Of all the cities that I have had the privilege of visiting, the stately city of Bucharest, Romania stands out as one of the most distinct. The sheer amalgamation of cultures and eras comes together wonderfully and uniquely and is easily identifiable by simply looking at the objects that render a city a city "the buildings. The way they were erected, the style that is embedded in them, and even the political statements that they seam to shout, it all makes the architecture of Bucharest extraordinary. Throughout this brief paper, the three most prominent styles of architecture that can be seen in Romania's capital will be showcased. The old fashioned and classic style of the baroque era that transformed Bucharest into the Paris of the East; The totalitarian and dominant style of the communist regimes and the style that immediately followed: modern Romanian architecture. All three styles are each as impressive as they are unique, and you will be given a brief taste of them all in the following essay.
For centuries, countries in Europe suffered from massed creative oppression due to sanctions imposed by theocratic governments, but artistic freedom made a resurgence in the 1400's. The baroque and romantic years swept through the East and soon artisans of all sorts were embarking on journeys of creative freedom that permeated all aspects of life. Architecture was no exception. Around Bucharest, gargoyles loomed, guarding elaborately arched windows. The city skyline began to teem with decorated roofs, high and sweeping, shingled with coppers and stained woods. A prime example of a baroque era building is Bucharest's illustrious Casino Victoria. A prominent building in the downtown sector, the casino is a large square building that has high stone walls and furniture that rise up two and half stories before being enveloped by a large mansard style roof, shingled in elegantly with copper, long since corroded into a classic shade of teal.
Before Nicolae Ceausescu came to power, Romania needed someone to make drastic changes in the government so that they could come out of repression . The country was in repression because the floods came early that year destroying crops and making cities into lakes. There was also an economic problem...