Palace of the United Banat Banks

The Palace of the United Banat Banks (Romanian: Palatul Băncilor Bănățene Unite) is a historical building in the center of the western Romanian city of Timișoara.

Palace of the United Banat Banks
Palatul Băncilor Bănățene Unite
Map
Alternative namesHotel Timișoara
General information
Architectural styleInternational/Modernist
Location1 Mărășești Street, Timișoara, Romania
Coordinates45°45′15″N 21°13′31″E / 45.75417°N 21.22528°E / 45.75417; 21.22528
Year(s) built1931–1933 (old body)
1975–1978 (new body)
OwnerBega Turism SA
Technical details
Floor count6
Design and construction
Architect(s)László Székely [hu], Mathias Hubert [de] (old body)
Gheorghe Gîrleanu [ro] (new body)

History

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The palace, facing Victory Square, was built by a consortium of local Swabian banks, known as the United Banat Banks (German: Vereinigte Banater Banken). After 1930, the consortium asked the architects László Székely [hu] and Mathias Hubert [de] to design an imposing six-story building for their headquarters.[1] The building permit was obtained on 27 May 1931.[2] It was built within two years in a manner specific to the interwar period, without many decorations, in contrast to the rest of the palaces in the square.[2]

Since 1931, Pension Central was already operating in the palace, one of the most modern hotels in the city, taken over in 1937 by Martin Eichart.[2] On the ground floor of the building, the Jachan bookstore operated during the interwar period, and the well-known Mercur store during the communist period.[2]

Between 1975 and 1978 it was expanded on the site of the former police station, which was demolished;[1] in front of it, in the free space, an outdoor parking lot was laid out.[3] The designer of the new body was Gheorghe Gîrleanu [ro].

Today, the palace hosts Hotel Timișoara, a 191-room hotel owned by Bega Turism, the largest hotel operator in Timiș County.[4]

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Palatul Băncilor Bănățene. Pensionul Central". Vatra MCP. 25 June 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d Moldovan, Mihai-Claudiu (27 September 2023). "Palatul Băncilor Bănățene Unite". Heritage of Timișoara.
  3. ^ "Studiu evoluție cvartal (1946, 2011)" (PDF). Primăria Timișoara.
  4. ^ Tiron, Mirabela (6 February 2024). "Marius Cristescu, Bega Turism: Vom construi un apart-hotel cu 126 de apartamente în zona centrală a orașului, o investiție de 12 milioane de euro. Hotelurile au avut anul trecut un grad mediu de ocupare de 75%, iar afacerile companiei s-au apropiat de 20 mil. euro". Ziarul Financiar.