ArghirCULINA.blogspot.roOrdinul Arhitecilor din Romnia

Traseul arhitectural Arghir CULINAArghirArghir CULINA (scris uneori i CULIN) este imaginea unei evoluii stilistice a primei jumti a secolu-lui 20 ntr-o Romnie care ncuraja i rspltea creativitatea, oamenii de afaceri i antreprenorii. Arhi-tectul CULINA este o poveste de succes cu un final amar, cauzat de schimbarea atmosferei politice de dup cel de-al Doilea Rzboi Mondial. Regimul politic de dup Martie 1945 l-a retras din viaa profesional, pentru ca, mai trziu, s i sechestreze toate proprietile arhitectului, i s ncerce (destul de eficient) s l tearg din memoria cultural a Bucuretiului i a Romniei. Din acest ultim motiv datele biografice sunt, din pcate, destul de puine sau deduse.Nscut pe 15 Iulie 1883 la Grmos, n partea de Nord-Est a Greciei, aromnul Arghir CULINA se mut, probabil, cu familia n Bucureti devreme n cursul vieii sale. Cert este c urmeaz cursurile colii Su-perioare de Arhitectur din Bucureti, obinnd diploma de arhitect n 1909. Literatura de specialitate menioneaz n treact colaborarea lui Arghir CULINA cu Paul GOTTEREAU (1843-19??) i Albert GALLERON (1846-19??), informaie greu de demonstrat ns, avnd n vedere c GALLERON a plecat din Romnia definitiv cnd CULINA avea aproximativ 17 ani. O informaie sigur este c n timpul studeniei lui Arghir CULINA arhitectul Eracle LZRESCU (1868-1937) era titularul cursului de 'salubritate,'salubritate, higien i instalaii', curs pe care l preda ncepnd cu 1904. La fel de clar este c LZRESCU i CULINA semneaz cteva proiecte mpreun n prima jumtate a anilor 1910'. De asemenea, avnd n vedere prenumele arhitectului LZRESCU i colaborarea acestuia cu arhitectul Gheorghe SIMOTTA, probabil c i acesta era de origine aromn, trstur care a funcionat, proba-bil, ca liant pentru relaia dintre student i profesor.Mediul de provenien al lui Arghir CULINA i-a nlesnit acestuia o serie de comenzi de arhitectur, una dintre primele astfel de comenzi fiind n 1912 hotelul Palace, actualmente Cimigiu cu un proiect de structur semnat de inginerul aromn Nicolae Nacu PISSIOTA, vr cu arhitectul, i deintorul hotelu-lui. O alt surs de comenzi a fost o aparent relaie cu Societatea de Asigurri Dacia Romnia, pentru care proiecteaz n perioada 1928-1934 trei imobile de locuine de dimensiuni medii i mari. Situaia financiar a arhitectului se mbuntete rapid, nlesnindu-i acestuia i o carier de dezvoltator imobil-iar, proiectnd pentru sine blocul din Hristo Botev 3 i Hotelul Ambasador.n 1942 arhitectul este numit membru al Ordinului 'Steaua Romniei' n grad de Ofier de ctre regele Mihai I, acordndu-i-se astfel cea mai nalt distincie a Statului Romn. ncepnd cu Iunie 1945 Arghir CULINA, n vrst de 62 de ani, nu mai face parte din cadrele Corpului Arhitecilor i se pensioneaz din funcia de arhitect inspector general clasa I din cadrul Ministerului Comunicaiilor i Lucrrilor Pub-lice. Dup o scurt tentativ de a mai porni o afacere Danubia Motor n perioada Mai 1946 - Ianuarie 1947 CULINA renun la orice activitate, fiind obligat, probabil, de regim. n 1950, prin decretul din 19 Aprilie,Aprilie, i sunt confiscate / naionalizate locuina din strada Cristian Radu 3 i imobilele aflate la adrese-le Hristo Botev 3, Magheru 10 i Suvenir 2. Continu s locuiasc totui la aceeai adres (Cristian Radu 3), probabil cu chirie. n 1958, n cartea de telefon mai figureaz dou persoane la aceeai adres: Sideri CULINA i Florica CULINA. Am reuit s lum legtura cu un strnepot al lui CULINA, care i-a urmat n meseria de arhitect, domnul tefan BIANCO. De la dnsul am aflat c Arghir CULINA a fost i nchis din motive politice.n 1972, conform listelor 'Asociaiei Cremaioniste Amurg' arhitectul este incinerat n Bucureti la Cre-matoriul Cenua. Dup o via de creaie i reuite, regimul politic a izbutit s tearg o mare parte din existena arhitectului. Au rmas nc motenire o parte din cldirile sale, ca urmare a dispariiei Hotel-urilor Splendid i Splendid Parc i a Ministerului Economiei i probabil a altora pe care nc nu le-am identificat.Traseul pe care l iniiem este unul ghidat prin pliantul de fa i prin adresa web, pe care ne propunem s postm mai multe informaii legate de arhitect pe msur ce le identificm. Principiul de organizare a ordinii staiilor din traseu a fost unul strict geografic, nu cronologic, tocmai pentru c ne dorim ca pub-licul (deopotriv turiti i Bucureteni) s viziteze cldirile pentru a nu pierde amintirea arhitectului. Acest fapt nu inseamn c o categorisire cronologic nu ar fi bine venit. De fapt nsi etapizarea cronologic a amprentei stilistice a lui CULINA a fost ceea ce ne-a atras atenia. Din punct de vedere stilisticstilistic identificm trei perioade: eclectic i Neoromneasc, Art Deco cu influene Neoromneti i Art Deco propriu-zis. n perioada eclectic i Neoromneasc se simte amprenta arhitectului Eracle LZRESCU n lucrri ca: Vila Mincu din parcelarea Ioanid, vila din Aleea Alexandru nr. 4, Tribunalul din Piteti, Casele Grigore Coand din Piteti, Hotelurile Louvre (Capitol) i Palace (Cimigiu) i socluri de sculpturi; spre perioada Art Deco cu influene Neoromneti arhitectul face tranziia prin Hotel Paris (Muntenia), Imobilul din Hristo Botev 3 i vila Kimon LOGHI, pentru ca apoi s creeze lucrri ca Imobi-lul Societii Generale de Asigurare Dacia Romnia, Cminul Studenilor la Medicin i Hotel Stnescu. Proiectele pentru imobilele din erban Vod i Jean Louis Calderon, hotelurile Liric (Opera), Union i Ambasador i vila Emil PRAGER Arghir CULINA adopt un Art Deco apropiat de modernism. Avnd n minte aceast evoluie stilistic palpabil a lui CULINA, volumul i calitatea operei sale am dezvoltat n cadrul Ordinul Arhitecilor din Romnia, Filiala Teritorial Bucureti acest proiect cultural dedicat memoriei arhitectului i creaiei sale.

