Luxury houses for sale Balotești, Romania (page 3)

Famous for having hosted the United States Embassy for over 70 years, the Palace located on Tudor Arghezi street regained its lost history for over a century. Known as Maurice Blank Palace, the residence of one of the most important bankers of modern Romania, was built in 1891, under the guidance of its first owner, by the hand and project of the famous Swiss architect Louis Pierre Blanc (1860-1903). He created some important Romanian public buildings, such as, the Palace of the Ministry of Agriculture, the Palace of the Faculty of Medicine, the University of Iaşi Headquarters and the Victor Babes Institute. Louis Blanc left behind an important series of private residences as well, having a great influence over the image of Bucharest from 1900 to this day. Working only 20 years in Romania, and especially in Bucharest, Louis Blanc arrived in the capital city in 1884, brought by his friendship with Ion Mincu, but also by a favourable environment for the development of an exceptional career. His style reminds us of the French Neoclassicism, especially in monumental buildings, and when it comes to private residences we notice an architect with a passion for the French taste, from Neo-Renaissance to beaux-arts. Louis Blanc succeeded within 5 to 10 years to become one of the most important architects and decorators of Bucharest at the end of the nineteenth century. The relations created through the two marriages, with Elena Şuţu and later Irina Berindei offered him contracts and contacts with the high Romanian society. Thus, in the spring of 1891, Louis Blanc, together with his associate Luigi Scolari, began the work at the Palace of Maurice Blank, co-founder of the well-known Marmorosch Blank & Co bank (1864) along Iacob Marmorosch being one of the most important bankers of the late nineteenth century (i.e. the bank lent the Romanian state in the campaign for the War of Independence). Even though today Maurice Blank is remembered mainly for having built the famous headquarters of the bank on Doamnei Street and the Băneasa Forest mausoleum, the palace on Tudor Arghezi Street is undoubtedly an architectural jewel that will remain permanently in the Romanian history and culture. Having a L-shaped design, 2.500 built square meters in the 50 rooms, and a generous garden decorated with pine trees and a fountain, the Maurice Blank palace became an architectural landmark for the residences located in the proximity of the University square. In 1934 the palace was purchased by the lawyer and politician Eduard Mirto, who was the last rightful owner until the installation of the Communist regime. Eduard Mirto will initiate the links between the Blank Palace and the United States Embassy, renting the building in 1939 after some authorized renovation, consolidation and modernization works. He installed a system of centralized heating and plumbing extending the construction in the area of its secondary façade right on the verge of the outbreak of the Second World War. The US Embassy will remain there until 2011 when the building re-entered the private circuit as one of Bucharest’s architectural masterpieces. Sources: Oana Marinache and Cristian Gache, „Louis Pierre Blanc. o plansetă elvetiană în serviciul României”, Istoria Artei publishing house, 2014 Photo: Reptilianul

Luxurious residence with superb architectural elements, located in the Armenească historical area, at the confluence of Logofat Luca Stroici and Speranței streets, where Mihai Eminescu's first home was located after his arrival in Bucharest. In the Bucharest of the seventeenth century, the Armenească suburb was formed from craft workshops, stalls and alehouses, all beautifully built around the Armenească Church, bringing into the capital the goods, the eatables and the culture of the ethnicity that gave the name of the area. Our house belonged to Ecaterina Procopie Dumitrescu, doctor’s daughter and wife of the mayor Procopie Ioan Dumitrescu, former lawyer, liberal Romanian politician and mayor of Bucharest in the period of April 1901 - November 1902 and February 1910 - January 1911. Between 1877 - 1878, while Romania was involved in the War of Independence, the capital did not have a mayor, his place being taken by his deputy, in the person of the same Procopie I. Dumitrescu. He studied law in Paris and since 1870 he entered the magistracy, where he stayed only six years, devoting himself to the political career afterwards. At the beginning of his career he was the prefect of the Capital Police, in 1876 - 1877. For his activity he was decorated Commander of the National Order Steaua României. The house has 21 rooms, an interior summer terrace and has a courtyard of approximately 500 sqm. Besides the specific fragrance of the area, the exterior appearance of the mansion is blended with the refinement of the interior architectural elements, impeccably restrained. Starting from the walls carved with massive wood and silk wallpaper, from the monumental doors and windows, to the stained glass windows, everything takes us in the brilliant times of Bucharest during the Belle Époque. The garden around the house, flooded in greenery, with an artesian fountain and gazebo, invites at relaxation, close but at the same time away from the agitation of the metropolis. Photo: Cristina Budușan

