Editing Cluj-Napoca (section)

==Architecture==
Cluj-Napoca's salient architecture is primarily [[Renaissance architecture|Renaissance]], [[Baroque]] and [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]]. The modern era has also produced a remarkable set of buildings from the [[Mid-century modern|mid-century style]]. The mostly utilitarian Communist-era architecture is also present, although only to a certain extent, as Cluj-Napoca never faced a large [[systematization (Romania)|systematisation]] programme. Of late, the city has seen significant growth in contemporary structures such as skyscrapers and office buildings, mainly constructed after 2000.<ref name="Ion Mincu">{{Cite web |title=Arhitectura perioadei moderne pe teritoriul României |url=http://www.iaim.ro/catedre/istorie_teorie_restaurare/note/APA/2-2-1-arh-mod-rom.doc |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080408202135/http://www.iaim.ro/catedre/istorie_teorie_restaurare/note/APA/2-2-1-arh-mod-rom.doc |archive-date=8 April 2008 |access-date=2008-03-12 |publisher="Ion Mincu" Architecture University |language=ro |format=DOC}}</ref>

===Historical architecture===
[[File:Palatul Banffy, azi Muzeul de Artă 20180321 121552 07.jpg|thumb|[[Bánffy Palace]]]]
[[File:Cluj Napoca - Palatul Szeki (2023) - img 01.jpg|thumb|[[Széki Palace, Cluj-Napoca|Széki Palace]]]]
The nucleus of the old city, an important cultural and commercial centre, used to be a military camp, attested in documents with the name "castrum Clus".

[[File:CatedralaSfMihail (32).JPG|thumb|left|[[Iuliu Maniu Street, Cluj-Napoca|Iuliu Maniu Street]]: construction of this symmetrical street was undertaken during the 19th century.]]

The oldest residence in Cluj-Napoca is the [[Matthias Corvinus House, Cluj-Napoca|Matthias Corvinus House]], originally a Gothic structure that bears Transylvanian [[Renaissance architecture|Renaissance]] characteristics due to a later renovation.<ref>Lazarovici et al. 1997, p.56 (3.2 Monumente medievale)</ref> Such changes feature on other Hungarian townspeople's residences, built from the mid-15th century mostly of stone and wood with a cellar, ground floor and upper storey, in the Late Gothic and Renaissance styles; although the late medieval houses have often been considerably altered, the street façades of the old town are mostly preserved.<ref name="Oxford University Press-2008">{{Cite web |year=2008 |title=Cluj-Napoca |url=http://www.oxfordartonline.com/subscriber/article/grove/art/T018268 |access-date=2008-10-10 |publisher=Oxford University Press}}</ref> [[St. Michael's Church, Cluj-Napoca|St. Michael's Church]], the oldest and most representative Gothic-style building in the country, dates back to the 14th century. The oldest of its sections is the altar, dedicated in 1390, while the newest part is the clock tower, which was built in [[Gothic Revival architecture|Gothic Revival]] style (1860).<ref name="Lukács 2005-2"/>

As Renaissance styles survived late in the city, the appearance of Baroque art was also delayed, but from the mid-18th century Klausenburg was once again at the centre of the development and spread of art in Transylvania, as it had been two centuries earlier. The first enthusiasts for Baroque were the Catholic Church and the landed aristocracy. Artists came initially from south Germany and Austria, but by the end of the century most of the work was by local craftsmen. The earliest signs of the new style appear in the furnishings of St. Michael's church: the altarpieces and pulpit, which date to the 1740s, are carved, painted and richly decorated with figures. An altarpiece depicting the ''[[Adoration of the Magi in art|Adoration of the Magi]]'' (1748–50) is the work of [[Franz Anton Maulbertsch]]. The [[Cluj-Napoca Piarists' Church|earliest two-towered Baroque church]] was built by the Jesuits from 1718 to 1724 on the pattern of [[Košice]] and was later handed over to the Piarists. During the century more simply designed Baroque churches were built for the mendicant orders, Lutherans, Unitarians and the Orthodox Church. The noble families built houses and even palaces in the old town.<ref name="Oxford University Press-2008"/> The Baroque [[Bánffy Palace]] (1774–1785), constructed around a rectangular yard, is the masterpiece of Eberhardt Blaumann. Its peculiarity lies in the appearance of the principal façade.<ref name="Ion Mincu"/>

