Victoria Palace, Romania : Architecture Information

de Architekten Cie. - Building information, Amsterdam Jul 2007 de Architekten Cie. wins the extension of Victoria Palace, the HQ of the Romanian Government. It has just been announced that the Amsterdam based architect’s office “de Architekten Cie.” has won the international competition for the enlargement of the Victoria Palace in Bucharest, Romania. The jury, consisting of nine experts, judged the design of Branimir Medi? en Pero Puljiz to be the best of the six international entrants. After the completion of the extension the Palace ensemble will have almost been doubled in size from the existing 23.000 m2 to the now programmed 46.000 m2. A New Ensemble The extension of Victoria Palace integrates the existing and the new building into a harmonious and representative ensemble for the HQ of the Romanian government. The E-shaped layout of the new extension finishes the footprint of the existing building, organizing the new ensemble around two central courtyards. Representing Romania The extension is organized around a diagonal promenade connecting all floors and different thematic interior and exterior gardens. Each garden represents a different region of Romania. The governmental hall is temporarily positioned in the centre of the extension and is attached to the Stairs of Honour in the existing building. As One Articulated Volume The elevation is materialized in the same stone as the existing building, but with a random mix of polished and raw pieces. The abstract window pattern and appearance of the winter gardens further render the elegance of the façade. The harmony of the new ensemble mirrors the values of Romanian democracy for now and for the future. Architects: de Architekten Cie., Branimir Mediæ, Pero Puljiz   Project Team: de Architekten Cie., Wessel Vreugdenhil, Bas Horsting, Alexander Sverdlov, Marie Rival, Pim van Wylick, Matthias Ismael, Marga Landheer-Moscovici, Leo de Jong Structural engineers: Arup, Amsterdam Joop Paul, Jaap Wiedenhoff