A Cape Town Castle Military Museum tagged image from photographer – Ava Babili as published on Flickr.
Palace of Culture – Iași, Romania
Image by Ava Babili
The Palace of Culture is an edifice located in Iaşi, Romania. The building served as Administrative and Justice Palace until 1955, when its destination was changed, being assigned to the four museums nowadays united under the name of Moldavia National Museum Complex. Also, the building houses the Cultural Heritage Conservation-Restoration Centre, and hosts various exhibitions and other events.
The construction, started in 1906-1907, was partly built on the old ruins of the mediaeval Princely Court of Moldavia (1434), and partly on top of the foundations and first levels of the former neoclassical style palace, dated to the time of Prince Alexandru Moruzi (1804-1806, architect Johan Freywald), rebuilt by Prince Mihail Sturdza (1841-1843, architect Nicolae Singurov), and dismantled in 1904-1906.It was from this latter building that the Palace inherited the legend of the 365 rooms, as many as the days within one year.
The Romanian architect I.D. Berindei was assigned to plan the building and he designed it in flamboyant Neo-Gothic style. During World War I, the construction works halted due to the limitation of resources, but the unfinished building sheltered Romanian and Russian troops, and different public institutions and military hospitals. The monument was finally completed on 11 October 1925, and officially inaugurated, one year later, by King Ferdinand I of Romania.
Until 1955, the building housed the County Law Court, and other public institutions. During World War II, the Palace sheltered German troops, and then Soviet troops.
A large-scale restoration project, considered one of the most complex in Romania since 1990, began in 2008.
The Palace has 298 large rooms with a total area of 34,236 m2 (368,510 sq ft), 92 windows in the front part of the building and another 36 inside the building.
Clock Tower
The entrance of the palace is through a great donjon tower, with crenels and alcoves dominated by an eagle with open wings. The tower is the central architectural piece of the palace. On each of the three exposed sides there is a face of the clock with a diameter of 3.25 m (11 ft). The clock faces are decorated with stained glass representing the 12 astrological signs. Two young men dressed in national costumes, are painted on the sides of the clock faces guarding the clock (design element inspired from the Peleș Castle). The stained glass windows and the cross shaped crenelations are electrically illuminated during the night. The Carillon in the tower has 8 bells that are singing each hour the Union Hora song with the help of a drum with 69 pins.
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