Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania

The Villa on Viitorului Street introduces us to the end of the street towards downtown Bucharest, connecting Dacia and Stefan cel Mare boulevards. Near small historic districts such as Gradina icoanei, Gemeni Square or Toamna-Popa Petre area, the end of Dacia boulevard and Alexandru Donici Street tell stories from another time. Homes and villas of Bucharest’s bourgeoisie were built here from the end of the nineteenth century, but during the interwar period the area knew the most important architectural development. Moreover, today's appearance of the street was outlined in the decades between 1920 and 1940, a period of economic and demographic prosperity. Ilie Mecu, economist and banking specialist, with a career of more than 4 decades in the National Bank of Romania, was one of those who managed to have a home in the above-mentioned area. He built his house on Viitorului street at number 34 in the second half of the 1920s. With a considerable income - in 1927 he became a general inspector at the National Bank of Romania headquarters, gaining about 25.000 -30.000 lei - Mecu built a chic villa: far from the street, having a garden in front, 12 rooms divided between the floors, and also a spacious attic. Photo: Gabriel Ghizdavu