Arghir CULINA architecture tourArghirArghir CULINA (sometimes written CULIN) is the image of a stylistic evolution of the first half of the 20th Century in a Romania that encouraged and rewarded creativity, business people and entrepre-neurs. Architect CULINA is a success story with a sour ending, caused by the change of the post World War Two political climate. The political regime after March 1945 retired him from the professional life and later requisitioned all his assets and tried (quite efficiently) to erase him from the cultural memory of the citizens of Bucharest and of the Romanians in general. Due to this last reason the biographical data is sadly either poor or deduced.Born on the 15th of July of 1883 at Grmos, in the North-Eastern part of Greece, the aromanian ethnic Arghir CULINA probably moves with his family to Bucharest early in his life. What is certain is that he graduates from The Superior School of Architecture in Bucharest, receiving his degree in architecture in 1909. The specialized literature briefly mentions Arghir CULINA's apprenticeship with Paul GOT-TEREAU (1843-19??) and Albert GALLERON (1846-19??), which seems to be a hard-to-prove infor-mation though, seeing as how GALLERON left Romania when CULINA was approximately 17. It's a fact that during Arghir CULINA's studenthood architect Eracle LZRESCU (1868-1937) held the course on 'sanitation, hygiene and plumbing' starting with 1904. Just as clear is that LZRESCU and CULINA cosigned a number of projects during the first half of the 1910s. Also, considering architect LZRESCU's first name and his collaboration with architect Gheorghe SIMOTTA, he was probably also an aromanian ethnic, a feature that acted as a binder for the relationship between student and teacher.Arghir CULINA's family background facilitated the signing of a number of commissions, one of his first being the 1912 Palace Hotel, presently Cimigiu Hotel, with the structural design signed by the aroma-nian engineer Nicolae Nacu PISSIOTA, the architect's cousin and the hotel owner. Another commis-sion source was what seemed to be a relationship with the Dacia Romnia Insurance Company , for which he designs between 1928 and 1934 three medium and large size apartment buildings. The ar-chitect's financial state rapidly improves, making it possible for him to develop another career as a real estate developer, designing and building for himself the apartment building at 3 Hristo Botev Street and the Ambasador Hotel.In 1942 he is awarded membership within the 'Steaua Romniei' Order, ranking officer, by King Mihai 1st, thusly awarding him the highest distinction the Romanian State has to offer. Starting with June 1945 Arghir CULINA, aged 62, is no longer a member of the Architect's Corps and retires from the position of first class general inspector within The Ministry of Communications and Public Works. After another short initiative of starting another business Danubia Motor from May 1946 to January 1947 CULINA gives up any activity, being probably forced by the regime. InIn the year 1950, through the Decree of April 19th, his home at 3 Cristian Radu Street and the buildings at 3 Hristo Botev Street, 10 Magheru Boulevard and 2 Suvenir Street are requisitioned / nationalized. He continues to reside at the same address (3 Cristian Radu Street), probably as a tenant. In the 1958 phone register there are two more persons at the same address: Sideri CULINA and Florica CULINA. We managed to contact one of CULINA's great-grandsons, who followed in his footsteps also becom-ing an architect, mister tefan BIANCO. From him we found out that Arghir CULINA was also inpris-oned on political grounds.In 1972, according to the lists of 'Asociaia Cremaionist Amurg' the architect is incinerated in Bucha-rest at Cenua Crematory. After a lifetime of creation and accomplishments, the political regime man-aged to erase a large part of the architect's existence. His legacy consists of most of his buildings after the loss of Splendid and Splendid Parc Hotels and the Ministry of Economy and probably other works not yet identified.The tour we are initiating is one guided through this leaflet and through the website, on which we plan to post more information about the architect as we uncover it. The principle of organizing the stops on the tour is one strictly geographical, not chronological, seeing as how we would like the public (both tourists and citizens of Bucharest) to visit the buildings in order not to misplace the memory of the ar-chitect. This does not mean that a chronological organizing would be out of place. Actually, chronologi-cal stages of his stylistic fingerprint was the first thing to catch our eye. Stylistically we can identify three periods: eclectic and Neoromanian, Art-Deco with Neoromanian influences and pure Art-Deco. During his eclectic and Neoromanian period we can feel the influence of architect Eracle LZRESCU in works such as: Mincu Villa within Ioanid Residential Park, 4 Alexandru Alley villa, the Piteti Court-house, Grigore Coand villa in Piteti, Louvre (Capitol) and Palace (Cimigiu) Hotels and sculpture pedestals; the architect makes a transition towards his Art-Deco with Neoromanian influences through Paris (Muntenia) Hotels, the apartment building at 3 Hristo Botev Street and Kimon LOGHI Villa, creat-ing afterwords works such as Dacia Romnia Insurance Company Apartment Building, The Medical Students' Dormitory and Stnescu Hotel. With the designs for the buildings on Calea erban Vod and Jean Louis Calderon Street, the Liric (Opera), Union and Ambasdor Hotels and Emil PRAGER Villa, Arghir CULINA employs a version of the Art-Deco that sometimes borders modernism.Carrying in mind this touchable stylistic evolution of CULINA's work, and its' quantity and quality we de-veloped through the Bucharest Branch of the Romanian Architects' Chamber (OAR) this cultural pro-ject dedicated to the memory of this architect and his creation.

