The Art Deco style is a quintessential order within the rich tapestry of Bucharest’s inter-war architecture. I found from my many field days around the city researching its architecture in situ that Bucharest is virtually an undiscovered Art Deco “power”. The flag posts are some of the most conspicuous artefacts adorning these edifices, an expression of the era of oceanic cruise liners during the prosperous inter-war years and longing to travel to exotic places. A majority of Bucharest’s Art Deco architecture is constructed around the oceanic cruise liner theme. That is a bit surprising for a city located in the middle of the Lower Danube Prairie and at a long distance from a seaport. It just denotes the dream of the locals in those years to travel to the foreign and beautiful places of the southern seas, so different from their world in Eastern Europe and the Balkans. I hope that the above collage, which I made with just a small sample from Bucharest’s “sea” of Art Deco flag posts, will give you a minimal impression about how that sentiment was expressed in the architecture of the period. Sadly most of this wonderful architecture is now falling into disrepair, unappreciated and in many instances frantically demolished by the contemporary inhabitants of Romania’s capital; a tragic consequence of a low quality cultural education during the last seven decades of communism and chaotic post-communist transition.
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I endeavor through this daily series of images and small articles to inspire appreciation of the historic houses of Romania, a virtually undiscovered, but fascinating chapter of European architectural history and heritage.
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If you plan acquiring a historic property in Romania or start a renovation project, I would be delighted to advice you in sourcing the property, specialist research, planning permissions, restoration project management, etc. To discuss your particular plan please see my contact details in the Contactpage of this weblog.
Valentin Mandache, architectural historian 