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Rethinking the Axis

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Rethinking the Axis UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI Date:___________________ I, _________________________________________________________, hereby submit this work as part of the requirements for the degree of: in: It is entitled: This work and its defense approved by: Chair: _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ RETHINKING THE AXIS: APPROACHES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF COMMUNIST INITIATED/UNCOMPLETED ARCHITECTURE IN BUCHAREST AFTER 1989. A Thesis submitted to the Division of Research and Advanced Studies at the University of Cincinnati In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE IN ARCHITECTURE In the School of Architecture and Interior Design at the College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning 2006 by Mihai Ivan Master of Architecture, Institute of Architecture and Urban Planning, Bucharest, 2003. Committee Chair: Nnamdi Elleh Committee Members: John E. Hancock Menelaos Triantafillou i ABSTRACT Romanian contemporary history was marked by a turning point in 1989. Following more than 42 years of successive totalitarian regimes, the nation shifted to an incipient and fragile democracy. While new social and political orders have been established, other areas like the built environment still retain rather ambiguous features. The best example is the barely touched gaping wound produced by the vast communist urban and architectural interventions in the capital city of Bucharest. Envisioning the long overdue elaboration of an official master plan for the central area of the city, this thesis seeks to explore the possibilities for the evolution of the development, focusing on the main element: the uncompleted communist- initiated two-mile long esplanade which cuts through the center of Bucharest. The local history, the local attempts to bring change and similar case studies are to be analyzed in order to define the actual grounds on which change can occur. KEYWORDS Demolition, reconstruction, communist architecture, Bucharest, Romania. ii iii DEDICATION To my parents and Andra. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am greatly indebted to my advisor Nnamdi Elleh who has supervised this thesis from the very beginning with amazing and inspiring insights and comments. I would like to express my special thanks to John E. Hancock and Menelaos Triantafillou, who were always motivated readers and critics. I am indebted to the care and stylistic grace that my committee at the University of Cincinnati has brought to this writing over the past two years. My special thanks goes to Professor Augustin Ioan at the Institute of Architecture and Urban Planning of Bucharest, who has been a great example to follow in exploring my thesis topic. For many gestures of kindness and words of encouragement offered during the passage of this text completion, I would like to express a strong sense of gratitude to my always supportive professors: Jim Bradford, David Saile and Elizabeth Riorden, as well as to my colleagues and peers: Silvia Gugu, Siddharth Puri, Ferenc Traser, Laura Vas, Ruchi Mehta, and Banu Bedel. This thesis could not have been finished without the encouragement and fortitude of my girlfriend Andra and my parents, who endured this long process with me, always offering support hand and love. v TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................... ii KEYWORDS .......................................................................................................................... ii DEDICATION ....................................................................................................................... iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS......................................................................................................... v TABLE OF CONTENTS............................................................................................................ 1 ILLUSTRATIONS.................................................................................................................... 3 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................... 7 CHAPTER ONE – BUCHAREST, A HISTORIC PERSPECTIVE............................................. 14 CHAPTER OBJECTIVES ................................................................................................... 14 HISTORY LESSONS ......................................................................................................... 17 THE PRE-COMMUNIST PERIOD ....................................................................................... 22 THE BIRTH OF NATIONAL STYLES.......................................................................... 22 THE MODERN MOVEMENT ...................................................................................... 25 THE COMMUNIST REGIMES. 1947-1989.......................................................................... 30 THE COMMUNIST RECONSTRUCTION. BUCHAREST 1980 – 1989..................................... 37 PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION ......................................................................................... 37 NATIONAL RECONSTRUCTION ................................................................................ 45 REASONING – STATED INTENTIONS VERSUS REAL INTENTIONS.............................. 46 ECONOMY .............................................................................................................. 48 STYLE .................................................................................................................... 49 SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS ........................................................................................... 50 THE POST-1989 CONDITION OF THE UNCOMPLETED PROJECT....................................... 52 THE UNCOMPLETED PROJECT IN THE POST- COMMUNIST SOCIO-POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT…………………………………………………………………........... 55 THE ROMANIAN CIVIL SOCIETY............................................................................. 58 THE POLITICAL ORGANIZATIONS AND THE EMERGING FINANCIAL GROUPS............. 62 CHAPTER TWO – LOCAL APPROACHES........................................................................... 65 CHAPTER OBJECTIVES ................................................................................................... 65 THE “BUCHAREST 2000” COMPETITION ......................................................................... 67 THE THEME – MOTIVATIONS AND GOALS .............................................................. 69 THE IDEALISTIC CHARACTER OF THE COMPETITION................................................ 71 THE WINNING PROJECT........................................................................................... 74 CONCLUSION.......................................................................................................... 77 THE COMPETITIONS FOR THE PATRIARCHAL ORTHODOX CATHEDRAL, 1999-2002........ 79 THEME ................................................................................................................... 80 REASONING............................................................................................................ 82 THE SITES .............................................................................................................. 82 1 CONCLUSION.......................................................................................................... 86 THE “ESPLANADA” DEVELOPMENT ............................................................................... 87 WRITINGS, ARTICLES, CONFERENCES ............................................................................. 90 NEIL LEACH – “ARCHITECTURE AND REVOLUTION” .............................................. 92 DANA HARHOIU..................................................................................................... 94 AUGUSTIN IOAN..................................................................................................... 95 PERIODICALS AND NEWSPAPERS............................................................................ 98 ALTERNATIVE PROJECTS...................................................................................... 100 “HABITAT AND ART IN ROMANIA” FOUNDATION – HAR .................................... 100 THE GROUPS OF URBAN ACTION ........................................................................ 101 WORKSHOPPING BUCHAREST .............................................................................. 102 CHAPTER CONCLUSION................................................................................................ 103 CHAPTER THREE – ALTERNATIVE VISIONS .................................................................. 106 CHAPTER OBJECTIVES .................................................................................................. 106 BERLIN......................................................................................................................... 108 DANIEL LIBESKIND ...................................................................................................... 114 LEBBEUS WOODS......................................................................................................... 117 REM KOOLHAAS – THE GENERIC CITY ........................................................................ 121 CHAPTER CONCLUSION................................................................................................ 126 CONCLUSION
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