integrate extensive gardens, bringing nature closerto the people, in the heart of their cities.