If you were in Bucharest, on Calea Victoriei no. 22-24, near the Valley of the Kings, there would be only one building to catch your eye for its size and architecture. It is called the Rosenthal Tower.
Before World War II, The National Bank of Romania decided to build a tower for its own employees, in order to offer them some benefits and facilities. The land is about 2.700 square meters and the total cost was $9 million dollar. Radu Dudescu, chief architect of the central bank, supervised the construction. Free language courses, holidays in foreign countries and sport exercises were among the facilities of this tower.
The tower was built exactly on the spot where the luxurious shop, Rosenthal, used to run. In that place, you could find the finest porcelain in the city. This is where the popular name comes from. The building has a basement with two levels, five office floors, a conference room, a sport room and a buffet restaurant. The ground floor was reserved commercial premises offered for rent.
It was the first time that a building was built in Bucharest with the shelves removed from the street, allowing the pedestrians to run under the arcades, sheltered from the rain or protected from heat. Until the 90's, when the building was abandoned, and its arcades became public toilets. Even the street has gone away from the stench.
You could hear the wind blowing through the holes of the elevator.
The interior was almost totally scrubbed, lacking furniture, and quite impassive.
Not the welcome I’ve expected 😊
And here is the safe, empty of course. The door was so heavy you could barely move it.
These tags are also visible from the street, almost on all windows. Fashion urban facebook.
I'm on one of the two terraces. Satisfactory height and abundant space for a sky bar.
On the rooftops you can admire the communist view.
Old City view. In the foreground is the Valley of the Kings.
To sum up, it is a shame that nobody takes action to protect or restore these old, architectural legacies left behind by the previous generation. All we can do now is to admire and understand their past. Thanks for reading!
