Piața Unirii
Piața Unirii is the largest square in central Bucharest, Romania, and one of the largest public spaces in Europe, being located immediately south of the old town and within the boundaries of Sectors 3. Part of the Civic Centre, it is bisected by Unirii Boulevard, originally built during the Communist era as the Boulevard of the Victory of Socialism, and renamed after the Romanian Revolution of 1989.
Overview
The square functions as part of an extended reinforced concrete bridge crossing the Dâmbovița River The part of the square capping the river is called the Union Floor, measuring wide by long, stretching diagonally through the square.The Unirea Shopping Center and the Cocor department store are located on the east side of this square, while the historic Hanul lui Manuc is on the north side, near the northeast corner. The centre of the square boasts a park and the fountains which are particularly popular with commuters and passers-by in the torrid summer months, as it is the largest complex of fountains in Europe and one of the most impressive in the world, its spectacle becoming a huge tourist attraction after the reopening of the fountains in 2018, as part of the celebrations of the Centennial of the Great Union of 1918. There were plans since the interwar period to build the Romanian National Salvation Cathedral on the place of this park, but in the early 2000s the idea proved technically impossible due to the busy underground environment and therefore the location was changed.
History
Construction of the square began in December 1934 and was inaugerated on October 15, 1935 as Nation Square as the start of a plan by mayor Dem I. Dobrescu to cover the whole of the Dâmbovița through Bucharest, which city officials had seen as a nuisance because of its pollution and flood risk. The square incorporates the older stone and masonry arched bridges of the Coșbuc bridge and the Șerban Vodă bridge.In 2023, an analysis carried out by civil engineers revealed severe degradation to the cover of the Dâmbovița River at Piața Unirii. The cover, which was part of a larger, unrealized project between 1938 and 1941, was found to be in a state of advanced degradation, with exposed rebar and crumbling concrete. Following the discovery, traffic of over 3.5 tonnes was banned from traveling through the square. On May 27, 2024, mayor Nicușor Dan approved a construction permit for the reconstruction of the square.