Another glass eyesore for Bucharest's skyline

(Photo: Skyscraper City) More bad news....it's never ending, it would appear. The thumbs up has been given for another glass monstrosity to scar the skyline of Bucharest, signed by Bucharest's Chief Architect, Adrian Bold, at City Hall.

The construction of the Ana Tower office building, to be located near the Crowne Plaza hotel on str Poligrafiei, is said to begin over the next 3-6 months, with an investment of approx 70 million euros, businessman George Copos told Mediafax.

The 28-storey tower, with a 67,000m squared surface area is owned by Copos, who announced he has wanted to erect an office building there ever since 2008, but was delayed by the financial crisis (it had some positive points, then...).

Ziarul Financiar recently reported that Copos had gone into business with real-estate developers GTC, responsible for the completion of several office blocks in Bucharest, eg. City Gate, Europe House and America House.

HERE is a photo on the Westfourth Architecture site of the Ana Tower Check it out. Quel horreur... Architecture that makes Z. Hadid seem almost tolerable... Westfourth was founded in New York in 1991 by Vladimir Arsene AIA, OAR. Associates Cristiana Stefan OAR and Mr. Calin Negoescu OAR are in Bucharest. 

Copos, also owner of the Ana Holding group and the football team Rapid, owns several hotels in Roumania: The Hilton and The Crowne Plaza both in Bucharest, The Europa and The Astoria in Eforie Nord, and a number of hotels in Poiana Brasov, says the Bucharest Herald.

For goodness sake, does Bucharest honestly NEED more office space? Does it require these foul, hideous glass structures with zero beauty, no creativity and absolutely zilch security in the event of an earthquake? Bucharest is a maimed and abused city. Can it fill therevolting office buildings it already has? I doubt it. How much of the World Trade Centre is filled I'd dearly like to know. Who does Copos think is going to rent a 28-storey tower? The UN?!

Do citizens really end up with the city they deserve? In which case what the hell did Bucharesteans do to get to THIS point?

My thanks to LM for the docs link.

Comments

[sairj]

I agree totally. My point is that Bucharest cannot fill the office space it has now...28 floors??? Why?? For what?? And its hideous (check out the other pix on SkyScrapers)... Yes its far enough away from the centre, thank God, and from Herastrau. But its still a hideous eyesore. 70 million euros... vai de mine. Ina country in horrendous recession and anyone saying that the recession is nearly over is lying oooooh so badly...

Okay, so the area is empty and ugly and doesnt have much going on in it industrially...if employment can be created then that is marvellous. But Im not holding my breath and I dont trust Westfourth Architects since I have this nagging feeling at the back of my mind about them...I know them, have heard that name before but dont remember when or why. I remember researching them... Must do so again at some point.

Anyway, thats not important..im rambling, valentin. But the building is a hideous eyesore wherever it goes., Yes thank God its not on Dodobanti or Eminescu... but sad it has to exist at all and 70 million euros couldnt pay for something with more taste... I guess thats my point. Longwindedly...

[valentin]

Sarah, I agree with Circumstante atenuante. Crown Plaza its farher then Casa Presei and there is practicall an empy fierd there, at the outskirts of Bucharest, There there is only ,,Pajura" block of flats build for those who were working in Casa Scateii/Presei. This will not be a scar on Bucharest's face, it is a normal thing .Theye builidns will be almost outside Bucarest,there is also a railway there. So no danger for Bucharest whatsoever

[Dan]

Nu Sarah, amplasamentul acestui modernism este adecvat, langa Pavilioanele de Expozitii Romexpo, intr-o zona relativ fara viata economica si destructurata, inspre Cartierul Pajura!
Reprezinta un bun accent langa Casa Presei Libere (Scanteii) si este suficient de departata de Parcul Herastrau...
Deranjante cu adevarat sunt insa turnurile gemene chiar dela intrarea Romexpo, ce afecteaza panorama Herastraului...