Developed for RIVUS, Felixx Landscape Architects & Planners and UNS are transforming the former Carbochim industrial site in Cluj Napoca into a mixed use district organized around the Someș River. The project covers more than 16 hectares and draws on public consultation with residents to reconnect an inaccessible stretch of waterfront with the surrounding city.
MIXED USE
The site originally formed part of an area known as the Meadowland Garden before industrial development changed its character. Carbochim later grew into Romania’s largest manufacturer of professional abrasives and played an important role in the expansion of Cluj Napoca. Its operations also separated this section of the river from public use.
Felixx and UNS respond by opening the former factory grounds through pathways, squares, bridges and planted spaces. A terraced architectural form steps down towards the water and extends vegetation from the riverbank across the development and onto the building. Streets and bridges continue through the ground floor as an interior streetscape that maintains the scale and rhythm of the city.
RIVUS will introduce extensive pedestrian, cycling and road infrastructure across the district. Plans include two pedestrian crossings over the Someș, modernized adjacent streets, two roundabouts and bicycle lanes around the perimeter and along the riverfront. The design team incorporated these routes following requests from the local community.
A new city park will connect with existing green areas and place public activity close to the water. The park will include a riverside boardwalk, terraces and an amphitheater. A roof terrace with a Japanese garden will provide further space for dining, leisure and rest.
The Someș informs the project’s geometry and visual direction. A water drop effect shapes its central layout, while fluid lines appear across the exterior facade. Concentric circular patterns organize the landscaped plazas and lighting. Felixx and UNS also use wood and stone to connect interior spaces with the park and river setting.
RIVUS will provide 165,000 square meters of leasable space, making it Romania’s largest urban reconversion project. The program includes more than 400 stores and over 30 concept restaurants and coffee shops. Coworking areas, spaces for local producers and outdoor event zones will support activity throughout the day and across different seasons.
The project will retain and renovate two industrial buildings from the former Carbochim factory. The brick administrative building will accommodate coworking and entrepreneurial uses, while the arcade hall will become a cultural venue. These interventions preserve visible parts of the site’s industrial past and give the structures new public functions.
The planting scheme includes more than 700 trees and 100,000 plants, including trees already present on the site. Felixx selected local and sustainable species to support biodiversity and create natural habitats. Seasonal changes in color and form will give the park a varied appearance throughout the year.
Green facades and a planted roof support the environmental strategy. Storage and cascading systems will collect and manage water, irrigate the park and reduce rainwater runoff into the river. RIVUS targets LEED Platinum and EDGE Advanced certification, along with compliance with NZEB standards.
The zonal urban plan received approval in 2025. Teams have completed the demolition of industrial buildings that could not be retained and have begun excavation. Preservation work continues on the former administrative building. RIVUS obtained the building permit in March 2026, when construction officially started.
Location: Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Size: 165,000 m2
Year: Ongoing
Status: Under construction
Client: Rivus Investments S.R.L
Team: Felixx Landscape Architects & Planners, UNS, WSP, Werner Sobek, a.g. Licht, DezignTechnic, Architect Service, MIC-Hub, Blue Projects
Visuals: Vivid Vision, Marta
