Bucharest City Hall tries again to restore historic Griviţa Baths, wants to invest EUR 700,000

Bucharest City Hall hopes to restore the historic Griviţa Baths with EUR 700,000 worth of restoration work, according to local news agency Mediafax. The only public baths remaining in Bucharest, the Griviţa Baths were built in the late 19th Century and inaugurated by Queen Maria in 1897. There was a previous proposal to restore the Griviţa Baths in early 2012, but the proposal was rejected by the city councilors.

The Bucharest General Council will discuss the draft proposal this Friday (April 26 ) and if approved, the project will cost slightly under EUR 700,000 and should be completed within an 11-month schedule. Aas well as weakening of the building's structure by the earthquakes in 1940 and 1977, much of the visible surfaces are damaged and moldy. The drainage system is also described as “inadequate.” Wooden flooring and mosaic tiles are reportedly in need of repair in the saunas and massage rooms, according to the the memorandum accompanying the draft proposal, quoted by Mediafax. The restoration plan aims to preserve and/or restore the original architectural elements of the Griviţa Baths, which include pools, saunas, a boiler rooms and an outdoor swimming pool within the 1,140 sqm complex. Previous renovation work was carried out in 2000 and the baths were closed until 2002. editor@romania-insider.com (photo source: Wikimedia Commons)