City Tour – Option B

The University
Since its foundation by Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza, ruler of the United Principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia (1859-66), as the successor to higher education structures dating back to the Princely Academy founded in 1694, the University of Bucharest has contributed to the development and modernisation of Romanian education, science and culture.

The National Theatre
20 Decembrie 1973 – The new building of the National Theatre is inaugurated together with its three halls: The Great Hall, The Small Hall and The Black Box. The initial project (1964-1973) was signed by the architects Horia Maicu, Romeo Belea and Nicolae Cucu and the resistance structure was projected by the engineer Alexandru Cişmigiu. The building’s architecture subscribed to the 60’s modernism movement, but the façade was left unfinished. The “hat” shape that became the building’s symbol turned out to be fatidic. The fact that the structure didn’t resemble a “house” at all but looked more like a hat, determined Ceauşescu to ask, in 1978, after a fire at The Great Hall, to reshape the theatre both on the exterior as well as in the interior.After the changes, a new hall appeared: The Amphitheater Hall.

The Romanian Airmen Heroes Memorial was built between 1930 and 1935 by the architect and sculptress Lidia Kotzebuie (1885–1944), and by Iosif Fekete. The structure, 20 m (65.6 ft) high, is made up of bronze sculptures resting on an obelisk-shaped stone pedestal, which in turn stands atop four trapezoidal prisms linked to each other by arcs. Beneath this entire complex is a circular stone base.Attached to the top of the obelisk, which reaches 15 m, is a 5-meter, 5-ton statue depicting a flying man, his wings outstretched. The folds of a shawl fall from his waist onto the obelisk. Three aviators, each in a different stage of flight attempt, are depicted around the base of the obelisk. On the pedestal are the aviators’ insignia, helmet and equipment, as well as engraved plaques with the names of Romanian airmen who had crashed to their deaths by the time the monument was built. These men died pursuing various goals: skill development, performance, adventure and fighting in World War I. The first name is that of Gheorghe Caranda, killed on 20 April 1912 on an airfield during a training flight; the last is that of Sava Rotaru, killed on 29 May 1934 in thick fog in the hills around Cernavodă. After the official dedication, 99 additional names have been posted on the North bottom side of the pedestal.

The Arch of Triumph  is a triumphal arch located in the northern part of Bucharest, on the Kiseleff Road.The first, wooden, triumphal arch was built hurriedly, after Romania gained its independence (1878), so that the victorious troops could march under it. Another temporary arch was built on the same site, in 1922, after World War I, which was demolished in 1935 to make way for the current triumphal arch, which was inaugurated in September 1936. The current arch has a height of 27 metres and was built after the plans of the architect Petre Antonescu. It has as its foundation a 25 x 11.50 metres rectangle. The sculptures with which the facades are decorated were created by famous Romanian sculptors such as Ion Jalea and Dimitrie Paciurea. Nowadays, military parades are held beneath the arch each 1 December, with the occasion of Romania’s national day.

The House of the Free Press is a building in northern Bucharest, Romania, the tallest in the city between 1956 and 2007.
A horse race track was built in 1905 on the future site of Casa Presei Libere. A third of the track was removed in 1950 to make way for a wing of the building, and the race track was finally closed and demolished in 1960, after a decision by Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej.
Construction began in 1952 and was completed in 1956. The building was named Combinatul Poligrafic Casa Scînteii “I.V.Stalin” and later Casa Scînteii (Scînteia was the name of the Romanian Communist Party’s official newspaper). It was designed by the architect Horia Maicu, in the pure (albeit comparatively small-scale) style of Soviet Socialist realism, resembling the main building of the Moscow State University, and was intended to house all of Bucharest’s printing presses, the newsrooms and their staff.
It has a foundation with an area of 280x260m, the total constructed surface is 32,000 m2 (344,445 sq ft) and it has a volume of 735,000 m³. Its height is 91.6 m (301 ft) without the television antenna, which measures an additional 12.4 m (41 ft), [2] bringing the total height to 104 m (341 ft).
On 21 April 1960, a giant statue of Vladimir Lenin, made by Romanian sculptor Boris Caragea, was placed in front of the building. However, this statue was removed on 3 March 1990, following the Romanian Revolution of 1989. The statue’s pedestal is still there.
It has basically the same role nowadays, with many of today’s newspapers having their headquarters in the same building, now renamed Casa Presei Libere (“The House of the Free Press”). The Bucharest Stock Exchange (Bursa de Valori București, BVB – in Romanian) was located in the southern wing at one point.

