The ghosts of Bucharest
This article written by Jean-Philippe Hugron, was originally published in AA’s 428th issue – Private commissions, public intentions – released in December 2018.
In Bucharest, Youssef Tohmé has just completed Romania’s first private art museum, the MARe, a project initiated by his partner, Lebanese businessman Roger Akoury, who set his sights on a house previously occupied by Ana Pauker, Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1947 to 1952.
After her death, this spy left a strange small house, both whimsical and quirky-shaped, built around the 1930s. To convert this address weighed down by history was no mean feat. Youssef Tohmé made the surprising decision to demolish and rebuild a new house rather than renovate it. “How can you produce architecture in a city known for destruction and where the population has long been thwarted in its ability to remember?”, wonders the architect. As a result, he decided to reproduce the exact volume of the former residence in black brick. However, he designed different spaces and a distribution which is much more appropriate to displaying artworks and welcoming visitors. Ultimately, capturing the very essence of Bucharest, Youssef Tohmé has given us its most subtle symbol.
![© Toufic Dagher](https://www.larchitecturedaujourdhui.fr/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/©-Toufic-Dagher.png)
![© Toufic Dagher](https://www.larchitecturedaujourdhui.fr/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/©-Toufic-Dagher-2.png)
![© Cosmin Dragomir](https://www.larchitecturedaujourdhui.fr/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Sans-titre-11.png)
![© Cosmin Dragomir](https://www.larchitecturedaujourdhui.fr/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Capture-d’écran-2019-01-29-à-10.44.05.png)
![© Cosmin Dragomir](https://www.larchitecturedaujourdhui.fr/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Capture-d’écran-2019-01-29-à-10.44.32.png)
![© Cosmin Dragomir](https://www.larchitecturedaujourdhui.fr/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/©-Cosmin-Dragomir_MARe_057.png)
AA’s 428th issue – Private commissions, public intentions – is available on our online store.