码头丨罗马尼亚康斯坦察

Constanța Passenger Terminal

Reclaiming Public Space, Reimagining the Waterfront

In a global context where cities are seeking to reclaim their waterfronts while addressing challenges related to sustainability, mobility, and social activation, port areas are emerging as privileged territories for urban reinvention. This diploma project proposes the creation of a new passenger terminal in the Port of Constanța, reimagined not only as a transport infrastructure but also as a civic and cultural space that reactivates a neglected part of the city’s waterfront.

Located in the northern area of the port, the project addresses a zone marked by functional decline and limited public access, despite its strategic position on the shore of the Black Sea and its valuable architectural and industrial heritage. The proposal aims to reclaim underused port lands and to restore the connection between the city and the sea through a mixed terminal that combines cruise operations with public, recreational, and cultural functions.​​​​​​​

The project is structured into three interconnected areas:• A new public square near Gate 1;• two new underground volumes beneath the pedestrian walkway for medium-scale exhibits;•The passenger terminal itself, whose accessible roof continues the promenade all the way to the King Carol I Lighthouse.Together, these elements create a continuous public route that redefines the experience of the port as an urban space.

The terminal is designed to support Constanța’s transformation into a home port, aligning with broader tourism and development strategies. Located on a site already designated for cruise operations, it replaces the existing small-scale facility that currently functions only as a transit stop. The proposal envisions a terminal capable of accommodating cruises that start or end in Constanța, strengthening the city’s role within regional maritime tourism.

Following research into international precedents, the design adopts a mixed-use typology that combines standard terminal functions — such as check-in, baggage handling, security control, and passenger lobbies — with public amenities including a restaurant and a flexible space for temporary exhibitions. These public areas are fully integrated within the terminal yet remain functionally independent, allowing them to operate outside cruise schedules while preserving circulation and security requirements.

Gate 1 also functions as a key mobility node, currently the terminus for several bus lines. Below the walkway, an existing but closed road is reopened and extended to restore urban traffic continuity without disrupting port logistics. Above, the pedestrian route offers sea views otherwise blocked at ground level by the breakwater. The walkway begins at Gate 1, gradually rising over the public parking and passing through green areas, an open plaza with cafés and event spaces, and small interventions — info points, restrooms, and kiosks — overlooking the open-air museum. It then curves gently along the south pier, forming small plazas around the Pavilion and the Lighthouse, which serve as spatial anchors.

The terminal’s structure consists of steel columns and truss beams, allowing large spans and lightness. It is glazed toward the platform and boarding gates, while the entire volume is wrapped in an offset outer skin, which integrates both the walkway and the roof. This skin gives the building a landform-like quality. It has its own structural frame, clad in prefabricated concrete panels combined with cork, for both weight and texture considerations.

A special detail is the handrail of the pedestrian path, which integrates a long bench and creates a distinctive maritime atmosphere — almost like walking along the deck of a ship. This handrail continues seamlessly from the walkway onto the terminal, marking the extension of the walkway’s trajectory as it stretches like an arm all the way to the lighthouse, but no further, reaching the final point.

EXHIBITED | The National Architecture Biennale, Romania | Emerging Architects - Diploma Section | October 2025

EXHIBITED | Best Diploma | “Ion Mincu” University of Architecture and Urban Planning | July 2025

DIPLOMA PROJECT | July 2025 session

tutor:  conf.dr.arh. Mihaela Pelteacu