Harta traseului arhitectural Arghir CULINAArghir CULINA Architecture Tour Map

Aceasta este una din cele trei lucrri realizate de Arghir CULINA pentru Societatea de Asigurare Dacia Romnia, comenzi nlesnite probabil de membri aromni ai consiliului di-rector i duse la bun sfrit ntr-o manier impecabil. Acest bloc de locuine se ncadreaz ntr-un Art Deco epurat, vecin cu modernismul pe care l putem citi n liniile clare i volumele bine definite ale compoziiei. Canelurile orizontale i parapeii curbi ai balcoanelorbalcoanelor apropie limbajul arhitectural de un Art Deco Streamline, genernd o incint cvasi-public intim. Proiectul iniial prevedea o arip simetric care ar fi nchis aceast incint n form de 'U'. Probabil din fonduri insuficiente pentru acest proiect, Societatea a construit pn la urm doar aceast arip. Constrngeri de buget se pot observa i la calitatea materiale-lor de faad, a crei vrst a lsat urme majore de deteriorare. This is one of the three works designed by Arghir CULINA for the Dacia Romnia Insurance Company, commissions that were probably facilitated by the aromanian members of the board and were carried out in an impeccable manner. This apartment building fits within a cleansed Art Deco style, neigh-boring modernism, which can be read through the clear lines and the well defined volumes of the composition. The horizon-tal grooves and curved balcony parapet walls bring the archi-tecture closer to a Streamline Art Deco, generating a quasi-public intimate enclosure. The initial design had another wing, symmetrical to the one built that closed this space in a U-shape plan. Probably due to insufficient funds for this project, the Company eventually only built this one wing. Budget restraints can be also observed in the quality of the facade materials, which aged badly.

Cminul studenilor mediciniti este o lucrare de tranziie stilistic a arhitectului Arghir CULINA, n care putem vedea an-cadramente, motive, coloane i arce neoromneti alturi de bosaj i elemente decorative eclectice, parapei de o simplitate i materialitate Art Deco i console pe care mai trziu le va folosi cu succes ntr-un limbaj Art Deco la Hotel Union i alte imobile. De asmenea, un alt element morfologic pe care l reia la sfritulsfritul anilor '20, este balconul continuu rezultat din retragerea ultimului nivel. n perspectiva operei lui CULINA, avnd n vedere elementele comune cu lucrri Art-Deco de acelai autor suntem tentai s subliniem acest stil n vocabularul arhitectural mai sus menionat.

The Medical Students' Dormitory is a work of stylistic transition for architect Arghir CULINA, in which one can observe Neoro-manian window framing, motifs, columns and arches, Eclectic decoration, Art Deco railings that he would later successfully use for the Union Hotel and other buildings. Another morpho-logical element that he also reuses at the end of the '20s is the continuous balcony for top story setback. Through the perspective of CULINA's work, taking into consideration the elements shared with Art Deco designs by the same author, we are tempted to invoke this style within the above mentioned archi-tectural vocabulary

01. Casa Funcionarilor Societii de Asigurare Dacia RomniaClerks' Apartment Building for Dacia Romnia Insur-ance Company1933-34 Calea erban Vod 41

02. Cminul studenilor medicinitiThe Medical Students' Dormitoryanii 1920' Splaiul Independenei 48

Dei asemntor ca volumetrie cu Cminul Studenilor Mediciniti, imobilul de lng Cimigiu folosete integral un vo-cabular Art Deco. Canelurile orizontale ale parapeilor de la eta-jele 1 i 5 mpreun cu feroneria balcoanelor i coloanele stili-zate de la nivelurile superioare constituie o imagine coerent stilistic susinut de detalii compuse din registre de denticuli care subliniaz cornie profilate. Parterul a suferit i aici o serie de modificri recente improvizate, ca la multe alte cldiri ale au-torului.Intersecia i prezena parcului Cimigiu sunt semnalate prin curbarea faadei i nlarea acestei zone cu un coronament de aceeai factur Art Deco.

Although volumetrically similar to the Medical Students' Dormi-tory, the apartment building next to Cimigiu uses an exclusive Art Deco vocabulary. The horizontal grooves of the parapet walls on the 1st and the 5th floors, combined with the balconies ironwork and stylized columns build a stylistically coherent image, upheld by details composed of dentils that underline the profiled cornice. The ground floor underwent a series of re-cently improvised modifications, here as well as in the case of other works by the same author.The intersection and the presence of Cimigiu Park are sig-naled through the curving of the facade and the heightening of this area of the facade with a canopy ensemble, belonging to the same style.

Sunt situaii n care arhitectura poate funciona ca fundal pentru lucrri de art. O astfel de situaie este soclul unei statui, sau, n cazul acesta, al unui ansamblu alegoric. Mutat n amplasamen-tul actual n 1930 ansamblul alegoric este lucrarea sculptorului Emil Wilhelm BECKER (1881-1951), autor, printre altele, al sculpturilor de faad de pe Palatul Cantacuzino i Universitate. Sculptura romantic care nfieaz soldatul susinut de un suflusuflu patriotic alegoric este aezat pe un piedestal Neorom-nesc, discret, elansat i elegant decorat cu motive mpletite romneti, cartue i ghirlande sculptate. Dei acesta nu este amplasamentul iniial al sculpturii, aceasta completeaz ntr-un mod plcut piaa, chiar dac momentan aceasta este folosit din pcate ca parcare.

