Union of Romanian Architects 1 by Joe Mabel is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
The Union of Romanian Architects, located in Bucharest, Romania was originally built by Grigore Paucescu at the end of the 1800s. Its unusual appearance can possibly be attributed to a current trend of adding modern components to historic buildings, in this case, taken to the extreme!
Between World War I and World War II, thanks in part to its refined architecture, Bucharest was actually known as the Little Paris of the East. Now the city retains its charm and is a mix of historical, interbellum, communist-era, and modern architecture.
Before World War I the Union of Romanian Architects’ building was home to the Austrian Embassy. In 1989 it was burned down and nearly destroyed. After that, it was split, half was used by the Romanian Academy and the other half by the Union of Romanian Architects.
Union of Romanian Architects 2 by Joe Mabel is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
In 2003 the Union of Romanian Architects decided to rebuild, however, because the original building is historic, it could not be demolished. So instead, they built up, or that’s what it looks like. Actually, the historic facade is simply a shell, with a new, modern building inside.
The unusual appearance and design get quite a few looks from passersby and tourists enjoy taking pictures. Observers noted the building seems to garner more appreciation with a younger crowd but either way, it has put Bucharest on the map as one of its top tourist attractions!
