The Crater

At the center of Old Uphor lies the Crater, a large, excavated zone where the original civic plaza collapsed. Instead of being rebuilt, the area was flattened, stabilized, and reinforced with structural beams. Many of the surrounding buildings remained intact and were later wrapped in glass and extended upward into modern towers. Walking through the Crater feels like moving through a museum where the city’s early architecture is still partially visible beneath the surface of its new skin.

Today, the Crater functions as a civic and cultural core. Some structures house rotating exhibitions, archives, and institutional showrooms. Others contain a scattering of office spaces, a public library, a mall, a handful of bars, and several event venues. It’s a little artsy, a little corporate, a place designed to be impressive without ever feeling entirely lived in.

Socially, it occupies a strange middle ground. It's always busy, people pass through for work, meet friends here, visit exhibitions, or just wander the mall. Despite its scale and spectacle, it rarely feels like a place to stay long. Still, it’s a place that always feels active, even if it never quite feels personal.