There are certain scenarios within which the architecture can work as a background for art-work. One such scenario is the pedestal for a statue, or, in this case, for an allegorical ensem-ble. Moved to it's current placement in 1930, the allegorical en-semble is the work of sculptor Emil Wilhelm BECKER (1881-1951), the author, among others, of the facade sculptures that decorate the Cantacuzino Palace and the University. The mantic sculpture depicting the soldier upheld by a patriotic mo-mentum rests upon a discrete and slender Neoromanian ped-estal , elegantly decorated with romanian knot motifs, shields and carved garlands. Although this is not the initial placement of the sculpture, it pleasantly completes the circus, even though it is currently being used as a parking lot.

03. Imobilul Societii Generale de Asigurare Dacia Romnia

Apartment Building for the Dacia Romnia Insurance Company

1928-29 Bulevardul Regina Elisabeta 44

04. Monumentul Avntul riiThe Country's Momentum Monument1924 Piaa Walter Mrcineanu

Hotelul Liric, cum se numea iniial, este un imobil de col, prelund aliniamentele celor dou strzi adiacente printr-o faad curb, elansat, subliniat de balcoane care anticipeaz aceast curbur i o copertin ampl i elegant cu caneluri orizontale de limbaj Streamline. Feroneria integrat n parapeii plini ai balcoanelor susin acelai tip de estetic mainist. Dei cele dou aripi de cldire sunt de lungimi diferite, arhitectul flancheazflancheaz curbura faadei cu dou elemente-bovindou verti-cale, ample, aproximativ simetrice, tratnd astfel cele dou strzi cu aproape aceeai importan. Bovindourile au fere-strele amplasate excentric, pe coluri, element de vocabular comun stilurilor Art Deco i Modernist.

Liric Hotel, as it used to be named, is a corner building that as-sumes the alignments of the two adjacent streets through a curved and slender facade emphasised by balconies that an-ticipate this curvature and a large, elegant, Streamline canopy with horizontal grooves. The ironwork that is part of the balcony parapet walls uphold the same machine-like aesthetic. Even though the two building wings differ in length, the architect flanks the curve of the facade with two large, vertical and almost symmetrical bow-windows thusly addressing both streets with the same importance. The bow-windows have eccentrically placed corner windows, a vocabulary element common to Art Deco and Modernist styles.

Una dintre cldirile emblematice ale Bucuretiului, fostul Hotel Palace este o cldire de factur eclectic cu faade decorate cu finee i moderaie. Faadele sunt mprite n trei registre: parter i mezanin, cu deschideri ample i bosaj pronunat; reg-istrul median i mansarda. Registrul median este mai auster, prezentnd elemente decorative strict sub forma ancadramen-telor simple, a consolelor, a feroneriei de parapei i a amplei cornie. Registrul mansardei a avut de suferit n urma recentei renovri iniial mansarda era mult mai compact, gazduind doar rndul de lucarne cu ancadrament i arc n plin-cintru. Altfel, lucrrile de consolidare i restaurare a faadelor au avut un efect revitalizant mult ateptat pentru cldirea situat central, pn nu demult prsit.

One of the emblematic buildings of Bucharest, the former Palace Hotel is an Eclectic building with facades decorated with finesse and moderation. The facades are split into three regis-ters: ground-floor and mezzanine, with ample openings and ample bossage; the middle register and the mansard. The middle register is more austere employing decoration strictly as simple carved window frames, balcony supports, railing iron-work and an ample cornice. The mansard register had to suffer during the recent renovation - initially the roof was much more compact, housing only one level of round arched framed dor-mers. Otherwise, the facade restoring and consolidation pro-cesses have had a long-awaited revitalizing effect for the down-town building until recently abandoned.

05. Hotel Opera (Liric) Hotelanii 1930' Strada Ion Brezoianu 37

06. Hotel Cimigiu (Palace) Hotel1912-13 Bulevardul Regina Elisabeta 38

Ca urmare a unui incendiu n anul 1911 Hotelul Louvre (sau Luvru - denumirea de atunci a imobilului aflat la intersecia Strzii Constantin Mille cu Calea Victoriei) este remodelat i extins de CULINA. Cele dou aripi ale cldirii care corespund fronturilor de strzi sunt racordate printr-un volum de col cilin-dric, vertical, acoperit cu o cupol decorat. Prin acest volum arhitectul rezolv i aparatul de intrare, modificat astzi fa de imagineaimaginea iniial, alturi de o bun parte din parter. Faada este realizat din trei registre principale, cel median i cel superior fiind mprite n cte dou registre secundare fiecare. Registrul median are rolul de a 'dizolva' gradual desenul de bosaj al faadei, astfel nct acesta devine aproape insesizabil pentru subregistrul median superior, dominat de pilatri angajai de ordin colosal.

Following a fire in 1911, the Louvre Hotel (or Luvru - back then the name of the building at the corner of Constantin Mille and Calea Victoriei) is remodeled and extended by CULINA. The two wings of the building that correspond to the street fronts are connected through a cylindrical corner-volume, covered by an ornate dome. Through this volume the architect also solves the entrance apparatus, modified today from the initial image, alongsidealongside most of the ground floor. The facade comprises of three main registers, with the middle and upper registers each split into two secondary ones. The middle register's purpose is two gradually dissolve the facade bossage, in such a way that it becomes almost unnoticeable by the mid-upper sub-register, which is dominated by colossal attached pilasters.

