Nicolae Ghica-Budești
| Nicolae Ghica-Budești | |
|---|---|
| Born |
22 December 1869 Iași, Romania |
| Died | 16 December 1943 (aged 73) Bucharest, Romania |
| Nationality | Romanian |
| Occupation |
|
| Years active | 1908–1943 |
| Notable work | Stătescu Villa |
Nicolae Ghica-Budești (December 22, 1869 – December 16, 1943) was an influential Romanian architect who helped define the Neo-Romanian style. He studied ancient monuments in Wallachia, writing four volumes documenting the architectural history of the region. The "Muntenia and Oltenia evolution in architecture" was based on his work. His masterpiece is the Museum of the Romanian Peasant which took more than two decades to complete.
Ghica-Budești was born in Iași to Eugen N. Ghika-Budești and Elenei Cantacuzino-Măgureanu. He attended the Collège Gaillard of Lausanne, Switzerland and the École Monge in Paris. Then, he returned and studied architecture at the School of Bridges and Roads in Bucharest from 1889 to 1893 under Anghel Saligny. He returned to Paris to study at the École des Beaux-Arts with Victor Alexandre Frederic Laloux and earned his degree in 1901. That same year, he married Madeleine Landrieu (1869–1951) in Paris. They would have two children: Ion Ghica-Budeşti and geologist Ştefan Ghica-Budeşti.
He returned to Romania in 1905 and until 1906, he was the lead architect for the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Public Education. In 1906, he became the chief architect and technical consultant for the Historical Monuments Commission, holding the position until his death in 1943. He headed the restoration work for many medieval monuments during his tenure. He also became a professor at the National School of Architecture starting in 1910 and continuing through 1938. In 1937, Ghica-Budeşti was made an honorary member of the Romanian Academy and served as President of the Romanian Architects Society from 1932 to 1935.
In the period between the wars, there was a push to preserve Romanian culture. Nicolae Iorga, historian and politician, was particularly concerned that modernity would sweep away the past. He began to document and research historic monuments and paved the way for a comprehensive study of the monasteries and churches of the country. This massive study was carried out by George Balș, who documented Moldavian sites and Ghica-Budeşti, who wrote four volumes of historiography of architecture after an in-depth study of properties in Muntenia and Oltenia, Wallachia. The "Muntenia and Oltenia evolution in architecture" was based primarily on his studies and writing. He was considered one of the leading experts of his time, along with Ion Mincu and Petre Antonescu.
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