Living in the European capital of asymmetry

Since moving to Bucharest, Swedish diplomat Alexander Peyre Dutrey has been fascinated with its roughness and authenticity. One of the city’s biggest advocates, he knows more about it than many of its residents and can convince anyone that it’s a place worth living.

Words by ALEXA SFERLE / ALEXANDER PEYRE DUTREY Pictures by IOANA NEGULESCU

I come from the capital of Scandinavia: Stockholm, a city that is often described by its beauty. I love my hometown, and have always been proud of it. But living in Bucharest for two years has to some extent changed my perspectives. Bucharest—my Bucharest— has something unique that Stockholm lacks, something that often makes me miss the city when I am back in Sweden. I have long tried to describe my attraction to Bucharest in one single word. I want to understand what it is that makes me so fond of the city. I believe the answer is the city’s beautiful asymmetry.

Observing without judging Looking for asymmetry is seeing a different city. Observing contrasts is discovering the magic of diversity, without judging, while understanding that beauty often emerges in its relation to something else. One example is Bucharest’s somehow anarchistic city planning where a downtown street in a block might unite everything from a 19th century palace, a charming Art Deco building to a termoizolare Communist block painted in bright colors. Most central neighborhoods offer surprises and interesting architectural combinations. A personal favorite is the forgotten street Maximilian Popper just behind Ceausescu’s megalomanic Bulevardul Unirii. I find my beloved Bucharest when I am strolling past the gorgeous, decadent 18th and 19th century buildings with a backdrop of the totalitarian-style housing on Bulevardul Unirii and the Casa Popolurui. The asymmetrical composition has a beauty that grows with time and that never stops surprising you. Even while walking around with Romanian friends, we tend to discover new architectural pearls with interesting and unexpected asymmetrical combinations.

“The Bucharest I love has to be enjoyed right now, since many parts of it could disappear in just a few years.”

“Observing contrasts is discovering the magic of diversity. Beauty often emerges in relation to something else.”

My Bucharest is also an asymmetry of people. The journey from the terraces of the restaurants of Soseaua Nordului to the Saturday or Sunday market in Obor is a pleasure for the eye in the rich variation of faces and characters.

Contrast between two worlds On one hand, you have Nordului with its successful Bucharesters—and wannabes—showing off wealth, power and the appearance of a happy life. On the other hand, you have the popular Obor market, with the rich variation of characters coming from Bucharest and its surroundings. Strolling around the market, I sometimes watch fur-covered old ladies with faces that tell a story of a life that has been lived buying vegetables from street vendors. Seas of flowers combine with the aromas of grilled mici and a distant tone of a catchy Manele song. The contrasting combination of these two worlds generates the beauty that constitutes my Bucharest.

Endangered beauty I also love this city so much because of the sensation of its volatile and endangered beauty. Many architectural gems of the city are under serious threat. This generates a feeling that the Bucharest I love has to be enjoyed right now since many parts of it could disappear in just a few years. Amazing oases like Dianei 4 and Gradina Eden—including the activities in Palatul Stirbei—will probably soon be demolished or refurbished to become either impersonal malls or anonymous modern blocks. Developers are setting up building projects to destroy parts of the Herastrau, Tineretului and Titan parks. Bucharest’s old French Art Nouveau/Art Deco style buildings are under a constant threat of either ugly remodels (including termoizolare or cheap thermopan windows) or destruction, sometimes simply by neglect. Moreover, the old network of amazing classic cinemas is mismanaged and forgotten by many Bucharesters. Visiting what once were cinematographic temples is in itself an experience, calling to mind the Italian film Cinema Paradiso.

Unique asymmetry

I am a simple observer of this amazing city, happy to

have the honor of experiencing this fantastic place. If you

haven’t been here you should visit it while the charming asymmetry of Bucharest is still alive. Discover the soul of the city by taking a walk off the beaten path. If you are a Bucharester, then please mobilize for the protection and positive development of your city. Your city needs more citizens to fight for its architectural pearls, parks, cinemas, theaters and institutions. Be proud of your city’s asymmetry—it’s unique! ¢

Classical music on the subway

Waiting for the subway is no longer a tedious waste of time. A Bucharest organization is bringing sexy Bach—something even clubs can’t handle.

Words by OANA RUS

Attention; doors closing. Bucharest NGO Arta nu Muşcă (art does not bite) has skillfully organized another successful edition of their popular festival Muzică clasică la metrou, classical music on the subway. Over five days in the third week of April, the festival covered four of the most transited subway stations in Bucharest. The last edition featured 36 performances with over 70 artists. For one and a half hour each evening, subway stations metamorphose into atypical concert halls, hosting a series of classical music performances. Sonics aside, the festival includes a variety of art events like tango flashmobs, illustration, classical ballet, and contemporary dance, to name a few.

Giving young artists a venue to perform The two ladies behind the festival, Loredana Munteanu and Cristina Dobrescu, envision the project as an annual concept of cultural responsibility with two components. It aims to create a platform to support emerging young artists who lack access to performance venues, and to encourage the general public to consume cultural products in a creative way. “It was the summer of 2012 when the idea of the festival popped up, together with the foundation of our NGO,” Loredana explains. “I was a fresh graduate with a Master’s in Social Entrepreneurship when I randomly met Cristina via some friends and asked her if she wanted to build something together. She didn’t give it a second thought, and quit her job the following day. At that time, things were still a bit hazy in our heads, but we knew for sure that we’d love to approach public spaces from a cultural perspective.”

Dazed and confused—in a good way

The festival creates a completely different experience of

the subway. People of all ages hopped off and encircled

the artists, dazed and confused in a good way. I vividly recall a young boy, no more than 10 years old, watching the concert in bewildered awe, for he had seen nothing like this before. When Light Quartet ladies announced their next performance—the Scooby Doo soundtrack— we all witnessed his enthusiastic “YESSS!” echoing through the station. “It’s delightful to observe different reactions from the moment the doors open. Their eyes down at first, they’re suddenly surprised by classical music and, with a puzzled look, they hop off the train to see what’s actually happening,” Loredana adds. “They miss train after train, while letting go of all the anxieties accumulated throughout the day – they smile, they clap, they thank, they ask for an encore, they cry, they’re being vulnerable like never before.” So forget about being a glammed-up member of the elite, sitting on a red velvet chair in a fancy, Baroquestyle concert hall. If you think that’s the only way to enjoy classical music, Bucharest’s Muzică clasică la metrou has just proved you wrong. ¢