Hotelul Paris este un alt imobil de tranziie stilistic de la Neor-omnesc la Art-Deco n repertoriul lui Arghir CULINA. Dei prin-cipalele elemente morfologice ale faadei, respectiv naterea bovindoului de la primul i al doilea etaj i loggia ampl de la ul-timul etaj sunt de factur Neoromneasc, nclinaiile Art Deco ale autorului pot fi observate la copertinele de la parter, parapeii balcoanelor franuzeti i chiar la stereotomia faadei (un fin bosaj i ancadramente cu forme epurate). Proporiile incerte ale volumului sunt cizelate cu elegan de arhitect prin detaarea bovindoului central de restul faadei i prin delimitarea acestuia de tue ample de umbr generat de balconul etajului nti i loggia de sub streain.

Paris Hotel is another building responsible with the stylistic tran-sition from Neoromanian to Art Deco in Arghir CULINA's body of works. Although the main morphological elements of the facade, namely the origin of the bow-window on the first and second floor and the wide loggia on the last floor are of Neoro-manian influence, the author's taste for Art-Deco can be ob-served on the ground floor canopies, the french balcony railings and even on the facade stereotomy (a fine bossage and cleansed stone window frames). The uncertain proportions of the volume are elegantly carved by the architect through the detaching of the central bow-window from the rest of the facade, and by defining it through generous shadows of the first floor balcony and the top floor loggia.

07. Hotel Capitol (Louvre) Hotel1911-12 Calea Victoriei 29

08. Hotel Muntenia (Paris) Hotelanii 1920' Strada Academiei 21

Fr ndoiala una din principalele imagini Art Deco a oraului, Hotelul Union creeaz o siluet zigurat specific stilului vizibil att din intersecia Cii Victoriei cu Strada Cmpineanu ct i de pe Strada Academiei. Volumul elansat de col, susinut de o serie de elemente decorative verticale, este flancat de cele dou aripi ale cldirii construite n lungul strzilor Cmpineanu i Biserica Enei. Cele dou corpuri de cldire cu retrageri suc-cesivecesive subliniate de registre de balcoane acoperite (sub forma unor loggii dar ataate faadelor) pun i mai mult n valoare re-zolvarea de col. Alternarea i suprapunerea formelor concave i convexe n proiecia faadei sunt menite s genereze iluzia de nlime, arhitectul urmrind s obin o imagine de zgrie-nori cu numai nou etaje, din care dou strict decorative.

Doubtlessly one of the main Art Deco images of the city, Union Hotel creates a specific ziggurat silhouette visible both from the corner of Calea Victoriei and Cmpineanu Street and from Academiei Street. The slender corner volume, emphasized by a series of vertical decorative elements, is flanked by the two wings of the building, built along Cmpineanu and Biserica Enei streets. The two building wings with progressive setbacks underlinedunderlined by covered balcony registers (shaped as loggias but added to the facade) further emphasize the corner composi-tion. The alternation and overlapping of concave and convex shapes within the facade are meant to generate the illusion of height, the architect aiming for a skyscarper image with only nine floors, out of which two are strictly decorative.

Cellalt flanc al intrrii pe strada Ion Cmpineanu este ocupat de fostul hotel Stnescu, cu o volumetrie aparent simetric, retras progresiv. Imaginea de un Art Deco coerent i rafinat este condimentat discret cu motive de insipiraie neoromneasc, un citat din etapa n care a fost construit Hote-lul Muntenia de vis-a-vis. Interseciei i este adresat un volum nalt concav, n rezonan cu Imobilul Union construit cu doi ani mai trziu. O preluare a motivului balconului continuu, folosit pentru Cminul Studenilor Mediciniti, dar adaptat perfect vocabularului Art Deco dezvluie coerena arhitecturii lui CULINA, coeren care traverseaz barierele stilistice uzuale.

TheThe other flank of the entrance towards Ion Cmpineanu Street is occupied by the former Stnescu Hotel, with an apparently symmetrical volume with progressive setbacks. It's coherent and refined Art Deco image is discretely spiced with Neoroma-nian motifs, a reminder of the stage in which Muntenia Hotel across the street was built.The building addresses to the intersection a tall concave volume, resonating with the Union Building, built two years later.A reinterpretation of the continuous balcony motif used on the Medical Students' Dormitory, perfectly adapted to the Art Deco vocabulary prove CULINA's architectural coherence, a coher-ence that transcends the usual stylistic borders.

09. Imobilul Union Building1931 Strada Ion Cmpineanu 11

10. Hotel Negoiu (Stnescu) Hotel1928-29 Strada Ion Cmpineanu 13

A doua cldire pe partea stng cum se intr pe bulevardul Hristo Botev din Piaa Rosetti este imobilul de locuine pe care CULINA l proiecteaz i construiete pentru sine nsui n anii '20, n spatele locuinei sale din strada Cristian Radu 3 (Melodiei 7 atunci). Deasupra parterului comercial cu goluri ample i dincolo de registrul parapeilor balcoanelor de la primul etaj faada este dominat de rezaliturile generate de alternarea a a patru bovindouri (care cuprind mai multe niveluri) cu planul aliniamentului. Conceput la inceputul perioadei de tranziie stilistic a arhitectului de la Neoromnesc la Art-Deco, faada acestui imobil combin elemente din ambele stiluri ntr-o compoziie asemntoare cu cea a faadei hotelului Splendid, lucrare a lui CULINA situat vis-a-vis de Ateneu, disprut dup bombardamentul din 4 Aprilie 1944.

