Control room at Bulgaria

Date : 2009
Site Area : 27m²

view of control room from motor road plans

Along most of the motorways in Bulgaria, there are a number of disused, reinforced concrete structures, relics of the last years of Zhivkov's regime. These control rooms were designed for traffic police and inspectors of heavy trucks and other vehicles using the motorways. They are well-designed structures, constructed out of high-grade durable concrete with large spans of glazing, and retain a significant architectural elegance. One such unit is present on the motorway from Pleven to Brestovets. It consists of two spaces, one at ground floor and another one at a higher level accessed through a reinforced concrete flight of steps. A restroom is positioned at the ground floor.

These now abandoned structures may be converted to accommodate various uses. Whilst they can be restored and rehabilitated into their sectionsoriginal intended use, they may also serve as a tuck shop on the motor way, in which case the by-lane present adjacent to these structures could well serve as a temporary parking for the tuck shop users. Other uses include a single dwelling unit or an office, the former being a very remote conversion option whereas the latter has some validity. In either of all these scenarios, a survey was undertaken. This survey provided a template for internal planning layouts arising from each of these uses.

side view of control room