The Interwar Cotroceni, a synonym for luxury in terms of residential, kept its seductive power untainted. And the Neo-Romanian villa is still an example of good taste. Built in 1929 and located close to the BNR Arenas, the spectacular home has all the attributes of a luxury property. Generous surfaces, furniture chosen by the owner and his team of designers, a fitness room, a massage room, and a food elevator - are just a few of the elitist traits inside the building. The exterior is just as spectacular. The villa, built in Neo-Romanian style with Byzantine accents, is surrounded by secular sycamores, which are declared natural monuments. The terrace is arranged in accordance with the architectural features of the building, and the garage of the residence can accommodate two cars. The villa is up for sale along the entire furniture, all the facilities and decorations, from LED TVs and fitness machines to decorative and art objects from the nineteenth or twentieth century. The property was completely renovated in 2017. Photo: Reptilianul

Historical monument of class B, the building in Calea Plevnei encompasses a special architectural and historical value, thus being a reference of the past cultural life of Bucharest. The house was built in 1906 under the command of Ioan Clinciu, a renowned history professor. Born in 1864 in Poarta-Bran, Făgăraș county, in a poor family, he dedicated his childhood and youth to studying, facing many difficulties, detailed in his autobiography written in 1936. In 1883, he crossed the border slipping through the mountains, from Bran to Sinaia, in order to enroll in the Higher Normal School in Bucharest, where Alexandru Odobescu was director at that time. Professor Clinciu began his teaching career in 1889, when Gheorghe Lazăr was just a gymnasium that operated in the courtyard of St. Gheorghe Old church. In 1892, he founded, along with Gh. Popa-Lisseanu, his brother-in-law, Clinciu-Popa Boys Institute. This represented for 24 years one of the capital's elite educational establishments, under the French-Romanian High school. In politics, Clinciu was president of the Association of Secondary Teachers, then he became deputy and senator, first in the Conservative-Democratic party, then in the Romanian National party. In his autobiography, Professor Clinciu proudly recalls: I built a house in Bucharest, a villa in Bran and a wine cellar admired by many in Vadu Săpat. The house in Bucharest displays the refinement of the Art Nouveau style specific to the beginning of the 20th century, a mirror of La Belle Époque. The building with ground floor, first floor and attic has a slender figure, completed by a bow-window on the corner. The doors and windows bear Art Nouveau features, with curved, fluid profiles, crowned by stucco ornaments, details that offer an unquestioning elegance of the exterior. Inside, there are still preserved original elements, testimonies of the past bourgeois life of Bucharest: imposing carved wooden staircase, made by one of the most important workshops of the time, at Interlaken (Switzerland), terracotta stoves with carefully decorated tiles, ornamental stuccoes on the ceilings. The main entrance is grand, marked by a porch with a painted ceiling, delimited by the main hall through doors with rounded profiles of carved wood, with windows sandblasted in the Art Nouveau manner. Calea Plevnei from the former Livedea Gospod / St. Constantine slum hosted numerous homes for teachers and intellectuals, often built with their personal means, including the house where the poet George Coșbuc lived for the last years of his life (at no. 40). At the present no. 72 is the home of Gh. Popa-Lisseanu (1866-1945), brother-in-law of the reputed professor Clinciu, historian, philologist and archeologist. After more than 110 years since its construction, this architectural jewel can be brought back to life through a substantially restoration. An important advantage is the large area of the land and its layout, which generates real potential for further real estate development.

