Anghel Saligny - Beyond the bridge
Technical heritage, modern infrastructure and industrial memory of Constanta
Anghel Saligny – Beyond the Bridge is a cultural project dedicated to reinterpreting the professional legacy of engineer Anghel Saligny beyond his canonical image associated with the Cernavodă bridge. Through historical research, guided tours, digital models, interpretive materials and exhibitions, the project brought to the forefront Saligny's contributions to the modernization of the Port of Constanța and the development of the industrial heritage of Dobrogea.
The story of the project
Anghel Saligny is known to the general public mainly through the Cernavodă bridge. This association is natural, but incomplete. Beyond the bridge, his contributions decisively influenced the modernization of Romanian infrastructure, the development of the Port of Constanta and the emergence of important landmarks of the industrial heritage in Dobrogea.
The Anghel Saligny – Beyond the Bridge project started precisely from this need: to look at Saligny not only as the author of an emblematic construction, but as an engineer of modernity, infrastructure, the port and transformations that changed Romania's relationship with the Black Sea, trade, transport and regional development.
The project's research focused on the industrial complex of Constanța associated with Anghel Saligny: the Silos of the Port of Constanța, the Old Stock Exchange – Berth 17 and the Power Plant of the Port of Constanța. These structures tell a lesser-known story about the city: a story about engineering, logistics, economics, technology and the ambition of a Romania in the process of modernization.
The project included historical and archival documentation, field visits, consultation of bibliographic and cartographic sources, discussions with specialists and guided tours dedicated to the public interested in heritage. The information obtained formed the basis of interpretive materials, digital models and the exhibition concept.
An important moment of the project was the realization of the main exhibition in the Constanta Casino, a symbolic space for the city and for the theme of the project. The exhibition was developed in collaboration with Zeppelin Design as part of an exhibition approach carried out with the support of the Constanta City Hall and the Constanta Casino and included boards, interpretive materials and digital models that made the history of the port infrastructure more accessible. The exhibition was later replicated in Bucharest, expanding the visibility of the project to a national audience.
The exhibition was subsequently presented in Bucharest, in an adapted format, in partnership with OAR Bucharest. This replication expanded the visibility of the project and allowed the presentation of the research, digital models and interpretive materials to an audience interested in architecture, urbanism, heritage and the history of infrastructure.
For YVS, Anghel Saligny – Beyond the Bridge represented an important step in consolidating the organization's expertise in the area of built, technical and industrial heritage. The project showed that infrastructure is not only a technical theme, but also a form of urban memory, local identity and public culture.
What we set out to do
- Let's bring to the public's attention Anghel Saligny's contributions beyond the Cernavodă bridge, through an accessible, documented and visual approach.
- Let's document and interpret the industrial heritage of Constanța associated with Saligny, with a focus on Silos, the Old Stock Exchange and the Power Plant of the Port of Constanța.
- Let's bring the public closer to the history of infrastructure and technical culture through guided tours, interpretive materials, digital models and exhibitions.
- Let's increase the visibility of Constanța's industrial heritage and encourage a more nuanced perception of its cultural value.
- Let's develop a digital platform that preserves and makes accessible the project's research results, models, and visual materials.
What did I get?
- The historical and documentary research dedicated to the Constanța industrial complex associated with Anghel Saligny has been completed, with a focus on Silos, the Old Stock Exchange and the Electric Power Plant.
- Interpretive materials, boards and digital models were produced that present in an accessible form Saligny's contributions to the infrastructure of the Port of Constanta.
- Guided tours were organized for students and the public interested in heritage, architecture, urban planning, history and infrastructure.
- A digital platform dedicated to the project has been developed, which will host digital models, documentation, photographs, interpretive materials and a permanent digital exhibition.
- The project contributed to increasing interest in the technical and industrial heritage of Constanța and to consolidating a cultural direction dedicated to the recovery and reinterpretation of Anghel Saligny's legacy.
Non-governmental association dedicated to civic engagement, heritage and community development.