​In recent years, the neighborhood of Floreasca has undergone a revitalization process aimed at bringing back the attention of residents as well as tourists, such attractions as Lake Floreasca and the surrounding area, the park of the same name, as well as a diverse palette of gastronomic experiences and available shopping. A few years ago, anyone who passed by the intersection of Mircea Eliade Boulevard and Calja Florjaska was struck by the abandoned area in which one of the symbols of Romania’s industrialization, the famous Hală Ford, was returning.

Forgotten after the fall of the communist regime, the area where the historical monument is located attracted the attention of the developer One United Properties, who intended to restore Ford Hall and return it to the city circle with the help of a major urban regeneration project. , with a gross development value (GDV) of €90 million. One of the most modern and attractive buildings of Bucharest, One Floreasca City, which has already become a hallmark of the district, stands at the intersection of famous Bucharest streets. According to professor emeritus, architect Dr. Dan Scherban, the Floreasca district lacked “a center that would polarize it by definition, a true center of the district, both for the local population and for the city.” And from this point of view, the way that One United Properties has chosen to take a functional approach to the restoration and conversion of Ford Hall, which will become One Gallery, is exactly the element that will complete this vision, which will create quality architecture and, through the character of its commercial again will open to the public, bringing numerous benefits to the community.

1. Professor, Hala Ford is certainly a landmark in the economic history of Romania and a special architectural moment. What does the acquisition of such a historical landmark by a developer and its return to commercial and public circulation mean?

Ford Hall is an exceptional architectural moment, representing the pinnacle of interwar industrial architecture; we have few examples left, this is a Class A monument, the most important category. It takes a lot of courage for this monument to be taken over and purchased by a developer, but it is a very important gesture because it brings an element of value back into the commercial and public circulation.

2. Is it safe to say that this Ford Hall restoration and transformation project is the largest of its kind in our country at this time? The investing company announced a gross development cost of EUR 90 million.

It is difficult to say that this is the biggest project; on the surface level there are other attempts, for example Laminorul, but I can say that this is important because the Hala Ford facility is an extraordinary example of transformation, its transformation, at the same time as its restoration. Of course, the area and the location in a very well-defined center have a special value for the community of Bucharest.

3. What is the architectural concept of transforming this building into One Gallery, what will the new building be called? What functions will it combine?

The concept is defined by very interesting ideas that mean the transformation of the Hala Ford object into a polarizing center defined by the idea of ​​co-working spaces, concept stores with elements of a shopping center, but not in the classic sense. The interdependence of the two functions is special and makes it an important target as an attraction for both the general public and the office real estate segment.

4. How difficult is such a project for a team of architects and builders, and what are the most difficult parts of the process?

There is very little experience of transforming such large-scale buildings into an important element of public appeal and investment; certainly, the challenges are very great for both the architect and the builder, primarily because work on monuments is full of unpredictability. Projects, in the basic authorization formula, represent a certain attitude that during actual development, in execution, changes depending on the elements that are in place. They are often hidden and/or unpredictable, which makes the task of properly addressing them even more serious. It is, of course, primarily about preserving the heritage elements that give the building its meaning and the function it had, and their translation into modern times.

5. To what extent can a restoration and transformation project like One Gallery incorporate elements typical of green buildings?

Of course, one of the desirable things now, in the 21st century, is to transform buildings into sustainable buildings. The creation of sustainable buildings within the monument, which involves intervention in the building elements for more effective thermal insulation, the energy used and the whole range of elements that transform the building into a sustainable building, is difficult to realize in a monument building, because the elements of the architectural value of the corresponding building prevail . Finally, interventions are possible that will result in a high level of sustainability – for example, in the case of Ford Hall, the entire roof will support solar panels – but a historic building will never have the same level of sustainability as a new building.

6. There have been some wild comments online criticizing the manner in which the facades were removed from the structure, but we understand that this is a process whereby they will be preserved. Tell me why such an intervention was necessary?

