RYMA Association

Today we introduce you to Cristina Lidia, a restoration architect, president of the RYMA Association, and the person who, for over 10 years, has been striving to bring life back to places and communities that seemed lost.

Her work lies at the intersection of heritage, culture, and community, and everything she creates is connected to the idea of living, authentic, and meaningful spaces.

In Alba Iulia Citadel, she coordinates the RYMA spaces, where she organizes concerts, festivals, cultural events, and community-focused projects. However, one of the most important parts of her journey is linked to the village of Corna, in Roșia Montană — her grandparents’ village.

Corna is one of the villages profoundly affected by the mining project that was intended to transform the valley into a cyanide tailings pond. Out of over 300 families, only a few dozen remain today, and a large part of the village has been demolished.

In this context, Cristina chose not to let the place disappear into oblivion and initiated the project “Together we bring life to Corna village“.

Starting in 2014, through the RYMA Association and with the support of the Order of Architects of Romania, she coordinated several restoration camps in Corna with architecture students, aiming to bring the village back to life and reconnect people with the heritage and memory of the place.

Restored buildings include: her grandmother’s house, the Corna Cultural Center, the former village kindergarten, and subsequently, the kindergarten bridge was rebuilt and a dormitory was set up for camp participants.

From all these experiences, the project dedicated to her grandmother’s house was born:
Fuior – a place to catch your breath
Fuior is a traditional house in Corna, transformed into a space open to people seeking peace, authenticity, creation, and meaningful encounters. A place for retreats, workshops, camps, storytelling evenings, creative writing, music, or simply for spiritual rest.

The name “Fuior” comes from the traditional object used for spinning wool — a feminine symbol of patience, continuity, and the thread that connects generations.

The house carries on the energy of the grandmother who lived here: a strong woman, a miner, connected to the land and the mountain, who only in old age made time for sewing, romances, and stories.
Today, through this project, the thread of her story continues.

For Cristina, restoration means not only saving buildings but also saving memory, communities, and the emotions that give life to a place.