After much travail with house moving over the new year’s eve interval and subsequent unpacking of countless of books scattered in too many crates, I am at last back at my desk eager to continue the delightful 🙂 chronicling and analysis of Romania’s historic architecture and period property market. I would like to kick off 2011 with an image of an Art Deco courtyard gate belonging to a modest mid-1930s property in Bucharest. The inter-war period is considered the golden era of Bucharest cultural and urban development, when the Art Deco style and motifs were much in vogue with an aspirational an upwardly mobile population. The gate with its well designed rectangular, “Bauhaus”-like, decoration of metal straps, that embellished a humble lower middle class dwelling, is an epitome of the spirit of that era, which permeated the urban society at all levels in this area of the Balkans.
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I endeavor through this daily series of daily 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 Contact page of this weblog.
Valentin Mandache, architectural historian 