Reconfiguration of an inter-war villa – Bucharest

design architect, building in progress, 2021-

This project comprises a set of interventions on an small villa built in 1932 and designed by Toma Dobrescu, which was an important figure of the national architectural scene of those years. Even though, the initial villa resulted rather obscure and uncompleted in terms of proportion and general composition, most probably due to the client's brief and resources. Moreover, succesive interventions almost destroyed the façade details and altered the original design of the roof.

The villa is situated in a listed area of Bucharest, part of a coherent and relevant inter-war neighborhood characterized by Modernist and Art-Deco houses and small condominiums. 

The new proposal tries to complete the original volume, taking advantage of the plot position at the intersection of two streets – keeping in the same time a decent relation with the neighboring modest house attached on the northern limit of the site.

All the original elements and decorations will be preserved and the new addition will blend carefully with the old substance and architecture, thus trying to offer to this villa the character it never had the fortune to have, but always aimed for – as one can conclude from the original design of architect Toma Dobrescu.