Description of the venues
Auditorium Hall (Royal Palace)
The Royal Palace is situated on Calea Victoriei, the most popular promenade place for the high class society of both the interwar period, and also of today, an area transformed in time by the important cultural and historical events which have marked Bucharest. You can see in its vicinity buildings and monuments of great importance for the city’s history, like the Romanian Athenaeum, the Central University Library, the National Military Club or the Kretzulescu Church.
The history the building carries within makes any visit comparable to a travel in time. Built in 1820, it becomes the residence of great Romanian rulers, such as Alexandru Ioan Cuza, and, later, King Carol the 1st and his successors.
The building, which has been subject to numerous extension and reconstruction works, gained its current aspect in 1940.
In 1937, Carol the 2nd is the first to include areas dedicated to a museum display, for the exhibition of the art collection belonging to the Royal Crown of Romania.
In the communist era, after King Mihai the 1st’s abdication, the palace is nationalized, and a decision to open a museum inside the building is taken. Unfortunately, following the events of December 1989, the building was almost 80% damaged, with over 1000 artworks being destroyed or harmed.
Since 1990, the building has become the National Art Museum of Romania, and, starting with 2000, after 10 years of restoration works, it hosts 3 permanent galleries: the European Art Gallery, the Romanian Modern Art Gallery and the Romanian Medieval Art Gallery.
The Auditorium Hall was established as a distinct department of the National Museum of Art of Romania in 1995, and has since been host to numerous cultural events – concerts, film screenings, symposiums or international conferences.
Art Center Tinerimea Romana
The Art Center Tinerimea Romana hall is a miniature reproduction of the famous Scala in Milano. The small, posh hall is a jewel alongside other Bucharest landmarks in its vicinity, such as the Cismigiu and Izvor parks and the Bulandra Theatre.
The Art Center Tinerimea Romana has been a frequent host to artistic events and has been promoting young talents since 1992. However, its history goes way back, since 1877, the year of the declaration of the Romanian Independence. The event had provoked an invigoration of the people, an indescribable enthusiasm. Motivated by the new national atmosphere, a few high school students decided to form a literary and scientific society under the direct guidance of the school. This society would address the raising of the Romanian youth in a national, cultural and Christian spirit. The only thing it needed was a name – “Tinerimea Romana” (The Romanian Youth).
Because the society didn’t have its own headquarters, the Bucharest City Hall offered it a land of 547 m² in 1912, in an effort to resolve this urgent matter. The 25th of May 1924 saw the laying of the first stone of the foundation of what was to become the „Palace of the Romanian Youth Society”, located at 4, Schitu Magureanu Street. For the design of this building, the members resorted to architect Virginia Andreescu Haret, the first woman architect in the world. The edifice was multifunctional: the basement hosted typography and a restaurant hall; the ground floor had a bank and spaces for rent. The first floor was composed of the festivities hall and its annexes. The second floor included sleeping arrangements and the third was the magazine administration. The fourth floor was made up of the grand hall, an ethnographic museum, the library and the society’s administration.
However, constructing this building would cost 32 million Lei and the society had in its treasury only 300.000 Lei! It was clear that solutions had to be found and huge efforts had to be put into action. A part of the money was raised through public collect (even Nicolae Iorga donated an important amount), and another through loans which would be repaid after the completion of the building, through the specifically designed rental spaces.
1928 was the year of the Romanian Youth Society’s 50th anniversary and the members wanted the event to take place in its new headquarters. As a consequence, they tried desperately to collect the funds necessary for the completion of the building in the same year, on the 15th of September 1927. However, the inauguration could not take place sooner than 1935.
The following years saw the society go through both struggles and successes, and nowadays the Art Center Tinerimea Romana (after many years of consolidation, redecoration and restoration through funds allocated by the Ministry of Culture and Cults) has become an institution for performances and concerts, with artistic collectives made up of professionals.
Source: www.centrul-tinerimea-romana.ro
Hard Rock Cafe Bucharest
The Hard Rock Cafe concept started with an Eric Clapton guitar – a simple guitar. The beginning of something that nobody even knew was beginning. A global phenomenon, HRC is a “casual dinner” restaurant, a hospitable place for everyone. Even its motto, “Love all, Serve all” is a testimony of this.
Herastrau Park, Bucharest's central park and the largest city park in Europe, is where you'll find the Hard Rock Cafe. A favorite of both locals and tourists, the cafe makes its home on the shores of the lake, just a few short steps from the landmark Triumph Arch where the main avenues of Bucharest's entertainment district begin.
Built on over 1500m², which makes it one of the largest Hard Rock Cafe's in Europe, the place has inside seating for 300 guests plus an outside terrace with a view of the lake and additional seating for 150.
Despite having a traditional American menu, DRC is not only a place for good food or good music. This is the place where you'll find the latest in technology while getting up close and personal with rock star memorabilia from around the globe.
The company is the largest collector and exhibitor of objects belonging to musical artists of the last 50 years, thus transforming the restaurants in actual music museums, through a collection of over 80.000 pieces on display, by rotation, in its 130 restaurants situated all over the world.
HRC displays on stage outfits, classic guitars and other instruments, posters, album covers, gold and platinum LPs, photos and much more, including a pair of pants belonging to Shakira, one of Richie Sambora’s guitars, a costume one worn by John Lennon and a stage outfit especially designed for Sir Elton John.
Other important articles are Madonna’s bustier and the jacket Michael Jackson wore in the “Thriller” video, a pair of pants donated by Prince and a guitar once belonging to Yes’ bass player. Holograf was the first Romanian band represented in the HRC international collection, through the objects donated at the inauguration, including Mugurel Vrabete’s 20 year old guitar, which once belonged to The Clash bass player, Paul Simonon.
Source: www.hardrock.com/bucharest
