Berindey-style residences in Bucharest

The name Berindey has marked the history of Romanian architecture from the second half of the 19th century until the end of the 20th century, whether it was Dimitrie Berindey (1832-1884), Ion D. Berindey (1871-1928) or Ion I. Berindey (1897-1981).

Dimitrie Berindey was the first Romanian architect to graduate from the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris (1853-1859) and to serve as Minister of Public Works in the Ion Ghica cabinet (December 1870-March 1871).

In 1887, following in his father's footsteps, Ion D. Berindey went to Paris in 1887, where he initially attended the classes of the architect Duray, and in 1889 he was admitted to the School of Fine Arts, Architecture Department. His teachers were Charles Girault, Pierre Jérome Honoré Daumet, Esquié, etc. In 1897 he obtained his architect's diploma offered by the French government, returning to his country the same year.

In 1899, Ion D. Berindey became chief architect of the Technical Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (June 1899 - March 29, 1901), and in 1900 he was appointed professor at the Architecture Department of the School of Fine Arts in Bucharest. He was elected vice-president of the Society of Architects of Bucharest: from December 14, 1900 to January 11, 1905 and from March 22, 1916 to January 23, 1919. [9]

On August 1, 1905, he was entrusted with the direction of the Romanian General Exhibition of 1906, and was appointed general inspector of the works in the Filaretului Field. "In June 1905 the first works began, which transformed the muddy plain that we all knew, in a charming park whose general plan was made by the famous French architect Redont with his famous French architect with his coquettish buildings whose plans were made and partly executed by architects Burcuș and Ștefănescu, under the supervision of architect I. For the Romanian General Exhibition in 1906, I. D. Berindey designed the Staadecker House Pavilion and the Pavilion of the European Danube Commission.

In 1906 he took part in the International Congress in The Hague, invited by the Carnegie Foundation as a foreign architect participating in the competition for the Peace Palace in The Hague, and his project was retained and awarded a prize.

He died in 1928 after a cardiac arrest and was buried in the "Șerban Vodă" Cemetery, next to his father, the architect Dimitrie Berindey (figure 26, place 16). At his death, Constantin Bacalbașa wrote: "Ion Berindeiu, the "builder" whom death snatched from us the day before yesterday with a thunderbolt, was one of the greatest artistic souls, the architect who superimposed in his buildings not only bricks and plaster, but also a highly aesthetic constructive genius. Together with Mincu - another great soul of an artist, who died prematurely, Berindeiu was the architect who leaves behind him not only high walls, but architectural ornaments, worthy of any great civilized city" ([1], p. 24).

Read the full text in issue 4 / 2011 of Arhitectura.

University lecturer at "Spiru Haret" University, Faculty of Architecture, titular architect of the BIA Elena-Sidonia Teodorescu, PhD student at the "Ion Mincu" University of Architecture and Urbanism, Bucharest, Doctoral School Space, Image, Text, Territory (SITT).

Bibliography

[1] Berindey, Mircea I., 1988, Notes from the work of architects Dumitru I. Berindey, Ion D. Berindey and Ion I.

Berindey, Academy, RSR Library, Bucharest.

[2] Constantin, Paul, 1986, Dicționar universal al arhitecților, Editura Științifică și Enciclopedică, Bucharest.

[3] Cornel, Theodor, 1909-1911, Figuri contimporane din România. Dicționar biografic illustrat, Part I and Christmas Number 1911. (2nd edition), Socec, Bucharest.

[4] Damé, Frédéric, 2007, Bucharest in 1906, Editura Paralela 45, Pitești.

[5] Deaconu, Luchian, 2001, Craiova 1898-1916. Saltul la urbanismul modern. Nicolae E. Romanescu, Sitech Publishing House, Craiova.

[6] Ion, Narcis Narcis Dorin, 2007, Reședințe și familii aristocrate din România, Romanian Cultural Institute, Bucharest.

[7] Woinaroski, Cristina, 2007, Lotization and Ioanid Park, Simetria Publishing House, Bucharest.

[8] ***, 1906, Romanian General Exhibition 1906. Official guide and exhibition catalog, Socec, Bucharest.

[9] ***, 1930, Solemnity of the inauguration of the premises of the Romanian Architects' Society and the celebration of the 39th anniversary of the foundation of this society, Atelierele E. Marvan, Bucharest.

Periodicals

[10] Revista poporului, year XIII, 1904, Homage and gratitude to the architect Ioan D. Berindey.

[11] Revista Ilustrația, year I (July 1, 1911), no. 2-3.

[12] Revista Ilustrația, year XIV (Sept. - Dec. 1925), no. 115-118.

[13] Revista Arhitectura, jubilee issue - 50 years since the foundation of the Romanian Architects Society, 1941.

Archives

[14] Central National Historical Archives, Bucharest Municipality Department.

[15] Central National Historical Archives.

[16] Bucharest City Hall Archives.

[17] National Library of Romania - Saint-Georges Fund.

[18] MNAR, Cabinetul de Desene și Gravuri, Ion D. Berindei Fund.

[19] National Historical Archives Dolj County, Craiova City Hall, Administrative Service.