What is peace of mind if not the synergy between forest, lake and 8000 square meters of land? Quitude here means sun and air filtered by the crown of secular oaks, noises that once caught between the branches of willows become gentle sounds, a horizon line where the lake water waves imperceptibly and abundant vegetation that overwhelms the senses. The property is designed for a large family with children, guests, ponies, boats and cars. Regardless of age, status or mode of transport, each category is pampered in constructions made of wood that befriends the surrounding lush nature. A double laced wrought iron staircase offers a majestic entrance to the villa; inside, a generous living room and a carefully designed kitchen are ready to serve the occupants of the ten bedrooms full of light and optimism, just as well as the indoor pool, tennis court, wine cellar, sauna, salt mine and gym. The spaces are large and have harmonious proportions making the living light, comfortable - relaxed and distinguished. Outside, the green spaces are carefully manicured and intertwined without aggressive contrasts - secular trees with ornamental shrubs, hedges with weeping willows, ivy with geraniums. The playground is in the forest, in a clearing outlined around a tree in which a small towered wooden castle is perched (it can be reached by valiantly riding the ladder that embraces the tree trunk). Intimacy acquires on this property an extended meaning; guests have two self-catering cottages, and the staff can benefit from private accommodation. The pony too has its special place and is willing to offer joy to future owners if they want it. As a more agile means of transport, the boats share a garage, with the pontoon at hand for utilitarian trips or adrenaline-fuelled water sports (for those who prefer land underfoot there are jogging and cycling). Reverie lovers will quickly discover the sunbeds and the pier or any of the secular oaks - a rare treat indeed, a stone's throw from Bucharest and its hectic life.

Dacia Boulevard was the last boulevard designed before the First World War, during the mayor Vintilă Brătianu. The new boulevard, as it was originally called, was designed to create an important connection between Gara de Nord and Gara Obor. Being a designed boulevard, it had to make its way through the old districts of Bucharest, around the current Spanish Market Square, to the confluence with Mihai Eminescu Street and Calea Moșilor. Mihai Eminescu Street, called Romană Street until 1948, is a historic street in Bucharest that connected the Herăstrăului Street, the current Calea Dorobanţilor, with the Târgului de Afară Bridge, today Calea Moșilor. A short distance from the confluence of Dacia Boulevard with Mihai Eminescu Street, in the former Silvestru slum, this historic four-level villa with rooms over 3.5 m high, arranged on Bs + Gf + 1F + A, was founded at the beginning of the 20th century, made in a neoclassical style, typical of the beginning of the century, at the command of General Coandă, former prime minister in the interwar period. The house integrates very well in the architectural style of the area, next to the twin house in the immediate vicinity. Being built on the corner, it has the advantage of a panoramic opening to two streets. The building escaped nationalization, remaining in the family by succession, this advantage helping it to keep all the original architectural details. Then, in 2010, it underwent an extensive consolidation and restoration action, on which occasion it benefited from increased attention to the strengthening of the foundation, but also to a series of very practical finishes and equipment with quality materials. In addition to the impeccable restoration of parquet, solid wood joinery, wooden doors with glass windows, it now also benefits from a central heating system with gas boiler and fan coils in each room, chiller unit for air conditioning and fan coils in each room, chandeliers and vintage lighting lamps, time-specific switches for lighting fixtures. In addition, at the time of the renovation, investment was made in the construction of a tower in the attic, which became an important attraction of the house. He also received a glass art staircase with wrought iron floral elements, which provides access to the upper levels, designed and executed by the famous plastic designer Cornelia Moldoveanu. The exterior, thermally rehabilitated by complete cladding with Austro-therm rigid terrestrial system, is symmetrically decorated with friezes and laurel window frames without an exaggerated load. The predominant floral tones continue in the interior starting with the double entrance door, restored, glazed with flowers, with the marble floor decorated with floral elements framed by the line of life, above which is a skylight with floral stained glass and a Viennese ceramic stove white located in the living room. This house welcomes you inside with an enviable positive energy, offering the pleasure of going through a setting designed to fascinate you from the first step. It may have multiple destinations in the future, such as residence, company headquarters, notary or law firm. The villa is also available for rent at the price of 4,000 euros/month. Photo: Gabriel Ghizdavu

