Palace of Culture (Iași)

Palace of Culture Palatul Culturii
Palace of Culture - panorama
General information
Architectural style	Neo-Gothic
Town or city	Iaşi
Country	Romania
Coordinates	47°09′27″N 27°35′13″E / 47.15739°N 27.58695°E / 47.15739; 27.58695
Construction started	1906
Completed	1925
Client	City of Iași
Height	55 m (180 ft)
Technical details
Floor area	34,236 m2 (368,510 sq ft)
Design and construction
Architect	Ion D. Berindei
Website
palatulculturii.ro

The Palace of Culture (Romanian: Palatul Culturii) 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 Palace of Culture is listed in the National Register of Historic Monuments.

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. Between 1975 and 1977 the wood bridging from the last floor was replaced with a cement one, fixed with steel netting. The new bridging sustained the monument during the earthquake of 1977, but the bridging from the first floor, the walls, the ornaments and the relief works were affected. A large-scale restoration project, considered one of the most complex in Romania since 1990, began in 2008. The partial completion of works is scheduled for April 2016.