Both [[Avram Iancu Square, Cluj-Napoca|Avram Iancu]] and [[Unirii Square, Cluj-Napoca|Unrii Squares]] feature ensembles of [[Eclecticism|eclectic]] and [[baroque]]–[[rococo]] architecture, including the [[Palace of Justice, Cluj-Napoca|Palace of Justice]],<ref name="Cluj Tribunal"/> the [[Cluj-Napoca National Theatre|Theatre]],<ref name="Clujonline"/> the [[Iuliu Maniu Street, Cluj-Napoca|Iuliu Maniu symmetrical street]],<ref name="Lazarovici et al-5"/> and the New York Palace, among others.<ref>{{Cite web |date=26 February 2008 |title=Cum va arăta viitorul "Conti" |url=http://www.ziuadecj.ro/action/article?ID=9446 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130113214106/http://www.ziuadecj.ro/action/article?ID=9446 |archive-date=13 January 2013 |access-date=2008-03-12 |publisher=Ziua de Cluj |language=ro}}</ref> In the 19th century many houses were built in the Neo-classical, Romantic and Eclectic styles. Also dating to that period are the [[Church with the Two Towers|two-towered Neo-classical Calvinist church]] (1829–50), its new college building of 1801, and the City Hall (1843–46) in the marketplace, by [[Antal Kagerbauer]].<ref name="Oxford University Press-2008"/>

The banks of the Someșul Mic also feature a wide variety of such old buildings. The end of the 19th century brought a building ensemble that fastens the corners of the oldest bridge over the river, at the north end of the [[Regele Ferdinand Avenue, Cluj-Napoca|Regele Ferdinand Avenue]]. The Berde, Babos, Elian, Urania, and [[Széki Palace, Cluj-Napoca|Széki]] palaces consist of a mixture of Baroque, Renaissance and Gothic styles, following the [[Art Nouveau]]/Secession and Revival specifics.<ref>Alicu et al. 1995, p.30</ref>
[[File:Canalul Morilor, Cluj-Napoca.JPG|thumb|right|The 17th century Canalul Morii]]
In the 2000s, the old city centre underwent extensive restoration works, meant to convert much of it into a pedestrian area, including [[Eroilor Avenue, Cluj-Napoca|Bulevardul Eroilor]], [[Unirii Square, Cluj-Napoca|Unirii Square]] and other smaller streets.<ref>{{Cite news |date=14 June 2007 |title=Schimbarea la față a centrului Clujului |url=http://www.romanialibera.ro/a98147/schimbarea-la-fata-a-centrului-clujului.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170228061239/http://www.romanialibera.ro/a98147/schimbarea-la-fata-a-centrului-clujului.html |archive-date=28 February 2017 |access-date=2008-03-12 |work=România Liberă |language=ro}}</ref> In some residential areas of the city, particularly the high-income southern areas, like ''Andrei Mureșanu'' or ''Strada Republicii'', there are many [[fin-de-siecle|turn-of-the-century]] villas.

===Modern and Communist architecture===
[[File:Teatrul Maghiar Cluj-Napoca.jpg|thumb|left|[[Cluj-Napoca Hungarian Theatre|Hungarian State Theatre and Opera]]]]
[[File:Blocks Cluj-Napoca.jpg|thumb|Blocks of flats in central Cluj-Napoca]]

Part of Cluj-Napoca's architecture is made up of buildings constructed during the [[Communist Romania|Communist era]], when historical architecture was replaced with "more efficient" high-density apartment blocks. Nicolae Ceaușescu's project of [[Systematization (Romania)|systematisation]] did not really affect the historical [[old town]], instead reaching the marginal, shoddily built districts surrounding it.<ref name="Ion Mincu"/>

Still, the centre hosts some examples of modern architecture dating back to the Communist era. The Hungarian Theatre building was erected at the beginning of the 20th century, but underwent an avant-garde renovation in 1961, when it acquired a [[modernist architecture|modernist style of architecture]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Detailed technical description |url=http://www.huntheater.ro/oldal.php?soid=9&mm=11&sl=7 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090115093329/http://www.huntheater.ro/oldal.php?soid=9&mm=11&sl=7 |archive-date=15 January 2009 |access-date=2008-03-12 |publisher=[[Hungarian Theatre of Cluj]]}}</ref> Another example of modernist architectural art is ''Palatul Telefoanelor'', situated in the vicinity of [[Michael the Brave|Mihai Viteazul]] Square, an area that also features a complex of large apartment buildings.

Some outer districts, especially [[Mănăștur]], and to a certain extent [[Gheorgheni, Cluj-Napoca|Gheorgheni]] and [[Grigorescu, Cluj-Napoca|Grigorescu]], consist mainly of such large apartment ensembles.<ref name="Ion Mincu"/>

===Contemporary architecture===
{{Main|Contemporary architecture in Cluj-Napoca}}
[[File:Cladirea biscuite Cluj-Napoca.jpg|thumb|City Business Center, dubbed the "biscuit building", is an office building in central Cluj-Napoca.]]
[[File:Plopilor Vest.jpg|thumb|Modern residential building in Plopilor Vest]]

Since 1989, modern skyscrapers and glass-fronted buildings have altered the skyline of Cluj-Napoca. Buildings from this time are mostly made out of glass and steel, and are usually high-rise. Examples include shopping malls (particularly the [[Iulius Mall Cluj|Iulius Mall]]), office buildings and bank headquarters. Of this last, regional headquarters of the [[Banca Română pentru Dezvoltare]] is the tallest office building in Cluj-Napoca, with {{convert|50|m|ft}}.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tallest High-rise Buildings in Countries: Europe: Romania |url=http://www.emporis.com/en/bu/sk/st/tp/co/?id=100136 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070218051431/http://www.emporis.com/en/bu/sk/st/tp/co/?id=100136 |archive-date=18 February 2007 |access-date=2008-03-12 |publisher=Emporis}}</ref> Its twelve storeys were completed in 1997 after 4&nbsp;years of work and house offices for the bank and for divisions of several other companies, including insurance and oil companies.

