The World Edition - Architecture & Design

Preserving Bucharest

By Alexander H. Johnstone
OCTOBER 5, 2007

The nation of Romania has changed immensely throughout the past several decades. It has experienced dramatic shifts politically and this is evident through each city's unique architectural history. With an ongoing struggle for identity, Romania has not left much thought for architectural preservation.

In the capital city of Bucharest, most people live in large high-rise apartment buildings. Housing is limited, conditions are cramped and there is often a lack of heating. The overall quality of life is not very bright in many areas throughout the city. The same is true of countless cities across the world, but Bucharest is different in that it has not always been this way.

Between the two world wars, Bucharest existed as a cultural center and was referred to as "the Paris of the East." Now the city's character has become more industrial and commercial. However, it is still home to some cultural attractions, including the National Art Museum, national theater and opera companies, and Romania’s largest university.

There were several factors that brought about this change in Bucharest. Many of its historic buildings were torn down during the communist era. Big block concrete apartment complexes and skyscrapers replaced many of the traditional buildings. Aesthetic value was completely replaced with the idea of packing the largest amount of people into the smallest plot of land.

The fall of Communism in 1989 was followed by a decade of economic stagnation. Romania and the city of Bucharest established priority in many other aspects of life over the preservation and restoration of their historic architecture.

In the twenty-first century, the economy of Romania has improved and development is everywhere. Many consider this to be positive, but the growth has taken its toll on historic presence throughout the nation's larger cities, such as Bucharest. There have been a tragic number of historic buildings being demolished, many of which date back to the 18th and 19th century.

Romania will always claim UNESCO World Heritage Sites, such as the Saxon villages with fortified churches in Transylvania, the Painted churches of northern Moldavia, the Wooden Churches of Maramures, the citadel of Sighisoara and the Dacian Fortresses of the Orastie Mountains. Also, in 2007, the city of Sibiu has become famous for its Brukenthal National Museum.

As the cities of Romania, including Bucharest, move forward in their urban planning for the twenty-first century, we can only hope that they will consider not just the immediate needs for housing, business, and industry, but look to the decades and even centuries to come when their descendents and people from around the globe will come to admire their timeless architectural and historical treasures.