The image above is one of the countless examples of dilapidated period houses of Bucharest. The style is a soothing domesticated Art Deco in tune with the splendid residential area that once has been the Carol Park. Today, the old beautiful buildings endowing this Bucharest quarter suffer from lack of investment in local infrastructure by the city authorities, poor maintenance due to reduced financial means of impoverished elderly owners or lack of vision and ignorance of some among the proprietors who renovate the buildings in an improper manner erasing old architectural details or adding intrusive modern characterless appliances. In the example above a renovations should be quite a straight forward endeavour, as many details still survive such as the wrought iron doorway or the balcony and window frame ornaments, inclusive traces of the once vivid paint.
***********************************************
I endeavor through this daily image series to inspire appreciation of the historic houses of Romania, a virtually undiscovered, but fascinating chapter of European architectural heritage.
***********************************************
If you plan acquiring a historic property in Romania or start a renovation project, I would be delighted to advice you in locating the property, specialist research, planning permissions, restoration project management, etc. To discuss your particular plan please see my contact details in the Contact page of this weblog.
Valentin Mandache, architectural historian 