Another [[Architecture|architecturally]] interesting building is the so-called "Clădirea biscuite" (''the biscuit building''). This building was supposed to house the local headquarters of the Banca Agricolă (Agricultural Bank), but entered in the custody of the city due to the failure of that bank in the 1990s and its subsequent purchase by the [[Raiffeisen Romania|Raiffeisen Bank]], to be eventually converted in an office building.<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 December 2006 |title=Emil Boc inventeaza "tivul la Biscuit" |url=http://www.hotnews.ro/stiri-presa_regionala_arhiva-1711762-emil-boc-inventeaza-tivul-biscuit-city-business-center-plateste-primariei-cluj-napoca-parcare-care-nu-are.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090521110834/http://www.hotnews.ro/stiri-presa_regionala_arhiva-1711762-emil-boc-inventeaza-tivul-biscuit-city-business-center-plateste-primariei-cluj-napoca-parcare-care-nu-are.htm |archive-date=21 May 2009 |access-date=2008-03-17 |publisher=Romania liberă. Ediția Transilvania-Banat |language=ro}}</ref>

The headquarters of [[Banca Transilvania]], at the intersection of [[Regele Ferdinand Avenue, Cluj-Napoca|Regele Ferdinand Avenue]] and Barițiu Street, is also a large contemporary building and was originally constructed to host the regional offices of [[Romtelecom]], the public phone company, but was later sold to the bank.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pop |first=Doru |date=26 April 2007 |title=BT spends another 7&nbsp;m euros on headquarters in Cluj |url=http://www.zf.ro/articol_121977/bt_spends_another_7m_euros_on_headquarters_in_cluj.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070429032807/http://www.zf.ro/articol_121977/bt_spends_another_7m_euros_on_headquarters_in_cluj.html |archive-date=29 April 2007 |access-date=2008-03-17 |newspaper=[[Ziarul Financiar]]}}</ref>

Cluj-Napoca is undergoing a period of architectural revitalisation that is set to bring the manner of expansion to the vertical. A [[financial centre]], containing a tower of 15 storeys, is slated for completion in 2010 on Ploiești Street.<ref>{{Cite web |date=24 January 2008 |title=Centrul financiar-bancar din Cluj a primit aviz pentru un turn cu 15 etaje |url=http://www.clujeanul.ro/cluj/centrul-financiar-bancar-din-cluj-a-primit-aviz-pentru-un-turn-cu-15-etaje-2347757 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080301234803/http://www.clujeanul.ro/cluj/centrul-financiar-bancar-din-cluj-a-primit-aviz-pentru-un-turn-cu-15-etaje-2347757 |archive-date=1 March 2008 |access-date=2008-03-12 |publisher=Clujeanul |language=ro}}</ref> Two 35-storey [[Sigma Towers|twin towers]] are projected to be constructed in the Sigma area in Zorilor,<ref>{{Cite web |date=5 March 2008 |title=Clujeanul.ro vă prezintă filmul și detaliile zgârie-norilor de la Sigma |url=http://www.clujeanul.ro/cluj/clujeanul-ro-va-prezinta-filmul-si-detaliile-zgarie-norilor-de-la-sigma-2434696 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080309232959/http://www.clujeanul.ro/cluj/clujeanul-ro-va-prezinta-filmul-si-detaliile-zgarie-norilor-de-la-sigma-2434696 |archive-date=9 March 2008 |access-date=2008-03-12 |publisher=Clujeanul |language=ro}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=27 February 2008 |title=Aviz pentru turnurile de 35 de etaje |url=http://www.ziuadecj.ro/action/article?ID=9480 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080302111710/http://www.ziuadecj.ro/action/article?ID=9480 |archive-date=2 March 2008 |access-date=2008-03-12 |publisher=Ziua de Cluj |language=ro}}</ref> while the [[Florești, Cluj|Florești]] area will host a complex of three towers with 32 levels each.<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 February 2008 |title=Turnuri de Dubai construite în Florești |url=http://www.ziuadecj.ro/action/article?ID=8558 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080211102226/http://www.ziuadecj.ro/action/article?ID=8558 |archive-date=11 February 2008 |access-date=2008-03-12 |publisher=Ziua de Cluj |language=ro}}</ref> As of February 2020, the aforementioned projects were never completed or were postponed indefinitely.