The current tenants considered the investment too expensive before, but the municipality of Nagyvárad/Oradea will again try to renovate Ullmann Palace itself, Krónika online reports. The municipality would renovate the imposing Art Nouveau building at half the original cost. The property situated at Nagyvásártér/Parcul 1 Decembrie has housed studios of visual artists for years and should have been renovated a long time ago.
The municipality tried to renew the facade of the Art Nouveau building in 2019 under the framework of a successful facade-renovation program, but according to Lucian Popa, the leader of the Real Estate Directorate of the municipality, the disagreement with the tenants was so strong that City Hall had to abandon the project — even though the municipality paid a part of the sum spent on the initial renovation, i.e., the condition survey and the planning stage.
Now, the city will yet again try to renovate Ullmann Palace, and according to a City Hall communiqué, the project will again fall under the facade-renovation program, and the renovation will cost only RON 4.5 million (not including sales tax). The municipality announced the project in the electronic database of the procurement proceedings, and offers can be handed in until the 26th of January. According to the new tender, now the renovation of four buildings would cost the sum that would have been spent only on Ullmann Palace two years ago: RON 7.2 million (without sales tax).
According to City Hall, the work, besides the renovation of the exterior facade, will include renovating damaged elements of the roof, repairing various decorative elements and the outer woodwork, and repairing/changing the storefronts.
Ullmann Palace in Nagyvárad/Oradea was built in 1913 following the plans of architect Löbll Ferenc. Built in the style of the Viennese Secession, the building comprises three floors raised on a high ground floor, plus an attic. On the exterior facade, there are decorative elements characteristic of sacred Jewish symbolism: a menorah guarded by two lions and many floral and geometric motifs, which were created by the famous Zsolnay company, known for its glazed porcelain and tiles. The ground floor features beautiful green-blue tiles as well.
Featured photo: la-belle-epoque.de
