Parcelarea Călărași de la Bariera Vergului

Abstract

After two years of archival and field research, study, and complex synthesis, the book The Călărași Subdivision near the Vergului Barrier. Streets Bearing the Names of Architects and Engineers was recently published by ACS Publishing House.

The authors, Ruxandra Nemțeanu and Irina Nemțeanu—architects involved in the conservation and restoration of built heritage—present a detailed study of the subdivision in an extensive 376-page volume. From the configuration of the subdivision at the beginning of the last century, to details concerning the organization of the responsible administrations and the granting of property to future residents; from the prominent personalities who contributed to the construction of the subdivision, to the way the ensemble was perceived and the details of its implementation; as well as information gathered from the residents themselves—how those who worked hard and took loans to build their homes were eventually driven out of their own spaces to make room for tenants imposed by the state during the communist regime—all this and much more can be discovered in the pages of this book.

“In the 1920s, on the eastern edge of Bucharest, near the Vergului Barrier, the Călărași Subdivision came into being—an expression of Bucharest City Hall’s vision for the urbanization of the new peripheries and a response to the need for housing. The book traces the evolution of this subdivision—from its conception and development, to the urban forms and architecture of its houses and buildings, and finally to contemporary perceptions of the neighborhood. The seventeen urban blocks were individualized through certain plots, selected according to the identification and tracing of building permits in the archives, in order to provide a detailed image defining the ensemble. This journey evokes the atmosphere of the period in which the subdivision was built, as well as an intrinsic connection between people and buildings, followed with meticulous attention. To build today means to continue the story of a place without breaking its thread. This requires affection for the place and a sense of responsibility. From this duality emerges genuine care for built heritage—the purpose of this volume.”

Ruxandra Nemțeanu, Irina Nemțeanu