sometimes
we refer to architectural
splendors as old
houses just because the present builds differently, with glass and steel, not
brick, columns, and corinthian capitals. we liken the traces of time to
wrinkles and compare peeling
facades to the
pigmented skin of age, and so we
place them in the category of bygone beauties, set aside with only a past, not
a future. however, old age is no longer a barrier to an active life today, and
this perspective applies to architecture as well. buildings like the one in the
pictures successfully return to their former brilliance and contribute to
preserving the character of the city. neoclassical elements signify not only
stylistic sobriety but also richness and coquetry for this house that belonged
to lawyer marinelea păunescu.
built
in 1889 by olga and mișu paraschivescu, the house was nationalized and
initially used by a cooperative for offices, then became a grocery store, and
later was bought by the lawyer. today, it is a historical monument and can
become an elegant headquarters for a company, a spectacular restaurant, or a
cultural center following the example of another famous monument in bucharest,
also owned by a woman, and not just any woman, but ploiești-born mița biciclista.
the
entrance is carefully constructed with semicolumns, wrought ironwork, decorated
windows, and a slender marquee. the rooms are luxurious, spacious, and
well-proportioned, with meticulously decorated ceilings and double doors,
richly ornamented and wide-opening. the interior woodwork matches the
decorative richness of the exterior and is a differentiating element. located
in the center of ploiești, near the central halls and behind the county museum
of natural sciences, the property is versatile and eager to begin its new life.