The second building on the left, as one enters Hristo Botev Boulevard from Rosetti Square is the apartment building that Arghir CULINA designs and builds for himself in the 20's behind his home at 3 Cristian Radu Street (7 Melodiei Street back then). Above the commercial ground-floor with generous open-ings and beyond the balconies parapet wall register on the first floor the facade is dominated by the protruding elements gen-erated by the alternation of four multi-stories bow-windows with the alignment plane. Conceived at the beginning of the archi-tect's stylistic transition period from Neoromanian to Art Deco, this building's facade combines elements from both styles in a composition similar to the one of Splendid Hotel's facade, a work by CULINA across the Ateneum, demolished after the bombardment on April 4th 1944.

Al treilea imobil din traseul acesta, care este proiectat de CULINA pentru Societtea General de Asigurare Dacia Romnia, este desenat de autor n linii Art Deco cu discrete el-emente de influen Streamline. Proiectat cu o curte de onoare nchis de cldirea n form de 'U', imobilul din strada Calderon a avut o soart mai fericit dect cel din Calea erban Vod, fiind dus la bun sfrit i fiind ferit de arpante improvizate. Co-pertinele de intrare i cele care servesc ca puncte de pornire pentru bovindouri, mpreun cu colurile rotunjite sunt referine Streamline, n timp ce canelurile verticale, profilaturile pro-gresive ale bovindourilor, friza decorativ de la penultimul nivel i silueta de zigurat a gardului asigur un context Art Deco bine conturat.

The third building of this tour designed by Arghir CULINA for Dacia Romnia Insurance Company is drawn within Art Deco outlines with discrete elements with a Streamline influence. De-signed with a court-of-honor enclosed by the U-shaped building itself, the apartment house on Calderon Street enjoyed a better fate than the one on erban Vod Street, by being carried out completely and by managing to avoid improvised sloping roofs. TheThe canopies used to emphasize the entrances and the start-ing points of the bow-windows, combined with the rounded cor-ners comprise the Streamline influences on the building, while the vertical grooves, the progressive profiling of the bow-windows, the decorative frieze on the next-to-last level and the ziggurat silhouette of the fence insure a well drawn Art Deco.

11. Imobil de locuineApartment building

1925-28 Bulevardul Hristo Botev 3

12. Imobil de locuine Asociaia Dacia RomniaApartment building for Dacia Romnia Society1931-33 Strada Jean-Louis Calderon 36

Poate cea mai cunoscut oper a arhitectului Arghir CULINA Hotelul Ambasador este construit pe terenul fostului Garaj Mihescu, pentru C. MIHESCU i pentru autor nsui. Gndit iniial ca imobil de locuine ntr-o linie mai apropiat de estetica Streamline a stilului Art-Deco, cldirea este materializat cu funciunea de hotel i ntr-un limbaj monumental al aceluiai stil, folosind coloane poligonale n plan, stilizate, care se dezvolt pepe nlimea a cinci niveluri. Cu un parter comercial dezvoltat pe toat lungimea deschiderii terenului la Bulevardul Magheru, hotelul de dousprezece etaje se dezvolt n jurul unei curi de onoare care ncepe de la primul etaj, retragerile progresive ale etajelor innd cont i de acest 'buzunar' al faadei. nlimea de corni reglementat a bulevardului este subliniat de umbra generat de copertina liniar a etajului apte, care este strpunsstrpuns de dou elemente verticale simetrice, pline dar zvelte.Ambasador Hotel - probably the best known of Arghir CU-LINA's works - was built on the site of the old Mihescu Garage, for C. MIHESCU and for the architect himself. Al-though initially conceived as an apartment building within the lines of a Streamline Art-Deco, the building is finally material-ized as a hotel within a monumental line of the same style, using polygonal stylized columns that span over 5 stories. With a commercial ground-floor that spans over the entire width of the plot, the twelve story high hotel is developed around a court-of-honor that starts on the first floor, with progressively set-backed floors that also respect this 'pocket' of the facade. The cornice level planned by the City Hall for the boulevard is dou-bled by the shadow cast by the linear canopy of the seventh floor, which is penetrated by two symmetrical, massive but slender vertical elements.

Mrturie important a perioadei de nceput a carierei arhitectului, locuina de factur Eclectic-Neoromneasc din Parcelarea Ioanid mbin motive tradiionale cu elemente decorative eclectice. Intrarea principal poziionat pe o faad lateral este marcat de un volum detaat de nivelul faadei i de acoperi. Ancadramentul intrrii este con-tinuat de cel al ferestrei de la etajul nti i de un ansamblu de trei ferestre cu arce-acolad care sprijin pe coloane Neoromneti. Acelai volum i ansamblul de ancadramente este reluat cu mici variaii (dou ferestre la etaj) pe faadafaada dinspre Bulevardul Dacia. Silueta masiv a imobilului este ndulcit de dantelria ancadramentelor, a frizelor, a cartuelor i a altor elemente decorative atent compuse n desenul faadelor.

An important witness of the starting stage of the architect's career, the Eclectic-Neoroma-nian villa situated within Ioanid Residential Park combines traditional motifs with eclectic decorative elements. The entrance is posi-tioned on a side facade and is emphasized by a volume that is detached from the rest of the facade and from the roof. The entrance door stone frame is continued by the window stone frame from the first floor and the three brace-arch-window ensemble frame with Neoroma-nian columns. The same volume and frame ansamble is repeated with slight variations (two windows on the first floor) on the facade facing Dacia Boulevard. The massive silhou-ette of the building is sweetened by the lacing of the frames, frieze, cassettes and other decorative elements carefully composed within the facade drawing.

