Football in Traian 2023

F.I.D. (Football as Infrastructure for Democracy) is a platform for socio-cultural interaction, a meeting place for the neighbours of the Fabric district. The project is contained between the bounds of a participatory architectural installation and the Fair Play rules of the amateur tournament "Football in Traian", held in Piața Traian. The idea grew out of winning a site-specific call by the BETA architecture biennale.

The installation is made of a multifunctional scaffold and a natural-grass mini pitch, forming a symbolic agora for the community. The tournament has its origins in a sample of intangible heritage — the iconic match between married and unmarried teams that began in 1936 — and promotes "horizontal sport", the team and the collective.

The installation, the championship and the complementary events — exhibitions, film screenings, workshops and the "third half" — draw hundreds of participants of all ages, generating a positive response from neighbours, the public and urbanism and architecture professionals.

The 2023 edition ended with Fabric Warriors as back-to-back champions, followed by Papițoii and Semper City, while the closing party "A treia repriză" brought a horă right onto the pitch.