The industrial heritage of Bucharest

The end of the 19th century brings important transformations to the industrial architecture, similar to those in civil architecture, both reflecting times of profound change which the society and economy of the United Principalities were going through. The legislative measures adopted for the encouragement of the industry offer resources both for the development of business and for the extension of production workshops and their equipping. Many of the new buildings will have small dimensions, which is characteristic for a developing industry. They will not benefit from any new technical solutions and will not be gifted with particular aesthetic qualities, since substantial investments in technology and materials limited those in construction. However, projects that are adequate for this type of function will exist, with particular constructive solutions, vast surfaces covered with roofs with large spans, with no intermediate pillars, illuminated from above and adequately ventilated, which share an aesthetic quality that results from the accuracy of their details and proportions. Radical urban interventions as well as financial interests have determined, in time, the deterioration or disappearance of an important percentage of the industrial heritage of Bucharest, but their history proves, even in its absence, the value and remarkable importance that they had in the life of the city.