In a Bucharest of high hopes, fueled by the end of the First World War, Dr. Ion Moscu was constructing his house, on a land bought from the Catargi family. Doctor Ion Moscu was a leading personality of the time, being the first Romanian doctor trained in Paris, doctor of the Patriarch of Romania and of the Royal House. The architectural plans of his house were made by the famous architect Gh. Simotta, who sketched a splendid Neo-Romanian style building. Gheorghe Simotta (1891-1979) was born into a family of Aromanians from the mountains of Macedonia and took refuge with his family in Romania after graduating high school. He attended the Superior School of Architecture under the guidance of masters Petre Antonescu and Ermil Pangratti. His more than 120 projects are from the inter-war period and are mostly found in Bucharest: the Patriarchal Residence, Darvari Hermitage, Gomoiu Hospital and numerous private villas, collective dwellings and funerary monuments in Bellu cemetery. His early style is based on Neo-Romanian elements, to which are gradually added modernist, Art Deco, Balkan resonances or influences of Byzantine decorative art. The restrictions imposed by the communist regime made him abandon his design activity and serve for 30 years as a professor at the Faculty of Architecture in Bucharest. After a meticulous rehabilitation, modernization and restoration project that lasted about three years, Moscu's building in the heart of the Capital became a veritable boutique hotel. The downtown location and architectural value imposed the concept of boutique hotel. Currently, it has ten rooms with generous surfaces (25-40 sqm) and a 90 sqm apartment, some of them equipped with balcony or loggia. Each room is furnished differently, according to the history and architecture of the building. The furniture in classic style is complemented by pieces with styles from different eras: Ludovic XV, Art Nouveau, Biedermeier or Empire. For the finishing of the precious interiors, solid wood, "Versailles" parquet and marble were used. Moscu's building represents the opportunity to own an architectural jewel in the center of "Little Paris", signed by a famous architect, who already functions successfully as a luxury hotel, with loyal guests and a specialized team, well trained to offer an impeccable service for notable clients.
Source: Cornel Samara, „Gheorghe Simotta – între nobleţe şi arhitectură”, Sfântul Ierarh Nicolae Publishing, Brăila, 2014 Photo: Andrei Mărgulescu