Interview with Romanian architect Cristian Corvin: The whole fun is to add value by putting old items in the right context

Cristian Corvin is a Romanian architect whose name has become increasingly known in his home country and abroad, after having designed and re-designed, among others, several restaurants, such as Lacrimi si Sfinti, Bon, Atelier Mecanic, and more recently, Red Angus Steak House. For Lacrimi si Sfinti, a design for which Corvin got the award at the 2012 Bucharest Annual, most of the furniture is old authentic Romanian gathered in various regions of Romania, from Oltenia to Transylvania. Romania-Insider.com talked to Cristian Corvin about his design style, the objects he includes in his designs and about how he feels about the Old Town, where many of the restaurants he worked on are located. In some of the places you designed, items are of rural inspiration – the Lacrimi si Sfinti restaurant is a proof of that. How do you find these objects, what are your sources for the traditional items you need, and how easy is it to find them (not only for you, but in general for those interested in such objects)? There is no recipe in finding these objects. Like anyone else would do, I or the client begin asking around and eventually someone knows someone who knows someone. I get this type of questions quite often: How do I find an old door? I don't have a clue, maybe near a demolition site or just ask around. I do pay attention though, and if I see something interesting, I keep it in mind. If you were to promote one thing Romanian abroad (or even at home), what would that be, and why? Humor. I think it's one of Romanians' less known and special qualities. What was the most expensive old item and what was the cheapest old item you used in your design work? Please mention the short story behind them. I try to avoid expensive items. Actually, I can't remember of an expensive item I ever used. The whole fun is to add value by putting them in the right context. Of course, the whole process of sourcing, repairing, cleaning, transport and so on gets quite expensive, but not the object itself. I have some stories about chairs I got from the Jewish cemetery where they used to have a warehouse to keep furniture from those who didn't need it anymore... or I have some ceramic stoves that an old gentleman, Mr. Grigore, dismantled and rebuilt in another house very carefully. They weren't extremely valuable but the way he put them together is a work of art. I did steal some socialist posters and signs from half abandoned factories and so on. Also some door handles from a beautiful Art Deco building on Calea Victoriei that was demolished soon after.