49 Gafencu Luxury Residence

The name 49 Gafencu Residence comes from its address. Ciprian-Ioan Anghel and Cristina-Mihaela Anghel, from Sorin Anghel's family, developed the site, which was vacant until a few years ago. The villas are finished, but beyond them is a large empty lot where something huge will probably go up someday. Then there’s an unattractive, apparently residential block of about three floors, followed by this building, visible from far away. Two more big blocks are being built beyond it, so construction sites, trucks and cranes will be around for a few years. This 13-floor block at Gafencu 49 was completed in 2017. The ground floor has commercial spaces, though they aren't of immediate use to residents, which takes away from its residential appeal. The street-side entrance also disappointed me. After all these years, the fairly large forecourt, like a small esplanade, is still undeveloped, just a cobbled area with a narrow strip of greenery along the edge. I think the original idea may have been a circular drive: cars or taxis would enter by the garage side, go around the building, drop passengers at the door, then leave from the other side. Inside, things get much more impressive. The lobby is one of Bucharest’s most spectacular residential entrances, like a luxury hotel, with top-quality materials, sofas, decorations, ornaments, plants and a uniformed doorman. The lobbies on the floors are wide and elegant too. There are two modern elevators, quiet and very fast, one small and one large, each with its own button. Newer systems usually have one call panel, then either a sensor to tell when a larger lift is needed or separate buttons to show how many people are waiting. For visitors, the building is among the most welcoming residential properties in Bucharest right now, apart from the access issue outside. There’s no main staircase, only a service staircase, as in an office building, but it’s wide and well built, more like an indoor stairway than an emergency or fire escape. The enormous two-level car park is spotless. Entry uses a card rather than number plate recognition, and there are no special visitor arrangements such as smart parking management. There’s a spa and indoor pool. I was told there are also children’s play areas, but I didn’t see them. Even with the small drawbacks I mentioned, 49 Gafencu Residence is one of Bucharest’s landmark residential buildings. (George Butunoiu)