Of course, there is always a wide range of opinions about architectural elements or architectural functions, expressed by more or less knowledgeable people, but it is very important to remember the views of people who have the opportunity to express such opinions. Currently, this is just a parenthesis, there is a shortage of this segment at all levels of society in the sense that approved opinions are sometimes drowned in endless discussions on social networks, which diminishes the importance of the topic and real dialogue about it. subjects

Returning to our topic, the approach of preserving the facades and removing the internal structure was generated by the requirements of the previous building permit, which was in force, based on the premise of the impossibility of using the internal structure of the building, namely the old structure, because it was compromised from a technical point of view. In addition, in the historical study and in the permit that was made, it was stated that the facades should be preserved in their entirety, the skylight and several other elements from the southern entrance of the building, so the intervention was justified and would not interfere with the final achievement of the purpose of the operation of this park “Yantika”

7. What do you think is the economic effect of the restoration of some historical buildings in Bucharest? Is there a need for more frequent involvement of the private sector?

It is obvious that increasingly such involvement is needed in the production of architectural measures, due to the revitalization of some historical monuments; they are punctual attempts, on a private line, and here I think there is a disadvantage, because it is difficult to notice them being punctual. It would be interesting to approach in a broader sense some systems of elements of architectural value in larger urban areas. I would cite as an example the boulevard Mageru, which has an extremely valuable frontage of interwar architecture, almost unused and with very great problems to remain in place. When we can intervene on a broader front, we can define the kind of urban coherence that brings value to the public. Of course, there is also the economic impact of these restorations, but they are visually and socially educational; the public learns to perceive the historical architecture of the city, of a different category and of a different quality, thus defining a different aesthetic level of urban life.

8. What benefits will there be for the community of residents of the Floreaska neighborhood and beyond?

Ford Hall is not only an extremely important architectural monument and of exceptional value, but is also very well located from the point of view of the important centers of Bucharest; in this sense, the neighborhood of Floreasca has been ennobled by the urban complex created by One United Properties, through apartment buildings with high-quality residential and office functions that already define the respective area.

The importance of this pole of the Floreasca area, architecturally rebuilt, its visual impact, the perception of the surrounding green areas, while being a socially polarizing element for the neighborhood and beyond, will bring great benefits to both the neighborhood and Bucharest. This is an example of urban planning with a different functional and volumetric texture, which will ultimately lead to a strong attraction of this object.

For a long time it was said that due to the interference of office buildings and buildings, there would be confusion and agglomeration of traffic; it’s been a long time and it hasn’t happened – on the contrary, there’s a lack of that unfinished element, Hala Ford, that would create that polarizing element of the neighborhood that is needed at the level of the 21st century.

9. What is usually the best location for renovated and restored old buildings? And what criteria are taken into account when determining the final purpose of restored buildings? How did things go with Ford Hall?

We cannot say that there is a preferred place for reconstructed and restored old buildings; they are configured according to how they are presented as spatiality, as position, as structural or material elements. Some are suitable for hotels, others for co-working spaces and district centers, others have larger areas and allow to rethink commercial activities in a creative, interactive sense.

The criteria used to determine the final purpose of a restored building are generated by many factors; first of all, it is about the cost of the investment, the quality and urban planning sense of the goal itself; of course, it also depends a lot on inspiration and courage.

In the case of Hala Ford, everything was pretty straightforward from the beginning until this decision, which would have turned it into a coexistence formula of a concept store and some co-working spaces, since the area does not have that type of function. In general, the Floreaska microdistrict was considered a quiet area, that is, a sleeping area – however, it is central, with quality housing and large green spaces. It lacked a center that would polarize it by definition, a true neighborhood hub, both for the local population and for the city; from this point of view, I believe that the way One United Properties has functionally approached the restoration and conversion of Ford Hall is the most successful element of the concept, which will create quality architecture that will thus strengthen the historic building, giving it a new, much longer life.

Article based on One United Properties