The building was built to last and when the dictatorship was toppled, it was returned to its owners, resembling our nation: damaged but standing – In conversation with Daniel Voinea
Cărturești Carusel bookstore in Bucharest
Gregorio Zanacchi Nuti: What was the idea behind the refurbishment of the building that hosts the Cărturești Carusel bookstore in Bucharest?
Daniel Voinea: Our business model from the beginning was to create cultural experiences. The opportunity to open a bookstore in a national monument was the chance to work on a scale for Romania. The design of Cărturești Carusel was meant to captivate the customers through astonishment, thus the idea of natural skylight over the ceiling and the decorations on the innards. The building’s owner chose Georgetta Gabra, a Romanian architect, to direct the refurbishment. While she did the work, curating the reinforcement of the foundations, the columns and the facade, a second layer of arrangements was done by Square One, a team of architects we chose. Adding split levels between the floors was their idea and they contributed to the grandeur of the final result.