An ensemble of historic houses located in the Jewish quarter of the Capital, more precisely on Romulus Street, which became a historical monument representative of the local cultural heritage, built for Colonel Teodor Vera, commander of the Howitzer Regiment, fighter of the Romanian army in the war for Romania's unifying 1916-1919, in the battles of Mărăști and Mărășești. Romulus Street, in the former Lucaci slum, is one of the most important historical streets in Bucharest, which still preserves the scent of the past. Here, in 1867, next to the house of Hermann I. Rieber, the first Rieber carriage factory was founded, which would later become a luxury car factory. Whether they lived in sumptuous villas built in the pre-war period, or in chic blocks of flats built between the two world wars, over time personalities such as Ionel Teodoreanu, M.I. Demetrescu, Anton Pann, Eugen Lovinescu, George Vraca, Ionescu Gion. Here we meet two architectural styles that form a mixed, composed of two houses built in stages, on a plot of 1,030 sqm, the main body in French neoclassical architectural style, built in 1888, and the secondary body in neo-Romanian architectural style, built in 1929 according to the plans of the architect Grigore Cerchez. The architecture of the buildings was well preserved, the architectural elements were restored after the original ones in the 2000s, preserving the geometry, texture and color of the facades, windows, doors and all the particular elements. At present, the general configuration of the ensemble represents a good opportunity for many types of activities through the multitude of access roads, both from the street and from the courtyard, the generous spaces of the rooms, the height of the ceilings and the practical compartments. The main building, built in French neoclassical style, with a height of GF + M, has an area of ​​708 sqm, and consists of 14 rooms, 2 kitchens, 5 bathrooms and 4 access doors. Decorated at the main entrance, built in rezalit, with massive Corinthian columns and continuing with the door and window frames, rich in triangles and caryatids, the main building is the point of attraction of the ensemble. The secondary building, built in 1929 in neo-Romanian style, according to the plans of the architect Grigore Cerchez, with a height of Ug + Gf + 1F + At and an area of ​​577 sqm, consists of 17 rooms, 2 kitchens, 7 bathrooms and 4 access doors. It also has a basement on 3 levels, one of which is arranged with a wine cellar. The entire basement benefits from natural ventilation, has a usable area of ​​77 sqm, and consists of a wine cellar, 5 storage rooms grouped on separate spaces. The general condition of the interior is good, with finishes such as carved solid wood doors, 2 m high windows with wooden joinery and double glazing, velux windows in the attic, marble floors, air conditioning, monitoring and alarm system 24h, internal cabling for own servers. There is independent metering for water, electricity and gas on each building, heating system with its own boiler, radiators with thermostat and temperature control on areas. The free yard with an area of ​​491 sqm, paved and equipped with night lighting system, is composed of two fragments with street access and a separate inner courtyard. The layout of the main courtyard allows the parking of up to 12 cars. This historic ensemble offers many opportunities in terms of future destinations, in the sense that it can be converted into a medical clinic, currently partly rented by a clinic, a restaurant, boutique hotel, various office activities, representation, showroom, or in a mixed-purpose, residential and business purpose at the same time. Photo: Gabriel Ghizdavu

