Finding Bankya
Basic information
Project Title
Full project title
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Project Description
“Finding Bankya” is a transdisciplinary concept, incorporating historical, architectural, technological and artistic approaches for creation of inclusive urban and park environment, connected to the sense of belonging of the local community and reachable by everyone. The concept includes steps like interviews and sound recording of local people’s stories, video shoot of sights, bilingual subtitles, development of smart devices for external use and construction of Walk of artists.
Geographical Scope
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Urban or rural issues
Physical or other transformations
EU Programme or fund
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Description of the project
Summary
Bankya is a cosy picturesque 13 000-sitizens green town, district of the Capital Sofia, but also a SPA resort. Its historical and artistic background is connected to the "gold of Bankya" - the mineral water, which is the most famous water in Bulgaria. For more than 100 years, Bankya has been a favorite destination for recreation and inspiration by artists of all arts, including writers like Ivan Vazov, Elisaveta Bagryana, Stanislav Stratiev, also painters like Ivan Mrkvička, Angel Tilov and many others. The historical-cultural heritage, including people, places and art, also the contemporary architectural, cultural and urban treasures, i. e. both the past and the present, deserve to be represented, made popular and preserved as a meaning and spirit of Bankya. The concept "Finding Bankya" provides strenghtening of the local sence of belonging, intergenerational exchange and transmission of traditional knowledge about the local culture, also the concept includes attractive exterior solutions for sustainable environment and quality of experience for both - local citizens and tourists.
“Finding Bankya” is a transdisciplinary concept, incorporating historical, architectural, technological and artistic approaches for creation of inclusive urban and park environment, connected to the sense of belonging of the local community and reachable by everyone (Bulgarians, Foreigners, also people with disabilities). The concept includes few steps:
- interviews and sound recording of local people’s stories and memories about significant places;
- video shoot of sights;
- bilingual subtitles;
- development of smart devices for external use;
- construction of Walk of artists;
- artistic representation of the concept with the instrument of the Verbatim theatre.
Each and every step includes different experts (architects, translators, cameramen, IT specialists, artists), but also requires the active participation of non-experts and local young people.
Key objectives for sustainability
Bankya is a balneological and climate’s healing resort. The proximity to the Capital Sofia – only 16 km from its center - and the unique location in a small picturesque valley at the foot of Lyulin Mountain, surrounded by forests, Bankya have rapidly turned into one of the most famous Bulgarian national resorts. Thanks to its mineral water, Bankya is known as “Zdravnitsata na Bulgaria” (Healing City of Bulgaria), but also is called "The Lungs of Sofia".
The current concept engages for environmental sustainability in the meaning of zero polution and reconnection with nature by staying outside, exploring the sights and listening to their stories meanwhile.
The creation of Walk of artists will make Bankya more attractive and will add something "extra" to its architectural aestetics by creating a new inclusive space in the Kestenite Park with historical and contemporary meaning. This Walk will highlight the names of artists (writers, poets and painters), who are connected to Bankya or who are/were living there. By architectural-aestetical solutions, this Walk of artists will contribute the preservation of the local cultural heritage, but also will be a tribute to the contemporary artists. The method of selection of artists will be inclusive, not exclusive, which makes the Walk of artists a socially sustainable project.
On the other hand, the creation and integration of modern smart devisec for external use will highlight the urban symbols like The Big Mineral Bath, the Rotund Park, Kestenite Park, the renovated City centre with its Clock Tower, Art Centre Bankya, chirches and monasteries, old buildings etc. These local treasures could be represented by different points of view and find their local explanations and meaning. Preserving the memory by interviewing local citizens, would provide a transmission of knowhow and continuity between generations.
