Yesterday I started a journey through my city, going more than a hundred years ago. No, I don't have a time machine, I have a book that has collected photos from the most beautiful period of the late nineteenth century, the period called "La Belle Epoque", that means, isn't it, "The Beautiful Age".
The fact that the French name of this period is used proves that in France it was the origin. A long period of peace led to economic, scientific, and cultural development in France, and then throughout Europe. The joy of life and the arts, all the arts, from painting to architecture had a sudden and intense development.
In Romania, one of the least developed countries in Europe, the capital Bucharest fully experienced the effervescence of La Belle epoque, thanks to the elite and the rich who were all educated in Paris. Thus, from elegance and fashion to the architecture of houses, everything imitates Paris, leading to Bucharest being called Little Paris.
Yesterday I started presenting a portion of the most beautiful boulevard, called Calea Victoriei, a boulevard that has remained almost unchanged since the time of ... Belle Epoque. I wanted to present two representative buildings of that era, the Post Office Palace and the CEC Palace. I managed to present only the Post Office Palace, you can see Little Paris. Today it was the turn of the CEC Palace!
Now I turn again to the book mentioned above to see what the area looks like at the end of the nineteenth century. Until the 1870s, when its modernization actually began, Bucharest, despite its hundreds of years of existence, was only a large fair with oriental influences and the appearance of a large village. Because there is no urban plan, they all built where they wanted and how they wanted.
Well, the effervescence of the Belle Epoque has managed to change the face of the city in less than forty years.
We already have Calea Victoriei, a well-arranged boulevard, on the left you can see the Post Office Palace and on the right, the CEC Palace.
The construction of the CEC Palace was completed in 1900. It was built according to the plans of the French architect Paul Gottereau. In this building, the Peace of Bucharest was signed, in 1913, when the region from the south of the country, the Quadrilateral, was annexed to the Romanian Kingdom. Why do I remember that? Because in Quadrilater (currently in Bulgaria) there is also the city of Balchik, where Queen Maria of Romania had her summer residence and a small and wonderful castle, the Quiet Nest Castle. A castle that I will present here in a future post.
The palace was built in an eclectic style and has an impressive dome in the center built of glass and metal, which allows natural light to penetrate inside and 4 small domes in each corner of the building. The main entrance of the palace, with its facade, reminds the viewer of the architecture of Paris.
Built of stone and marble from Romania, this palace has withstood all the earthquakes of the last century. That is why today we can admire it from all positions.
Seen from behind. Because the place is sloping, the back has been raised a lot.
I think you notice that the dome of the palace is reflected in a mirror. Interestingly, another bank center is built here, this time a modern building, the new concrete and glass architecture. The headquarters of another bank, the largest bank in Romania. This is one of the very few modern buildings on Calea Victoriei.
The geometric shape of the new construction, as well as the reflection in its windows of the sky but also of the old palace, determine a pleasant contrast to the eye. At least for me.
The Bucharest Financial Plaza building is located near KM 0 of Bucharest, near the Old Center, and covers an area of 26,300 m2 GLA. The property was completed in 1998, being the most imposing building in the city at that time, and was modernized in 2012. The building can be easily divided between the two sections, Tower (17 floors) and Podium (6 floors), and benefits from the largest natural lighting atrium in the city.
Meanwhile, the bank has sold this headquarters to Immofinanz, one of the largest real estate groups in Central and Eastern Europe.
Immofinanz intends to redevelop the property in a myhive building.
The myhive concept refers, among other things, to a unique design for sound-absorbing furniture, more workspace for each employee, natural light in all offices, but also to state-of-the-art infrastructure.
Now it may be difficult to choose which building is more beautiful. However, La Belle Epoque was La Belle Epoque. buildings like the CEC Palace are no longer being built in the world. So it remains more beautiful. A must-visit. History!
From this place begins the Old Center, part of the old shopping center of the city. Now it is a place of entertainment, the most sought-after place in the city, especially by tourists. Hundred-year-old buildings have been refurbished and narrow streets are lined with terraces and restaurants. Cheap drinks and beautiful girls are the main attraction. Nobody knows about La Belle epoque anymore!
