Mahmudia Port - Promenade

A completed project that has completely transformed the current image of the waterfront in Mahmudia, with distinct works fully aligned with the existing points of interest on site:

The western area, called the Geological Park, highlights the rock formation present here by arranging a promenade route that descends to a contact point with the waters of the Danube, the construction of a viewing platform, and an amphitheater oriented towards the river.

The central area, called the Communal Waterfront, is configured as a promenade along the Danube, stretching from West to South-East. The facilities placed along this promenade face the river and include: a multifunctional pavilion, pergola, pontoon and embarkation/disembarkation space for tourist groups, steps providing direct contact with the water, a children's playground, gazebo, and a viewing/observation tower for amateur ornithologists.

The waterfront ends with a technical and nautical zone, consisting of a public launching ramp for small and medium-sized boats (from trailer), which improves tourist access to the Danube Delta.

The south-eastern area, called the Public Garden, is a relaxation and leisure space on the Danube bank, with elements of endemic flora and equipped with urban furniture for rest and relaxation, oriented towards the river.

Architect's Commentary

Mahmudia is a small settlement on the edge of the Danube Delta. In addition to its picturesque atmosphere, typical of small rural communities in the Delta, the commune benefits from very good accessibility, which generates increased tourist interest and the potential to develop the locality into a main gateway to the Delta. To achieve this potential, Mahmudia must first develop its infrastructure. In this regard, the project for arranging the communal waterfront was initiated, as an attractive and socially inclusive public space, a place appealing both to local community members and to various categories of tourists passing through the locality.

To highlight the strengths and vocation of the land, the design concept proposes a multifunctional public space composed of three functional zones, with different but complementary characteristics: the Mineral Park, the Communal Waterfront, and the Public Garden.

• Mineral Park: Geographically, Mahmudia is the last contact point between the waters of the Danube and the Dobrogea hills, a strong element of local identity. The project aims to showcase this spectacular relief by arranging a Mineral Park at the western edge of the site, marked by striking rock formations extending to the contact with the Sfântu Gheorghe branch. The park is accessible both to typical users and to those with mobility impairments. Its main components are the viewing platform, the suspended ramp descending to a contact point with the water, and the amphitheater on the riverbank, offering a panoramic view of the entire park.

• Communal Waterfront: To the east of the Mineral Park lies the area intended as the central space of the commune, a promenade along the Danube. The Communal Waterfront is the most complex section of the proposed development. Its arrangement involves both infrastructure and riverbank protection works (terracing, retaining walls), as well as landscaping, public space, and community space improvements. Additionally, it includes a children's playground, a multifunctional pavilion, and an observation tower for amateur ornithologists.

• Public Garden: The intervention concludes in the eastern part with the arrangement of a public garden on the Danube bank. Through minimal intervention that preserves the natural riverbank atmosphere typical of the Delta, the development consists of gravel or stabilized sand access paths, landscaping with endemic plants, and the installation of signage and tourist information elements about local fauna and flora.