Objectives

The activities during 2008 were: bibliographic research and national archives (present time), on site investigations, contacts with the authorities, Bucharest, Paris and other European cities, articles.

The main results involved the verification of the hypothesis regarding the best model for nowadays Romania, which is at the same time its own history and the present European system, not yet entirely implemented.

The 2009 research led to several articles and conferences.

Articles published in 2009

- „Amploarea dezvoltarii urbane bucurestene inainte de cel de-al Doilea Razboi Mondial”, revista Arhitext, Bucureşti, nr. 10/2009, ISSN 1224-886
- „Procedurile urbane de secol XIX, la Bucureşti”, revista Arhitext, Bucureşti, nr. 11/2009, ISSN 1224-886

Articles accepted for publishing:
- Bucarest, « le Petit Paris ». Un siècle de voirie, réseaux, hydraulique. 1831-1939, capitol în Actes du Premier congrès francophone d'histoire de la construction, l'Institut national d'histoire de l'art et les éditions Picard (for 2010)

Conferences

- Cutia Pandorei la Bucureşti, sesiunea de comunicări „Loc-locuinţă-locuire. Identitate şi repere contemporane”, UAUIM Bucureşti, 26 iunie 2009

Young researchers

The young researcher was focuesed on documentation work in libraries in Romania and abroad. This work served the program but also his PhD research.

Introduction to the 2009 synthesis

Although once a symbol for Europe, nowadays Bucharest lives with his post-communist plagues: construction chaos, traffic problems, green areas destructions. Once entered the EU, hopes of changes stayed partially unfulfilled. Interrogating this issues of history and European model is meant to produce an operational answer.

In the XIXth century, for the capital city of Romania, architecture, education, legislation and urban development are largely inspired by the French model. The link between Romania has to be looked for in the most profound connections. Romanian architecture, although largely inspired by France, has its own originality. Although it resides in the Beaux-arts School, it doesn’t have the hausmannian regularity. It is, at fist, eclectic, then romantic, national-romanian and then modernist. The urbanism operates in Bucharest with French instruments adapted to local conditions. Boulevards are straight but the continuous French facades are replaced by elegant villas. This way, the French boulevard planté is replaced by the Romanian bulevard parc.

After the Fist World War, Bucharest enters a new period of European synchrony. Bucharest’s development outstrips of some of the major European cities. The first haussmannian boulevards, such as Academiei, are ahead Rome, Bruxelles, Prague Zagreb or Madrid. Bucharest is already at maturity with its Contest for the city Masterplan of 1921. The Romanian capital city launches a big scale modern architectural production. His works are awarded, in 1939, with the Gold Medal and the Big Prize of urbanism at the International Water exhibition in Liège.

Research directions
The research is mainly based on perennial historical elements: the town limits, the respect of urban regulations, urban interventions. The study explores the nowadays european situation on aspects that may influence architecture and urbanism in Romania.