The architectural heritage of Bucharest offers to the tourist an immense number of opportunities to satisfy his thirst for beauty. Today we will talk about the Art Deco style, a style that has made its mark on the city.
The Art Deco movement made its worldwide debut at the beginning of the 20th century, significantly influencing the visual arts, fashion, sculpture, architecture. For the tourist eager to discover this style, which has dominated the world for over a quarter of a century, the best examples come from architecture. A simple walk through the Capital gives you the opportunity to see many Art Deco jewelry. Here are some of them.
The American “skyscraper” model
Among the buildings representative for this style is the Telephone Palace, a building that you cannot miss if you walk on Calea Victoriei.
The construction was executed between 1929-1934 and respects the “fashion” of the times when American skyscrapers became true symbols in architecture. For a long time, this building was the tallest in Bucharest. In fact, it is the first tall building in Romania erected on a metallic frame.
Adjacent to this building is another Art Deco-style building. This is the Theater of the Magazine “Constantin Tanase”, known in the interwar period as the “Cărăbuș” Theater.
And also on Calea Victoriei we have the opportunity to admire an imposing building, realized in the 1930s, construction in which the Romanian Police operated, but which is undergoing a major renovation.
Also, on Magheru Boulevard there is a famous hotel built during the interwar period, held until 1948 by the politician Constantin Angelescu. In its glory years, it was one of the most popular places in Little Paris, being famous everywhere for the quality services it offered.
The palace of the Ministry of Justice was erected with the money from veterinarians
Very close to Cișmigiu Park, on Elisabeta Boulevard, there is the palace financed by the General Association of Romanian Veterinarians. For ten years, the members of the organization donated 5% of their salary to complete this monumental construction.
The building with basement, ground floor, six floors and attic was inaugurated by King Carol II of Romania in 1933. At that time, it received the name of the Palace of the Association of Veterinary Doctors.
The entire construction cost 46.9 million lei. Of this amount, veterinarians contributed with 21.9 million lei, the rest of the money representing a loan made to the Deposits and Consignments House. To pay the loan, the General Association of Romanian Veterinarians decided to rent the building of the Ministry of Justice. And so it became that the building is known as the Palace of Justice.
The famous Palace of Justice, in which today operates the National Institute of Magistracy, is one of the most beautiful architectural works realized by Constantin Iotzu.
The Art Deco style is strongly imprinted in this building, both in the architectural side and in the design of the building. For example, the doors that enter the palace were designed by the well-known artist Iosif Fekete. The Romanian sculptor of Hungarian origin respected in his work the spirit initiated by the International Exhibition of Decorative Arts in Paris in 1925 (i.e. Art Deco is, in fact, an abbreviation of the expression in French Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes, name under which was presented, internationally, the event in the Capital of France).
Another symbolic building for this style is the one in which the Law Faculty of the University of Bucharest operates.
The Palace of the Faculty of Law was erected, between 1934-1936, at the initiative of King Carol II and it was designed by the architect Petre Antonescu. Those who pass through the Faculty of Law today have the opportunity to admire on the facade of the building several reliefs made by sculptor Mac Constantinescu.
There are many examples of Art Deco buildings in Bucharest, but we stopped at only a few of them. We also invite you to discover them and expand the list presented in this material.
