# Greatest civic center in the world: Bucharest Parliament + Unification Avenue



## PRIMEVAL (Oct 4, 2011)

Greatest civic center in the world: Bucharest's Palace of Parliament + Unification Avenue​










Centrul Civic (literally "the Civic Center") is a district in central Bucharest, Romania, which was completely *rebuilt in the 1980s* as part of the scheme of systematization under the dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu.


Bucharest had taken significant damage due to Allied bombing during World War II and the earthquake of March 4, 1977. However, neither of these events changed the face of the city as much as the redevelopment schemes of the 1980s, under which *eight square kilometers in the historic center* of Bucharest were leveled, including monasteries, churches, synagogues, a hospital, and a noted Art Deco sports stadium. This also involved evicting 40,000 people with only a single day's notice and relocating them to new homes, in order to make way for the grandiose Centrul Civic and the House of the Republic, now officially renamed as the Palace of Parliament.



Centrul Civic is a complex of modern concrete buildings with marble façades, centered on a boulevard originally known as the Boulevard of the Victory of Socialism, renamed after the Romanian Revolution of 1989 as Union ("Unirii") Boulevard. The Boulevard, modeled after Paris's Champs-Élysées, runs roughly east-west, constituting a grand approach to the Palace of the People at its western terminus. A grand balcony in the Palace surveys the entire length of the boulevard.




Centrul Civic includes numerous government offices and apartments, the latter being roughly equal in number to the housing units destroyed for its construction. The apartments were originally intended to house Romania's communist elite, but the completed complex is certainly not a preferred residence for the city's new capitalist elite, with the possible exception of buildings that look out on the now-bustling Unirea Square, where Centrul Civic bisects the Dâmboviţa River, which is channelled underground past the Square.



Centrul Civic stands out through its *high degree of architectural uniformity*, but also through its lack of commercial spaces. Most of the small shops and restaurants that form the heart of Bucharest are to be found in the areas immediately to the north of Centrul Civic.



The National Library of Romania (built in the 1980's but finished only in 2011 with a new design) stands where historic buildings (including much of the city's historic Jewish quarter) once stood. 



Centrul Civic is surrounded on nearly all sides by historical buildings and neighborhoods. Lipscani, in particular, is one famous nearby street. Many churches, such as the Sf. Nicolai-Mihai Vodă Church, were moved rather than demolished, and the nearby Antim Monastery remains largely intact, although minus its eastern wing. Immediately adjacent.


----------



## PRIMEVAL (Oct 4, 2011)

For beggining, I'll put some pictures I have previously posted on another thread (Romania's thread in General Photography).






The Palace of the Parliament​





According to the World Records Academy, the Palace is the world's largest civilian building, most expensive administrative building, and heaviest building.




The Palace measures 270 m by 240 m, 86 m high, and 92 m underground. It has 1,100 rooms, 2 underground parking garages and is 12 stories tall, with four underground levels currently available for the general public and in use, and another four in different stages of completion. The floorspace is 340,000 m².



Estimates of the materials used include one million cubic meters of marble; 3,500 tonnes of crystal — 480 chandeliers, 1,409 ceiling lights and mirrors were manufactured; 700,000 tonnes of steel and bronze for monumental doors and windows, chandeliers and capitals; 900,000 m³ of wood.



Built on the site of a hill variously known as Spirii Hill, Uranus Hill, or Arsenal Hill, which was largely razed for this megaproject, the building anchors the west end of Bulevardul Unirii and Centrul Civic. Constructing the Palace and Centrul Civic required demolishing much of Bucharest's historic district, including 19 Orthodox Christian churches, six Jewish synagogues, three Protestant churches (plus eight relocated churches), and 30,000 residences. (source: Wikipedia)





flux.imphoto.ro









































​


----------



## PRIMEVAL (Oct 4, 2011)

city_of_joy said:


> _image hosted on __*flickr*_
> 
> 
> 
> ...








city_of_joy said:


> Bucharest view by catb -, on Flickr​








PRIMEVAL said:


> Palatul Parlamentului, Bucarest, Roumanie by D.Cork, on Flickr​










PRIMEVAL said:


> Palatul Parlamentului, Bucarest, Roumanie by D.Cork, on Flickr​


..


----------



## PRIMEVAL (Oct 4, 2011)

*Hotel Marriott*, built together with the Palace of Parliament, Unification Avenue as well as with the new buildings of the Romanian Academy and National Library. 


The statue in front of the hotel, made in 1901, is a monument dedicated to the 1848 fight of Bucharest's firemen against the Ottoman occupation that occured on this place (called Dealu Spirii / Spirii Hill).

STEPA​













*Unification Square* with some details of the monumental fountains.


Along the Unification Boulevard there are 40 fountains with complex sculpted decorations. 


