1859 sees the unification of the Romanian provinces of Wallachia and Moldavia
under one elected ruler of the Romanian descent, A.I. Cuza, as well as the setting
of their joint capital in Bucharest. The city therefore has quickly to upgrade to
its role: political and administrative infrastructure needs to be backed up by
cultural and educational buildings, in order to affirm and set native values.
As Bucharest’s territory was mostly of private ownership, the creation of public
spaces was made possible by means of donation. Dinica Golescu, a nobleman
and politician, donated his residence to the elected ruler. The manor turned
Palace, conveniently set on the important Mogosoaia Road, required a plaza
and adjacent supporting functions, to enhance its significance as quarters
of a long awaited, native, political rule: the crossroad in front of it was to be
designed as Palace Plaza. The process of establishing representative public
plazas was thus initiated: the Palace was extended and the St. Sava School and
Monastery ensemble demolished to make way for the Academy, while its inner
garden was preserved as public space^1.
In 1866 the German Hohenzollern dynasty was appointed by the Ottoman
Empire to bring political stability to the new country. In 1878, Charles I gained
Romania its independence, and was subsequently crowned king. With German
rule and political independence, the opening towards the western culture was
unobstructed, and all habits and fashion of Ottoman influence were abandoned.
Both the political and cultural shifts of directions required concrete legitimacy
in the eyes of the public, be it the city’s inhabitants, the country’s or visitors.
Public spaces served to do just that, and their shaping evolved with the
implanting of representative political, administrative and cultural buildings.
Bucharest as the capital of a new state of ancient origins embraced its half
western descent by commissioning French, Italian, as well as Romanian
Fig. 2
The Mogosoaia checkpoint and
the northern parks, 1846 (left).
The current Romana Plaza as a
minor crossroad, 1846 (right).
(Duda)Maria Duda