Marisia - Maros Megyei Múzeum Évkönyve 34-35. (2014-2015)
Articles
Sighisoara - structuri urbane, arhitecturale si stilistice 187 - introduced to the historiography by the scientific literature of the 1970s - shows a series of questionable elements and statements, which prove to be unfavorable for the accurate chronological placing of the studied neighborhood. This problematic situation, caused by the usage of several scientifically unfounded theories, imposed the need for their correction. This paper tries to revise and replace the statements regarding the chronology of the area between the 1 Decembrie 1918 Avenue and the Morii Street, the formation of which can be dated only approximately to the end of the 13th century and the first decades of the following century. One can discover three centuries marked by decisive architectural events, as topographic and visual sources from the 17th century confirm a constant development of the studied area, which has reached its zenith in the first decades of the 20th century. The multiple-storied gangways were systematically made until the first trimester of the 18th century, this being followed later on by the redecoration of the facades during the Historicism, and also by the production of new eclectic and Art Nouveau masterpieces. The above-mentioned culmination was followed by the unfortunate stage of decline of the researched urban structure, which started in 1928 with the restructuring of the Octavian Goga square. This event resulted in the first serious modification applied to the northern part of the 1 Decembrie 1918 Avenue, where two historically important buildings were demolished. Their absence highly affected the integrity of the architectural ensemble. One of these edifices possessed high artistic value, being the last early-built monuments conserved on the northern side of the 1 Decembrie Avenue, its faqade preserving two late-renaissance window frames made in stucco technique, avoided by the fervor of the historical redecorations. The decommissioning of the urban details which started between the two world wars was continued during the communism as well, in the proximity of the Octavian Goga square. Here a new building has been erected in 1963, designed according to the principles of the socialist and modernist architecture. This action marked only the beginning of an extensive demolishment program planned for the neighborhood. This strategy became clear only in 1982, when pretending to rearrange the area located between Morii Street, 1 Decembrie 1918 Avenue and the Tárnává Mare River, a significant built material has been eliminated from the region. The gravity of the demolishment of the valuable architectural material built in the perimeter of the historic center of Sighisoara and in the surroundings of the UNESCO site was not understood by the socialist regime. The ambition of the architectural repopulation of the researched area failed for several times. Reparatory steps were taken during the 1990s, when a neo-socialistic colossus was designed in order to terminate the existing architectural hiatus, but this action proved to be unsuccessful as the planned building was never finished. Thus the created urban situation brings into focus not only the absurdity of the decisions taken by the communists, but also the acute lack of values shown by the present, as this last one is far from willing or being able to repair the consequences of an urban catastrophe generated by the previous regime. During the centuries, several architectural styles - such as the Baroque, Historicism, Art nouveau and Functionalism- followed each other and existed next to the other or even combining their characteristics, without the new one showing an extremely aggressive attitude towards the earlier. On the other hand, the last six decades- namely the socialist and contemporary times - positions itself far from the values of this stylistic and historical tolerance. The megalomania of the communist urbanism forced its destructive rearranging projects upon the protected area, without taking into consideration its belonging to the patrimony. Besides this, the contemporary local urban planning - excessively indulgent with non-values - accepted the erection in the above-mentioned area of several poor quality architectural elements, the improper condition of which seriously disadvantages the surviving original historical- architectural environment.