Key objectives for aesthetics and quality
Subordinate to the aestetical harmony of the city architecture, both the Walk of artists in the Kestenite park and the Smart devices for "Finding Bankya", situated all over the town, will provide not only quality experience right in the heart of nature, but also a contribution to the exterior design of daily life that carry a sence of belonging on a local scale. By the Walk of artist, part of Kestenite Park will be physically transformed, but in the same time the park will preserve its natural entirety. Meanwhile, the smart devices will be situated on significant places and will be ellectrically indipendant. Also their design will be connected to the aestetics of the renovated city centre. The information they provide will contribute to the quality experience, the content will be inclusive and easy of acces. The Smert devices will highlight the local features of contemporary demografic, aestetic and cultural realities, and also will show the cultural-historic and social-artistic dynamics of the life style in the resort.
Bankya's history is connected to the Big Mineral Bath - impressive Bavarian building, built in 1911, turned into favorite place for recreation for royalties and high standing persons during the 20th century. Also known as the Royal Bath, the building was slowly devastated and ransacked after 1989. Today, after 15-years-process of administrative problems, the Municipality administration finished successfully the renovation and the conservation of the building. The Bath is а main part of the local spirit and the cultural heritage, but also combines different generations‘ points of view about Bankya’s development in future. However, both the romantic and the pragmatical perspectives shall be united for the common good of the community. The Royal Bath is situated in the heart of Kestenite Park, nearby the City Centre and the Rotund Park. The current concept includes both the functionality and the aestetics as part of experience quality.
Key objectives for inclusion
The inclusiveness of the concept Finding Bankya is a key objective. The concept guarantees:
- equal opportunities and access to information by interactive smart devices, including bilingual information, visual and sound materials and also acces to works of art (poems, stories - both text and audio, paintings, etc.), also QR codes for direct online connection to the whole content through personal smart devices; for ex., you are jogging on the Health path or in Kestenite park, and you decide to listen to the interviews about the Royal Bath on your ear buds, you only need to find the nearest Smart device, scan the QR code and there you go - the file is loaded as a podcast on your own device; also these devices will provide information about the persons, included in the Walk of artists - information as biography, interesting facts, famous works of art and connection to Bankya;
- active and obligatory public participation - this is a requirement to fulfil any step ot the realization of the concept; the selection of significant people for the Walk of artists will be submitted for public discussion. By common concent, the list of 40 writers, poets and painters (contemporary and late) will be the first step of the realization. The list would not exclude anyone, but inclusion of a name would reqire a new public discussion. This common concent provides wide publicity and citizens-of-all-age' and all-profession's engagement;
- co-design and co-work between administration, architects, artists, IT specialists, students - multi- and transdisciplinar approach will guarantee the public sustainability, the high aestetic values and the fundamental inclusiveness of the consept; the design will provide local solutions to global challenges and will be easy to build/create, affordable and ecological;
- accessibility - bilingual, sound, visual and wireless access to the whole information of the Smart devices; free of charge and public access to the Kestenite Park and its Walk of artists.
Physical or other transformations
Innovative character
The times of social isolation, war and cultural unifiaction/extirpation foster the lower levels of local pride. During these traumatic times, the reconnection with nature and with the local historical and cultural heritage is more than necessary for every community. That's why, the current concept suggests a possible local solution to global challenges with development of proccesses and products inspired by local values, people and places. Preservation and popularization of not-so-well-known facts about the urban reality, significant local people and their works of art will make Bankya as a climate and water healing resort more attractive as a tourist destination, but also will encourage the local citizens' sense of belonging and pride. This current concept highlights the need of introduction tof he local history to young people by modern instruments - this process will establish positive intergenerational exchanges and comunity-building.
The current concept engages for environmental sustainability in the meaning of zero polution and reconnection with nature by staying outside, exploring the sights in the town and listening to their stories; equal opportunities and access to information by interactive and public smart devices; active public participation, co-design and co-work involving administration, architects, artists, IT specialists, students; common efforts for better, sustainable, aestetic and inclusive urban environment, deeply connected to local traditions, people, places and cultural heritage; the bilingual, sound, visual and wireless access to the whole information of the Smart devices provides the accessibility; last but not least, the current concept includes both the functionality and the aestetics as part of experience's quality.
