Romanian Athenaeum, Concert hall in central Bucharest, Romania
The Romanian Athenaeum is a concert hall in central Bucharest with a circular neoclassical structure that features a large dome, four corner towers, and six columns at the main entrance. The interior extends over multiple levels with the main floor at ground level and the surrounding boxes above.
Construction was completed in 1888 through a public donation campaign using the slogan Donate one leu for the Athenaeum. The hall opened as a home for the Romanian Musical Society and later became the residence of the George Enescu Philharmonic.
The name derives from the Greek word for a place of wisdom and reflects the connection between music and scholarship. The building now houses the city's philharmonic orchestra and draws locals who come to experience classical concerts in a room with exceptional acoustics.
The entrance sits on a busy street in the city center with the facade facing the main traffic artery. The ticket office operates Tuesday through Friday from midday to evening and seats are spread between the ground floor and the tiered box levels.
A conference in December 1919 took place in this room and led to the vote uniting several regions with the country. The large ceiling fresco was created by a single painter over several years and measures over 70 meters (230 feet) in length.
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