During this edition of the Creative Research Lab, Bucharest became a research laboratory for the unLoc team and students and professionals in art, architecture, and design. Together, we explored the city, engaging with its architecture and historical layers.

The program focused on iconic buildings from the Ceaușescu era. We visited Casa Presei Libere, a former propaganda printing house whose now-vacant spaces have been transformed into artist studios, galleries, and creative workshops. The team also explored the National Theatre and the monumental Palace of the Parliament, home to the renowned The National Museum of Contemporary Art (Romanian: Muzeul Național de Artă Contemporană, or MNAC), where project meetings, lectures, and sessions were held.

We also had a great meeting session at The National University of Theatre and Film, where we met the team of the CINETic project that allowed participants to experience immersive VR and AR technologies and observe innovative projects by Peach Art Studios. Throughout the research program, participants combined direct observation of urban spaces, creative experimentation, and reflection on the city’s social and historical context. They analyzed interviews with Bucharest residents, gaining insights into urban life, spatial transformations, and social dynamics. This process offered an opportunity to critically engage with the city’s postwar architectural heritage and consider the role it continues to play in shaping contemporary urban experience.