Tag: Little Paris Architectural Style

Quaint Little Paris style house in Ploiesti

Valentin Mandache
Little Paris style house from the La Belle Époque period in Ploiesti (©Valentin Mandache)

This Thursday I undertook a short trip to Ploiesti, the centre of the Romanian oil industry, 60km north of Bucharest, and managed to photograph a sample of its great multitude of architecturally remarkable houses, built in large part by money generated by its oil wealth and also from Ploiesti’s traditional role as major market town in the region. Its urban development and architectural mix resembles at a smaller scale the historical trajectory followed by Bucharest. One of those noteworthy building, which I encountered there, located on the Independentei Street, is presented in this post’s photographs. It is a picturesque Little Paris style (what I call the French c19th historicist architecture provincially interpreted in Romania of the La Belle Époque period) dwelling, dating probably form the second part of the 1890s or the first years of the c20th at the latest, which seems quite well preserved. This type is often encountered within the territory of the Old Romanian Kingdom (pre-WWI Romania, which did not contain Transylvania and other territories gained after the war). Its general outlines remind me of an evocative Bucharest house from an impressionist style painting, about which I wrote a past article, see this link. I like its compact, box-like appearance, with rounded corners, central wrought iron doorway and ample shell-shape awning. The roof boasts two protruding round attic windows, an ornamental crest and spiky details dotting the drain trough at regular intervals. The decorative register for this type of house is generally inspired from the rococo style panoply, often containing interesting Art Nouveau elements for edifices built at the turn between the c19th and c20th. The Art Nouveau style bits in this particular example are seen in the glazed shell-shape doorway awning and parts of the design of its wrought iron gateway and street fence, fragments of which are presented in the photomontage bellow.

Wrought iron doorway with shell-shape glazed awning, Little Paris style house dating from the late 1890s or early 1900s, Ploiesti (©Valentin Mandache)
Details of the Art Nouveau style elements adorning the gateway of a Little Paris style house (1890s - 1900s), Ploiesti (©Valentin Mandache)

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I endeavour through this series of periodic 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 or selling a historic property in Romania or start a renovation project, I would be delighted to advice you in sourcing and transacting the property, specialist research, etc. To discuss your particular plan please see my contact details in the Contactpage of this weblog.

Picturesque “Little Paris” Style Dwelling

Valentin Mandache
Late 1890s "Little Paris" style house, Victorie Square area, Bucharest (©Valentin Mandache)

Some of the most picturesque historic houses of Bucharest are those built in what I call the “Little Paris” style, which was very popular in the last two decades of the c19th until 1910s in Romania in general and especially in in its capital. It represents a charming hotchpotch of provincially interpreted French c19th historicist architectural styles mixed with a multitude of local Ottoman Balkan decorative elements. The image above shows such an example of “Little Paris” style dwelling, where one can notice the somehow rustic looking finishes of the classical/ rococo decorative motifs adorning the window openings or the house frieze. I very much like the c19th doorway with its little wrought iron framed glass awning. Some of the coloured glass panes are broken, but the structure could easily be restored.  The Ottoman Balkan inspired decoration is represented by the exquisite woodwork adorning the roof eave. Such “Little Paris” houses are relatively numerous in the central areas of Bucharest and would constitute in my opinion some of the most rewarding and cheapest potential restoration/ renovation projects available in this city.

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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.

***********************************************

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.