13. Hotel Ambasador Hotel1936-37 Bulevardul General Gheorghe Magheru 10

14. Vila Mincu Vilaanii 1910' Bulevardul Dacia 60

Locuina i atelierul pictorului aromn simbolist Kimon LOGHI (1873-1952) mprumut ceva din proporiile i formele generale ale cldirilor Art Nouveau belgiene, construite n front continuu, dar detaliile sunt vdit locale, i, mai mult, ale lui Arghir CULINA. Astfel, ancadramentul l regsim la cminul de pe Splaiul Independenei i consolele la imobilele de pe strzile Hristo Botev i Cmpineanu.EpurareaEpurarea decoraiunilor ne ndeprteaz de Art Nouveau, fiind totui insuficient pentru a integra vila n Art Deco. De aseme-nea elementele de inspiraie Neoromneasc sunt scoase din contextul uzual, fcnd din aceast cas un manifest, cel mai probabil pentru ambele personaliti culturale att CULINA ct i LOGHI.

The home and workshop belonging to the aromanian symbol-ist painter Kimon LOGHI (1873-1952) borrows something from the proportions and general shapes of the continuous front Bel-gian Art Nouveau houses, but the details are obviously local, and, even more Arghir CULINA's. Thusly, we can observe the same stone window frame at the dormitory on Splaiul Independenei and the supports on the buildings on Hristo Botev and Cmpineanu Streets.The cleansing of the decoration sets us apart from Art Nou-veau, being however insufficient to place us into Art Deco. Also, the Neoromanian elements are extracted from their usual con-text, making this house a manifest, most probably for both of the cultural personalities CULINA and LOGHI alike.

Monumentul nchinat memoriei doctorului n medicin Haralambie BOTESCU (1874-1917) este opera sculptorului Dumitru V. MUANU (1888-1929), care a realizat bustul, i a arhitectului Arghir CULINA, care a realizat postamentul. Silu-eta curat a postamentului este decorat cu cartue la baz i o friz discret cu motiv vegetal aproape de vrf, strpuns de o variant stillizat a Pocalului Hygeei, simbol al breslei medi-cilor.

The monument dedicated to doctor of medicine Haralambie BOTESCU (1874-1917) is the work of sculptor Dumitru V. MUANU (1888-1929), who modeled the bust, and of ar-chitect Arghir CULINA, who designed the pedestal. The clean silhouette of the pedestal is decorated with cartouche ele-ments and a discrete herbal motif friez to the top, penetrated by a stylized Bowl of Hygeia, symbol of the medical guild.

16. Monumentul Haralambie BOTESCU Monument1923 Strada Popa Tatu col cu Berzei

15. Vila Kimon LOGHI Villa1923 Strada Viioarei 8

Cldit pentru acelai C. MIHESCU, mpreun cu care, circa un deceniu mai trziu, CULINA va ridica Hotelul Ambasador, garajul Neoromnesc de pe strada Felix i pstreaz funciunea original i astzi. Pentru a acomoda aceast funciune arhitectul folosete o deschidere ampl, dublat la primul etaj de un arc de aceleai dimensiuni, ntrit de pilatri angajai epurai. La al doilea etaj arce i coloane Neoromneti nchidnchid o loggie umbrit, ntregind compoziia aplatizat a traveii mediane de faad. Traveile laterale acuz o direcie vertical, att prin volume diferite de acoperi ct i prin realizarea cte unui singur ancadrament pentru ferestrele etajelor 1 i 2. Stere-otomia bolarilor din componena arcelor este un element pe care arhitectul l deseneaz aproximativ la fel la multe lucrri pe care le semneaz n anii '20 i la nceputul anilor '30.

Built for the same C. MIHESCU with whom, around a decade later, CULINA would erect Ambasdor Hotel, the Neoromanian garage on Felix Street still serves its' initial purpose. To accom-modate this function the architect uses an ample opening that is doubled on the first floor by an arch of the same dimensions, held by two cleansed attached pilasters. On the second floor Neoromanian arches and columns enclose a shaded loggia, completingcompleting the flattened composition of the mid bay of the facade. The lateral bays emphasize a vertical direction both through separate roof volumes and a unique frame for the win-dows on the first and second floor. The stereotomy of the vous-soirs composing the arches is an element that the architect draws approximately the same for a number of works that he signs in hte 20's and early 30's.

Vila de factur neoromneasc, oper comun a arhitecilor Eracle LZRESCU i Arghir CULINA, are o compoziie de faad asimetric, dei corpul cel mai avansat al imobilului are o axialitate vertical. In urma modificrilor recente suferite de volumetria acoperiului, vila este schimbat radical, cu terasa de la etaj nchis i copertina Neoromneasc disprut. Din acest motiv, fotografia prezentat este extras din revista Arhi-tectura din 1925.tectura din 1925.Probabil una din primele lucrri ale lui CULINA, o gsim important, deoarece, alturi de Cldirea Tribunalului din Piteti i a unor imobile din ansamblul Pasagiului Imobiliara, este o dovad a colaborrii sale timpurii cu Eracle LZRESCU.

Neoromanian villa, a work common to architects Eracle LZRESCU and Arghir CULINA, it has an asymmetrical facade composition, even though the most advanced part of the building has a vertical axiality. Following recent modifica-tions suffered by the roof volume, the house is radically altered, with the first floor terrace enclosed and the Neoromanian Canopy removed. This is why we chose to present a photo-graph extracted from Arhitectura magazine of 1925.Probably one of the first of CULINA's works, we consider it im-portant because, together with the Courthouse in Piteti and with some edifices within the Imobiliara Passage, it is a proof of his early collaboration with Eracle LZRESCU.

