urban cluj: November 2009

Nov 30, 2009

Crisis

Effects of financial crisis: closed cashpoint.

Nov 29, 2009

Eroilor from Unirii

Eroilor avenue as seen from the Unirii square, by night.

Nov 28, 2009

Facade with balcony

Facade with balcony on Iuliu Maniu street.

Nov 27, 2009

Nov 26, 2009

+-CLUJ

The +-CLUJ Pilot Center of Architecture opened its creative exhibition for public debate on the city's changing architecture and urbanism.

Nov 25, 2009

Nov 24, 2009

Inner court

Inner court in yellow and green, on Napoca street.

Nov 23, 2009

Nov 22, 2009

Nov 21, 2009

Elections

Old and new faces are posted in various places of the city on the occasion of the presidential elections.

Nov 20, 2009

Nov 19, 2009

Scale models

These scale models, exhibited in Carturesti bookstore, were some proposals of sustainable architecture and low-energy buildings design.

Nov 18, 2009

Nov 17, 2009

Nov 16, 2009

Church detail

Detail of the Calvaria church in Manastur neighborhood.

Nov 15, 2009

Pigeons in M. Viteazu square

Pigeons in Mihai Viteazu Square. This is somehow the opposite view of a previous post.

Nov 14, 2009

Nov 13, 2009

Municipal Stadium

The construction of a new stadium is underway, replacing an old one, in the Northern fringe of Central Park. You may see pictures of the project here.

Nov 12, 2009

Spire

Babos Palace spire against the clear sky.

Nov 11, 2009

Flower pots

Creative flower pots in the Botanical Garden glasshouse.

Nov 10, 2009

Wall Fall

The 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall was celebrated last evening in Cluj by projecting some pictures and telling some stories about the Wall, in front of the Casa Matei.

Nov 9, 2009

Bas-relief

Bas-relief on the pedestal of Mihai Viteazu's statue depicting a historical scene from around 1600.

Nov 8, 2009

Wedding

Wedding reception on the porch of Belvedere hotel.

Nov 7, 2009

Nov 6, 2009

Sky among buildings

Murky sky from the Universitatii street. Check out more skies worldwide at Skywatch Friday.

Nov 5, 2009

An important event for the city took place last evening: the Unirii Square was inaugurated after some months of heavy renovation, while the acces to this biggest public square in town was closed. People gathered, checked the transformation, and enjoyed a rock concert.

Nov 4, 2009

Terrace

A last glimpse into the summer weather: terrace near Iulius Mall.

Nov 3, 2009

Experiment

Water rocket experiment in the schoolyard.

Nov 2, 2009

Balconies

Balconies on Andrei Saguna street.

Nov 1, 2009

A visit to the Botanical Garden

Those of you who woke up late this morning, after the Halloween party, take a visit to the Botanical Garden!

Cluj is the third big city in Romania considering its population, with a general number of residents & commuters in its metro area of about 400,000.

It is largely known as the capital-city of the historical province of Transylvania - land of medieval citadels, wild crags, caves and forests, and the famous figure of Dracula.

Historically speaking Cluj was settled as a colony by the Romans (Colonia Aurelia Napoca) by the 2nd century CE, from where came the name of Napoca, and thereafter developed as fortress and city by the Hungarians, Saxons and Austrians - which conferred it the cultural, architectural, and urban influences of the multicultural Central Europe. Romanians, who constantly were the dominant rural population around the city, became the city rulers in 1918, when Transylvania became part of Romania, and developed it, especially within the Communist regime, after the 1947, by constructing large industries and working-class neighborhoods.

Along its history, Cluj acknowledged periods of progress and illuminism - sustained by a notable university and the medical and legal centers developed here already since the 16th century - together with warfare, nationalistic and religious troubles and stagnation - due to medieval invasions, far-right politics encouraging hostilities between Magyars and Romanians, and religious tensions between Greek-Catholics and Greek-Orthodoxs.

Today it is considered among the major hotbeds of development regarding the human capital in the region - due to its large number of university students, vibrant culture, safe social and economic environment, and perspectives for further development.