Located nearby the elegant Carol I Park, in one of the most distinguished areas of the capital, this restored villa has a fairy-tale-like name- the house with pomegranates- inspired by the Art Nouveau paintings embellishing the cornice. The pomegranate is a symbol of virtue and wisdom, but also a sign of the importance of the family who once lived here. The refined peacock tail-shaped awning from the entrance, which, in time, became a symbol for the 19th-century Bucharest, catches the passerby’s eye unappealably. The property, located on a 212 square-meter land, is composed of two buildings that are connected. The first construction was built between 1870 and 1880 and was at that time one of the most stylish buildings in “Little Paris.” This building was initiated by a certain Sophie Steinfeld, member of the Steinfeld family, the owner of the property. The construction was part of the former Uranus District, one of the bohemian neighborhoods in Bucharest. The building received an extension in 1910-1920.In 2004 the property was purchased by an architect, directly from the heirs of Steinfeld family, and was extensively consolidated and restored to become today’s architectural gem. The property is located in a protected area, so that the restoration works took place in strict conditions. The structural walls have been consolidated and belt binding was used for the ground floor part, as well as fiber reinforced plaster. The two buildings are connected via a greenhouse that links the upper high floor to the old building’s attic. The attic’s volume is minimally modified in such a way that the facade’s fragility isn’t affected. The interior and exterior ornamentations have been largely recovered. Reproductions of old era paintings were used where the original painting on the cornice could not be recovered. There are several charming trees in the garden- an eight-meter birch, two magnolias and a pine tree. An 80 square-meter greenery oasis in the middle of the city. Photo: Tudor Prisecaru

Built by Italian stonemasons following the plans of three architects (George Sterian, H. Rick and Nicolae Ghica-Budești), the casino was erected in 1892-1894, thus being the first casino in Romania. It was quickly followed by casinos in Vatra Dornei (1898), Constanța (1910) and Sinaia (1912), all part of King Carol I's strategy to develop Romanian resorts after the model of more famous ones abroad (Slănic-Moldova was compared at the time to Karlovy Vary and Vichy, its mineral springs being awarded at international exhibitions in Paris, Frankfurt, Vienna). Although it is not an example of pure Art Nouveau, the casino in Slănic-Moldova manages to combine this dynamic and functional style with principles from other currents with surprising results. The decorative stone elements and the door and window frames come from the secular Neo-Romanian, but the towers are of Eastern religious architecture. Other elements are reminiscent of Neo-Renaissance correspondences - for example the symmetry of the composition and the painted decorative panels. The construction is arranged horizontally on UG + GF + 1F following the rules of perfect symmetry - a main building guarded by two towers connected to two other lower-rise buildings with covered corridors that function as terraces; the long row finishes with two pavilions that resume through the round roofs the idea of the main towers. Seen from a distance, the casino resembles a castle perched on a hillside, a slightly romantic, peaceful profile, with a discreet poetry enveloping it at dusk. In autumn, the forest in the distance lends it a bit of its leave’s auburne, winter dresses it all in white. However, from the front, it is obviously a building dedicated to community life - the platform with arched columns and a monumental stone staircase leaves no room for doubt, just as its location with the beautiful central park at the foot does not deny this either. After decades of listening to the sound of dice, spinning roulette and French Les jeux sont faits, rien ne va plus, witnessing the making of fortunes and the dissolution of marriages, the casino became a good citizen in 1948, functioning as a House of Culture, then performance hall, city library, art gallery and other public functions. The cinema functioned in the original hall with 350 seats, which today amazes us with its two colors - the white of the walls decorated with ton sur ton woodwork and the amber of the velvety chairs and curtains. The hall is still a jewel with its shell-based lodges, lacy arches and a chandelier, unfortunately not the original one, mounted on a rich ceiling decorated with a glass skylight captive in metal embroidery. Over time, the building has received two more terraces, a brasserie and a boarding house since 1960, and has undergone renovation and restoration work in the 1980s and 1994s and 1994s. Outside, street lamps guard the building in the typical Art Nouveau language - black wrought iron with gold accents and white glass bulbs like flower buds. Thanks to the spectacular architectural project and restoration works, the casino appears today vibrant, lively, dynamic, bold and not old or lethargic like, unfortunately, many other historical monuments of the time. Today, the casino is looking for its visionary owner who will exploit its tourist potential and give it back that joie de vivre that positioned it at the beginning of the 19th century as a symbol of Slănic-Moldova and beyond. Area attractions: - Nemira ski slope - mountain trails and hikes - Three hundred steps, Uzului Valley, Nemira Mare, etc. - salt mine from Târgu Ocna - Măgura Ocnei monastery - Valea Uzului dam Photo: Tudor Prisecaru