National Geology Museum was opened to the public in 1990 , the Geological Institute of Romania building, built in 1906, by architect Victor G. Stephanescu .
The permanent exhibition consists of 14 exhibition basic and contains about 7,700 exhibits from the total of 70,000 specimens in scientific collections of the museum.

The construction of Victoria Palace begun in 1937 and was finished in 1944. Due to damage caused by bombing in 1944, work was resumed and completed in 1952.
Originally designed for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Victoria Palace was during the communist period the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Council of Ministers and became, in 1990, the seat of the first post-communist government of Romania. In 2004, Victoria Palace was included in the list of historical monuments.
As Mark said Duiliu both interiors and facades Victoria Palace illustrate “the concern to preserve the foundation of classical and pops in conception and in detail study the idea of modern simplicity.” Initially, the main facade was, as side facades, covered with Carrara marble and the two fill ups have side carved decorative panels of the same material, as a result of damage caused by bombing in 1944, the two panels were removed and the facade Main was rebuilt with travertine tiles.

Cantacuzino Palace, located on one of the oldest streets of the capital, Victoria, was built in the early twentieth century by architect I. Berindey, in a style combining French academicism memories of rococo decorative accents Art Nouveau.
In 1956, Cantacuzino Palace devernit Memorial Museum “George Enescu” dedicated to the great Romanian composer. The museum displays documents and personal objects musician. Here they are, with whom Enescu Violin received a gift at the age of 4 years, scores of his works, diplomas and medals that have been conferred, including the French Legion of Honor. In December 1939, Maruca Cantacuzino, ex-wife of Nawab eldest son, married George Enescu.

The Romanian Athenaeum is a concert hall in the center of Bucharest and a landmark of the Romanian capital city. Opened in 1888, the ornate, domed, circular building is the city’s main concert hall and home of the “George Enescu” Philharmonic and of the George Enescu annual international music festival.
On December 29, 1919, the Atheneum was the site of the conference of leading Romanians who voted to ratify the unification of Bessarabia, Transylvania, and Bukovina with the Romanian Old Kingdom to constitute Greater Romania.

The Palace of National Military Circle is a central institution hosting the Romanian Army culture, cultural-educational profile, artistic, recreational fun and image, representation and protocol. Construction works for the National Military Club started in 1911, although the land where the building would stand was assigned by the Ministry Domains since 1898. Principal designer of the monumental Palace of National Military Circle was Romanian architect Dimitrie Maimarolu , in collaboration with V. Stefanescu and E. Doneaud.The client was Military officers of the garrison Bucharest, Romanian officers organization founded in December 15, 1876. The necessary funds were collected from donations, subscriptions and contributions of officers (80%) and state subsidies and repayable loans.

Palace of the deposits, CEC and Economics (commonly known as CEC Palace after subsequent name of institution), is a building in Bucharest , located in Victoria, opposite the Post Office Palace , built in the same period.
Made by architect Paul Gottereau specific elements of French architecture from the late nineteenth century, the CEC Palace was completed in 1900. Today, the palace houses the headquarters CEC Bank , successor old CEC (Savings House).

Palace of Justice
The Courthouse was built in 1890 by architect Albert Ballu (same architect who designed the Palace of Justice in Charleroi, Belgium ) and Ion Mincu who led the construction and decoration drawing and sketches, internal ceilings, floors, railings, stairs, furniture. The building’s cornerstone was laid by King Carol I of Romania staff on October 7th 1890.  Event Witnesses reported that the ceremony was held after the typical time: King signed the foundation act on parchment, sealed with the seal of royal after the king, wearing a white apron with gold tassels, filed parchment in foundation and laid the first brick . The building was erected on the site in the days of the Organic Regulation, function Judicial Court, built on Creţuleşti nobles estates and empty, on the right bank of the Dâmboviţa, ie the land located in the Garden “Little Palace” of Brancoveanu .
The works was provided by engineer Nicolae Cuţarida company. Inside the palace there is a room of lost steps, like the University of Iasi Palace. The stately “Hall lost steps” called “Meeting the Clock” occupies a quarter of the nearly 13,000 square meters as building area is ground. The name ‘the Clock Room “comes from the fact that this space was fitted clock designed to measure “the process”.
Exterior of the building has urban influences and the central body is built in the French Renaissance style. The central part of the façade is less marked unhooked and six pilasters strong. Under construction vaults above the main entrance are located six statues allegorical, signifying (from left to right): Attention, force, law, justice, eloquence and truth, sculpted by Carol Storck , Frederic Storck , Wladimir Hegel and George Vasilescu .
Another two statues flanking the clock on the roof signify strength and prudence.