Thematic folder

Win by getting involved

Arh. Doina-Mihaela BUBULETE recommends
arh. Xenia FURU

Win through INVOLVEMENT

caption><img src= We met the architect Xenia Furu "live" on the occasion of the 2018 National Architecture Biennale: "100 years of Architecture in Romania", held within the European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018. He participated in this particular competition, characterized by a great diversity of sections and events, in the most dedicated one: "Restoration. Consolidation. Buildings returned to communities.
He participated with a collective he coordinated and they won the ex aequo prize of that section. They won with a complex project entitled "House of Religious Freedom. Rehabilitation and refunctionalization of the former residence of the Unitarian bishop", in Cluj, in which they carried out archaeological, historical, architectural, multidisciplinary design, archaeological research with special constructive and artistic components. And they have won through seriousness, tenacity, the practical orientation of the investment towards the public interest, the power to convince the beneficiaries of the importance of the objective and, above all, the desire to show how creative a rehabilitation project can be, in which careful restoration aims not only to restore the "stage-by-stage historical testimonies" but also to intelligently interpret the metamorphoses of their original meanings.

They have won through INVOLVEMENT, as a close-knit team eager to shape the collective consciousness of the diverse national cultural heritage.
Xenia Furu was the head of this project, showing to the architectural community a dedication to this historical field that she has been capable of since she finished her university studies (her undergraduate diploma project dealt with "Restoration of Banffy Castle" in Bonțida, and her diploma project of the postgraduate course specializing in rehabilitation dealt with "Restoration of the Town Hall of Rimetea"). She has worked for the Transylvania Trust since 1996, being a member of the organizing team and architectural consultant of the "Rimetea Heritage Protection Program", which was awarded the Europa Nostra Medal in 1999.

Xenia FURU (b. 1977)
since 1996 - Volunteer of the Transylvania Trust Foundation.
2000-2003 - Member of the organizing committee of the Rimetea Heritage Protection Programme;
2002 - Graduated from the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism - Technical University of Cluj-Napoca with the diploma Restoration of Bánffy Castle in Bonțida,
1998-2004 - Technical architectural consultant of the Rimetea Heritage Protection Program, awarded with the Europa Nostra Medal in 1999;
2004 - Post-graduate course on the restoration of monuments - "Babeș-Bolyai" University, with the work Restoration of the Rimetea Town Hall;
Since 2009 - Technical Architectural Consultant of the Unitarian Episcopate;
Since 2006 - Individual Office of Architecture - FURU XENIA XENIA.

arh.Xenia Furu

AWARDS:

1998 - MENTION in the category Students UIA (Union International des Architectes) in the competition: Eradication of Poverty;
1998 - TRANZIT FOUNDATION AWARD for the Rehabilitation Project of the Cluj-Napoca Synagogue;
1999 - EUROPA NOSTRA MEDAL 1999, for the Rimetea Heritage Protection Program, as team member and architectural consultant of the program.
2018 - RESTORATION SECTION AWARD. CONSLOIDATION. BUILDINGS RESTORED BUILDINGS (EX-AEQUO), National Biennale of Architecture

PROJECTS:

S.C. UTILITAS srL - project manager arh. Eke Éva, (2002-2008):
- Restoration of the building at 14 Breaza str., Cluj-Napoca, designed by arch. Kós Károly in 1907-1910;
- Restoration of schools in Râșnov and Ghimbav
- Restoration of the Bánffy Castle in Bonțida - Miklós body;
- Restoration of St. George's Orthodox Church in Lupșa, Lupșa, jud. Alba;
- Restoration of Bánffy Castle in Bonțida - main body.
- Rehabilitation of the APOR Palace in Alba Iulia.
- Bocaniciu House, Cluj-Napoca
- Rehabilitation of the Unitarian church and parish church in Cojocna (2010)
- Rehabilitation and refunctionalization of the Unitarian Parish Deva (2014)
- Restoration of the Unitarian church in Cheia (2015)
- Building restoration and refurbishment, House of Religious Freedom (2016)
- Façade rehabilitation, Unitarian High School "Janos Zsigmond" (2017)
- Façade rehabilitation, 9 Bolyai St. (2017)
- Building interior repairs, Unitarian High School "Janos Zsigmond" (2017)

caption><img src= Maramureșe's Xenia Furu is a delicate and shy being, with ambitions and energies hidden from sight, but firmly expressed in important works. She rubs her hands with excitement when she has to talk about herself and her work (she delegates her "spokesperson" skills to her life and team partner, engineer Arpad Furu), but tirelessly aims far.
When we spoke on the phone one Sunday evening, she told me she was working: "...I have a castle in front of me...". I associated the image with that of a little ant carrying important burdens that I would like all architects to know well. I wish him success and strength for his work, because I know that he is unstoppable on the important path he has chosen.