17. Garaj Auto (fost Mihescu)(Mihescu) Garageanii 1920' Strada Dr. Iacob Felix 36

18. Vil - Villaanii 1910' Aleea Alexandru 6

Probabil ca urmare a unei bune colaborri dintre CULINA i inginerul Emil PRAGER (1888-1985) n timpul construirii imobilului din Bulevardul Regina Elisabeta 44, acesta din urm i comand arhitectului un proiect pentru locuina pro-prie aflat n Piaa Quito. Ancorat n prezent, beneficiarul accept sau, poate chiar solicit, o locuin Art Deco. Volumul masiv este brzdat de un bru profilat decorativ care pornete de sub copertina de intrare, ocolete o fereastr de col i este continuat de una din pergolele de beton armat. Coluri rotunjite i canelate, registre riflate, copetine, pergole aerisite din beton armat i un motiv de zigurat completeaz aerul Art- Deco al elegantei locuine.La fel ca i Arghir CULINA, Emil PRAGER a avut mult de pierdut prin naionalizrile din anii '50, fiind obligat, printre altele, i s-i mpart aceast locuin cu alte familii.Probably as a result of a good collaboration between CULINA and engineer Emil PRAGER (1888-1985) during the building process of the edifice at 44 Regina Elisabeta Boulevard, the latter commissions the archi-tect the design for his own home in Quito Round.Rooted in the present, the client accepts or, maybe even requests an Art Deco house. The massive volume is crossed by a decorative profile that starts beneath the entrance canopy, goes around a corner window and is continued by one of the reinforced concrete pergolas. Rounded grooved corners, grooved registers,registers, canopies, airy reinforced concrete pergolas and a ziggurat motif complete the Art Deco atmosphere of this elegant villa.Just like Arghir CULINA, Emil PRAGER had a lot to lose as a result of the nationalizations in the 50's,being forced, among others, to share this home with other families.

Dei atipic pentru creaia lui Arghir CULINA, imobilul de la aceast adres pstreaz o elegan Art Deco prin discrete el-emente decorative i ampla friz cu motive vegetale. Bovin-dourile de pe faadele laterale cu console profilate, zigurat asigur coerena stilistic a vilei i nvioreaz elevaiile sobre. n zilele nsorite friza este subliniat de umbra lsat de cornia perimetral generoas care nchide compoziia faadelor. Aflat n vecintatea unor lucrri remarcabile semnate de Duiliu MARCU, Petre ANTONESCU, Gheorghe SIMOTTA i ali arhiteci de renume, vila contribuie silenios atmosferei nobile a zonei.

AlthoughAlthough atypical for Arghir CULINA's work, the building found at this address maintains an Art Deco elegance through dis-crete decorative elements and the ample herbal motif frieze. The lateral facade bow-windows with profiled, ziggurat-like sup-ports insure the stylistic coherence and vitalize the austere fa-cades. During sunny days the frieze is emphasized by the shadow cast by the generous perimetral cornice that closes the facade compositions.Neighboring the remarkable works signed by Duiliu MARCU, Petre ANTONESCU, Gheorghe SIMOTTA and other re-nowned architects, this villa silently contributes to the noble at-mosphere of the area.

19. Vila Emil PRAGER Villa1930-32 Strada Paris 47

20. Vil - Villaanii 1930' Aleea Alexandru 39b

Bibliografie/Bibliography:

- Celac, Mariana; Carabela, Octavian; Marcu-Lapadat, Marius, 2005, Bucureti, arhitectur i modernitate, un ghid adnotat, Editura Simetria, Bucureti, Romnia- Constantin, Paul, 1986, Dicionar universal al arhitecilor, Editura tiinific i Enciclopedic, Bucureti, Romnia-- Criticos, Mihaela, 2009, Art Deco sau modernismul bine temperat, Editura Simetria, Bucureti, Romnia- Dragu Dimitriu, Victoria, 2010, Poveti cu statui i fntni din Bucureti, Editura Vremea, Bucureti, Romnia- Duculescu, Mirela (editor), 2011, Fondul documentar de arhitecturdin Romnia Raport pre-liminar de politic cultural, Editura Simetria, Bucureti, Romnia- Gheorghiu, Petru, 2010, Un specific de locuire bucuretean, Editura Universitar Ion Mincu, Bucureti, Romnia- Hciu, Anastase, 1936, Aromnii - Comer, industrie, arte, expansiune, civilizaie, Tipografia Cartea Putnei, Focani, Romnia- Machedon, Luminia; Scoffham, Ernie, 1999, Romanian modernism: the architecture of Bucharest 1920-1940, MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA-- Marcu-Lapadat, Marius, 2003, Feele ornamentului, Arhitectura bucuretean n secolul 20, Editura Univers Enciclopedic, Bucureti, Romnia- Noica, Nicolae t., 2010, Emil Prager - un model, Editura Vremea, Bucureti, Romania

- Revista Arhitectura, 1924

Fotografii/Photos:- 1-16, 20 - arh. Ctlin STMREAN- 17 - arh. Rzvan LCRARU- 18 - Revista- 18 - Revista Arhitectura, 1925- 19 - fotgrafie de epoc - Noica, Nicolae t., 2010, Emil Prager - un model, Editura Vremea

Anteproiect Hotel Ambasador - Revista Arhitectura

ArghirCULINA.blogspot.roOrdinul Arhitecilor din Romnia

AUTORI/AUTHORS:prep. arh. Rzvan LCRARUasist. arh. Mihaela LCRARU

DESEN COPERT/COVER DRAWING:prep. arh. Rzvan LCRARU

MULUMIM/THANKS:- - prof. univ. dr. arh. Mircea OCHINCIUC, preedinte al Filialei Teritoriale Bucureti a OAR- ec. Gabriela TEODORESCU, director economic al Filialei Teritoriale Bucureti a OAR- ec. Isabelle TEODORESCU, responsabil financiar al Filialei Teritoriale Bucureti a OAR- arh. Ctlin STMREAN- arh. tefan BIANCO- asist. arh. Mihaela BLAN

Pentru mai multe informaii i imagini, v rugm accesai:For more information and images, please accessFor more information and images, please access:A rg h irC U L IN A .b lo g s p o t.c o m

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