Toma Barbu Socolescu

(born July 10, 1909, in Ploiești, Romania, and died July 21, 1977, in Bucharest, Romania) was a Romanian architect, son of Toma T. Socolescu and grandson of Toma N. Socolescu. A functionalist against his will, he was compelled to conform to the directives of communist Romania.

Biography

He was awarded two third-place medals, in construction and ornamental drawing, and later, in the first class from November 4, 1936, he received a second-place medal for a rendered project.

Graduated in architecture from the École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts of Paris in 1939,Biography of the architect available on the AGORHA () website: he was admitted to the 2nd class on July 10, 1934, winning two 3rd medals in construction and ornamental design, then to the 1st class on November 4, 1936, winning a 2nd medal for a submitted design. Before and during his studies, worked on the interior design of the transatlantic liner Normandie in 1932-1935 Registration file with the RPR Union of Architects, February 25, 1953, approval minutes of April 3 and 10, 1953, p. 2.p. 192. in Roger-Henri Expert's studio.

His first steps were taken alongside his father , in the 1940s, with whom he worked on several projects in the : plans for a locomotive depot in as well as the urban development plans for Câmpina and Mizil. UAR archives, Ministry of National Education, Cults and the Arts, Directorate General of Higher Education, Registration file and review board, Ref 1034/1940, sheet 429-2.p. 193. His first position was as a university assistant at the Ion Mincu Institute of Architecture (Bucharest) in 1939, a post he held until 1951. According to his statement in his registration file with the Directorate of Higher Education in 1940, he was then serving a 12-month term in the Romanian army with the rank of second lieutenant.

He made his entire career in industrial architecture and large civilian buildings.Obituary of the architect, published in the 1977 issue, page 8. From 1942 to 1945, he was Design Architect at the C.A.M (),translation: Kingdom of Romania Autonomous House of Monopolies. a position he would still assume from 1949 to 1951 at the IPC (Institute of Design and Construction). From 1952 to 1958, he was chief design architect at the Institute of Design for Industrial Constructions (IPCI), while also working externally for the Ministry of Local Economy, building canteens, housing and administrative pavilions. He pursued his expertise as chief design architect at the Institute of Design for Petroleum Refineries or (IPIP SA) from 1958 to 1960. Finally, from 1960 to 1967, he worked as a consultant architect at the Institute of Design for Food Industries (IPIA) or . He ended his career as a professor at the Technical School of Architecture and Town Building () of Bucharest, from 1967 to 1970.The school changed its name several times until 2001 when it eventually bore the name of his great-uncle : .

built a number of industrial projects, including a large-scale canning factory at Ovidiu near Constanța, from 1959 to 1965, a site which would later house the country's first Pepsi-Cola plant.

Also a painter, he exhibited his watercolors at an exhibition organized by the Union of Architects of the Socialist Republic of Romania in Bucharest in 1954.

Toma Barbu's career was more modest than his abilities would have suggested, as his family suffered political persecution. The Romanian political police monitored him for much of his career, as they did his father. He was prosecuted for hostile expressions against the State and summoned several times by the Securitate. As he was not considered a danger to the regime, no further action was taken. Archives CNSAS - Consiliul Naţional pentru Studierea Arhivelor Securităţii (National Council for the Study of Security Archives), file 53442 , decision of the military prosecutor's office of November 2, 1965.

Architectural contests

1937: First prize for the sketch competition on a casino project decided by the Astra Română rafinery, in Ploiești, co-designed with his father .pp. 186, 192-193, 205 and 206. April 1938: 1st mention at concours Paul Delaon, Paris. 1943: Mention in the competition for the administrative grouping of UCEA factories in Făgăraş. journal, , 1943-1944, years IX-X, p. 31. 1964: Award of the Architecture and Building State Commission for the canned vegetables factory of Ovidiu, Constanța County. journal, Arh , , 1964, year XII, Nr2, pp. 5-7.

Memberships

He was a member of several groups of architects: Student and alumni association of the Paris École nationale et supérieure des Beaux-arts or Grande Masseof the School of Fine Arts since 1932. Société des Architectes Diplômés par le Gouvernement FrançaisFrench association: Society of Architects Graduated by the French Government. since 1939. Society of Certified Architects and Corporation of Romanian Architects in 1939. Society of Romanian Architects from 1939 to 1946. Architects Union of Romanian Socialist Republic since 1953.

Genealogy

The family of , formerly part of Făgăraș or Țara Făgărașului is a branch of the family of Muntenia, which lived in the county of Dâmbovița. A '', great boyar and son-in-law of Mihai Viteazul (1557–1601), had two religious foundations in Dâmbovița county, still existing, Cornești and Răzvadu de Sus. He built their churches and another one in the suburb of Târgoviște. This boyar married Marula, daughter of , also known as ,. sister of Prince Antonie-Vodă. was recognized by as his illegitimate daughter, following an extra-marital liaison with . is buried in the church of Răzvadu de Sus, where, on a richly carved stone slab,Slavonic inscription on the cross on the tombstone of Răzvadu de Sus: " Died, the servant of God Marula, Master of the Royal Court, Lady of Messire , former Grand Master of the Royal Court, daughter of the late Prince Mihai and Lady , in the year 1647, during the reign of Prince in 17 December, around the tenth hour of the night, solar calendar of the 21st year ", according to the Romanian translation done by G.D Florescu in 1944 from an original slavon version: " ".