Of these 40 fountains, in Unification Square there are 13, the ones in these images, much bigger and with even more complex sculpted decorations and mosaic floors (dolphins and plants motifs).

mmircea2011 1 2 3​



































A part of the new building of *Romanian Academy* (on the left) and Bragadiru Palace (1895) on the right

rezistenta.net​















*The Palace seen from Carol I Park*


Quiet by Lazar B, on Flickr​









*The Parliament* from distance, across the Botanical Garden or Venus Park

rezistenta.net​


----------



## PRIMEVAL (Oct 4, 2011)

Bucharest - the Palace of the Parliament by Brombags1, on Flickr




Bucharesti - Palace of the Paarliament - entry to the debating chamber by Brombags1, on Flickr




Bucharesti - Palace of the Paarliament hall 4 by Brombags1, on Flickr



Bucharesti - Palace of the Paarliament main conference hall by Brombags1, on Flickr



Bucharesti - Palace of the Paarliament - scale repro of the debating chamber by Brombags1, on Flickr




Bucharesti - Palace of the Paarliament ceiling by Brombags1, on Flickr



Bucharesti - Palace in the distant by Brombags1, on Flickr


Bucharesti - Palace of the Paarliament view from the 8th floor by Brombags1, on Flickr​


----------



## Ian (Nov 26, 2006)

^^ that parking space uke:

The rest awesome !!!!


----------



## PRIMEVAL (Oct 4, 2011)

bucuresti by basesteanu, on Flickr




bucuresti by basesteanu, on Flickr



bucuresti by basesteanu, on Flickr



bucuresti by basesteanu, on Flickr




bucuresti by basesteanu, on Flickr



bucuresti by basesteanu, on Flickr





bucuresti by basesteanu, on Flickr



bucuresti by basesteanu, on Flickr



bucuresti by basesteanu, on Flickr



bucuresti by basesteanu, on Flickr



bucuresti by basesteanu, on Flickr



bucuresti by basesteanu, on Flickr



bucuresti by basesteanu, on Flickr



bucuresti by basesteanu, on Flickr



bucuresti by basesteanu, on Flickr​


----------



## PRIMEVAL (Oct 4, 2011)

European People's Party Congress 16-17th October 2012




EPP_Congress_1829 by European People's Party - EPP, on Flickr




EPP_Congress_1830 by European People's Party - EPP, on Flickr




EPP_Congress_2120 by European People's Party - EPP, on Flickr



EPP_Congress_1837 by European People's Party - EPP, on Flickr



EPP_Congress_1849 by European People's Party - EPP, on Flickr



EPP_Congress_1850 by European People's Party - EPP, on Flickr




EPP_Congress_1831 by European People's Party - EPP, on Flickr




EPP Congress 2012. Day 1 by European People's Party - EPP, on Flickr



EPP_Congress_2157 by European People's Party - EPP, on Flickr​


----------



## PRIMEVAL (Oct 4, 2011)

By me 



Unification Avenue, Bucharest by CARPATHIANLAND, on Flickr​


----------



## hellospank25 (Feb 5, 2008)

I have been there in 2010 and that whole boulevard area looks beautiful, I did notice however that on the ground floor of those apartments along the boulevard it's all empty and there are no shops, why is that?

With so much space in a central area one would think people would rush to open shops there....


----------



## PRIMEVAL (Oct 4, 2011)

hellospank25 said:


> I did notice however that on the ground floor of those apartments along the boulevard it's all empty and there are no shops, why is that?
> 
> With so much space in a central area one would think people would rush to open shops there....



The reason I think is that in the sector between Unification Square and the Parliament Palace are those two lines of trees to close one to another, which completely obturate the visibility of shops and also make the sidewalk not very attractive for walking because is almost completely shadowed. 



*Unification Avenue between Unification Square and Parliament Palace*















The sector between Unification and Alba Iulia Squares, where the trees are placed at bigger distance of from another, is now the area with most bank branches in city (also headquarters of several companies).



*Unification Avenue between Unification and Alba Iulia Squares*














Decebal Boulevard which continuates Unirii Avenue to the northeast and has blocks built in the same period but has less trees, is now one of most animated areas in city, with many street cafes (second only after "Centrul Istoric" in Lipscani area) where the newly enriched people come with their expensive cars.












*Decebal Boulevard *

stefanalex60
​


----------



## PRIMEVAL (Oct 4, 2011)

world-traveller.org​


----------



## DeNeza401 (May 17, 2008)

Very impressive. Petty that the historic core was razed though.


----------



## PRIMEVAL (Oct 4, 2011)

DeNeza401 said:


> Very impressive. Petty that the historic core was razed though.



Thank you!

The valuable part of historical city survived, only some villas neighborhoods have been razed.



Romania by Marco Di Leo, on Flickr




Romania by Marco Di Leo, on Flickr



Romania by Marco Di Leo, on Flickr​


----------



## PRIMEVAL (Oct 4, 2011)

SUNT Ghid de Calatorie Bucuresti cu Nikon 1 J2 by Nikonisti, on Flickr








SUNT Ghid de Calatorie Bucuresti cu Nikon 1 J2 by Nikonisti, on Flickr







SUNT Ghid de Calatorie Bucuresti cu Nikon 1 J2 by Nikonisti, on Flickr​


----------



## geoff189d (Jun 4, 2005)

The wide avenue leading from the Parliament is most impressive.


----------



## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Great, very nice new photos PRIMEVAL


----------



## PRIMEVAL (Oct 4, 2011)

Thank you Chris and Geoffrey!




Дворец Парламента by alexey_boldin, on Flickr​


----------



## PRIMEVAL (Oct 4, 2011)

Вид из окна by alexey_boldin, on Flickr






Untitled by denvilles_duo, on Flickr​


----------



## Phayer (Oct 18, 2012)

Nice


----------

