The Art Deco style house presented bellow dates from the early 1930s and is an interesting rendering of the ocean liner theme within its generous street façade. The ocean liner allusions are seen in the upper row of three porthole windows or the semicircular round profile, boat stern like, of the stairs tower on the left hand side of the building, crowned by an upper deck like veranda, next to a prominent chimney stack in the fashion of a ship funnel. The small balcony reminds me of the emergency boats hanging on the side of seagoing ships. I like the triangular profile bay windows on the right hand side of the house, which very intelligently suggest the bow of the boat. The short columns delineating the first floor windows are also a stylistic delight, being endowed with rich leaf motif capitals, suggesting the luxuriant vegetation of the southern seas, where the inter-war Bucharest people were longing to escape, if not for real, then in an imaginary way, transporting themselves there in their magnificent Art Deco ocean liner-like houses…
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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.
Valentin Mandache, architectural historian 