. her name can be read.

Nicolae Iorga, the great Romanian historian and friend of Barbu's father Toma T. Socolescu, found ancestors among the founders of the City of in the 12th century.Note 8 - p. 15. In 1655, the Prince of Transylvania George II Rákóczi ennobled an ancestor of Nicolae G. Socol: ", and through him his wife , his son , and their heirs and descendants of whatever sex, to be treated and regarded as true and undeniable NOBLEMEN.",pp. 8 and 9 - Extract from the ennoblement deed of July 14, 1655. in gratitude for his services as the Prince's courier in the Carpathians, a function "which he fulfilled faithfully and steadfastly for many years, and especially in these stormy times [...]".p. 14 - writes: Around 1846, five p. 14 - writes : come to Muntenia, from , in the territory of . One of the brothers was architect Nicolae Gh. Socol (??-1872). He settled in around 1840-1845, and named himself . He married , from the suburb. He had a daughter (died in infancy) and four sons,pp. 105-106.pp. 214-215. two of whom became major architects: Toma N. Socolescu and . The lineage of architects continues with Toma T. Socolescu, and his son Barbu Socolescu.

The historian, cartographer and geographer evokes, in 1891,p. 17 - , , Curtea Veche, 2005, p. 59. the presence of Romanian boyars of the first rank , in Bucharest, descendants of from . Finally, Constantin Stan also refers, in 1928, to the precise origin of Nicolae Gheorghe Socol :

Architectural achievements

Interior decoration of the liner Normandie in 1936, under the direction of professor of architecture Roger-Henri Expert.

Villa of Dr Gheorghiu in Breaza, Prahova County, in 1940.

Civil and industrial construction

Almost all of 's projects are in the industrial field, particularly in the food industry.pp. 192 and 193.

Slănic Salt Mine Employee Housing Building (Salina Slănic), Prahova County, in 1942. Social complex and canteen of the municipality of Ghimpați, Giurgiu County, in 1942. Tobacco manufacturing and fermentation warehouse of the in Râmnicu Sărat and Târgu Jiu, in 1943. Salt deposit at Ocna Mureș, Alba County, in 1943. Administrative premises, staff accommodation and warehouses from in Fălticeni, Suceava County, in 1943. Oil factory in Craiova, in 1949. Cement plant of Bicaz, 1951. Various works for the Medgidia and Fieni cement plants: mechanical workshop, cement paste tank, canteen, administrative pavilion, in 1951 Many other industrial constructions until 1966, including a vegetable canning factory in Ovidiu, near Constanța. A slaughterhouse in Ploiești, 1958. A canning factory in Tecuci (Romanian Moldavia), 1958.p. 206. Several other industrial buildings until 1966, including the large Ovidiu vegetable canning factory (later Munca Ovidiu) at Ovidiu near Constanța in 1962. The project actually stretched from 1955 to 1966. In 1966, the plant was expanded to accommodate a Pepsi-Cola bottling line, one of only two production units in the country, the other being in Bucharest. The factory went bankrupt in 2005 and was dissolved. Press releases:

The entire factory has been emptied of its machine tools, and only the building and its metal structures remain clearly recognizable (in April 2024), despite extensions and modifications. It is located in a square bounded by the and the .

Conceived but unimplemented architectural projects

Astra Refinery Casino, Ploiești, carried out with his father, Toma T. Socolescu, in 1937. Orthodox Church of Predeal in 1956 or 1957, another project carried out with his father.p. 6.p. 205.

Bibliography

.The article is available : at Mihai Eminescu University Central Library of Iași (Biblioteca Centrală Universitară „Mihai Eminescu”) on the BCUB catalog notice. at Carol I University Central Library of Bucharest (Biblioteca Centrală Universitară Carol I din București ), reference 'III9314'. and also at the Library of the Romanian Academy on the RA catalog, reference 'II 189426'. The book is available: at the Ion Mincu University of Architecture and Urban Planning - Library website: Direct link, on BUAUIM catalog, reference 'II 8867'. at the Romanian National Library on BNR catalog, reference 'IV 120354'. Founded by his great uncle in 1891 and which became the Union of Romanian Architects (UAR) UAR website, history. The journal was published from 1906 to 1944 (irregularly). During the communist period it changed its name twice: from 1960 to 1968, then again from 1968.All issues of the journal can be consulted: at the Library of the Ion Mincu University of Architecture and Urban Planning - Page where all issues can be viewed (pdf). at the Bucharest Carol I Central University Library. During the Communist period, it changed its name twice: from 1960 to 1968, then again from 1968.

Other sources

UAR Archives (Union of Architects of Romania) - UAR documentary archives (available on site on request). Archives of the Paris School of Fine Arts / AGORHA - Plateforme de données de la recherche de l'Institut national d'histoire de l'art / Dictionnaire des élèves architectes de l’École des beaux-arts de Paris (1800-1968) Dictionary database, Paris. Ion Mincu Architecture and Urbanism University Library, Bucharest. family's archives (Paris, ) including a photographic collection.

Toma Barbu Socolescu

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