A house located at 92, Aviatorilor Boulevard, in Bucharest, built by Architect Henriette Delavrancea in the modernist style of Balcic – the only building of this kind in Bucharest – was demolished Saturday morning under an illegally issued authorization, Culture Minister Theodor Palelologu claims. “This is a classic method – they demolish Saturday morning, when nobody’s watching,” Paleologu said. According to Petre Guran, the minister’s counselor since October 1st, the District 1 Municipality may no longer grant demolition authorizations in protected areas and around historic monuments. In this case, the demolished building was at the intersection of two such monuments: the Herastrau Park and the UCB estate. According to both officials, the Ministry of Culture, Cults and National Patrimony (MCCPN) will demand the reconstruction of the house. “It is the only house of this kind. This is Balcic-style modernistic architecture, unique in Bucharest,” Guran added. The Ministry had earlier filed with the Bucharest Prefecture and the District 1 Municipality a request to cancel the demolition license.
