Young architects and designers invited to contribute to designing of space hosting solar trees

February 3, 2019

Young architects and urban designers are invited to contribute to designing of space hosting solar tress by participating in a competition. The winning projects will be implemented with the financial support of Chisinau City Hall.

Two solar trees will be installed this spring in Chisinau on the pedestrian street and on Mircea Cel Batran Blvd. The smart trees will be equipped with USB terminals and sockets for free charging of mobile phones, tablets, laptops and electric bicycles. During night time, they will light up the neigbourhood. Solar trees can generate 800W of electricity from renewable sources daily. Vertical and cascade placement of photovoltaic leaves reduces the surface area necessary to install the photovoltaic panels in their classical form. The technology will provide an annual reduction of more than 700kg of CO2. The installation of the solar trees is financed by the United Nations Development Programme, in partnership with Chisinau City Hall.

“We aim to create a modern urban design area, where the people of Chisinau will spend the time in a functional and convenient way. We invite young architects and urban designers to develop concepts to arrange the space that host the solar trees. Two initiatives that will be voted by most people of Chisinau will be implemented with the financial support of Chisinau City Hall,” says Ruslan Codreanu, interim general mayor of Chisinau municipality.

Interested young people are invited to join the competition by filling in this form. The deadline for submission is February 18.

The participants will be invited to an information session, so as so join site visits to the proposed solar trees’ locations. Design concepts developed by young people will be presented by their designers at a public workshop and finally proposed to the Chisinau people's vote. Two initiatives that will gather the most votes will be implemented with the financial support of the municipality.

“We enjoy the resonance that our initiative takes. Thanks to the cooperation with the municipality and the pro-active involvement of young architects, we will have modern urban recreation areas equipped with smart, environment-friendly and people-friendly technologies,” mentions Alexandru Rotaru, project manager, UNDP Moldova.

The installation of solar trees is a regional project of the United Nations Development Programme which covers the capitals of Serbia, Tajikistan, Georgia and the Republic of Moldova. The first solar trees will be installed this spring in Chisinau.