Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc (in picture) said at the opening of the new Romanian National Library that this represents the most important cultural investment made in the last 20 years. “ The completion of this work is a victory of 'we can' against the negativism that dominates the Romanian society,” he added. The Prime Minister also said that now the Romanian library has a world class infrastructure, which rivals anywhere in Europe.

The new National Library of Romania located on Unirii Blvd. opened Thursday (December 15). The official opening will be in spring next year, while from January 2012, the new headquarters will host one-off events. Other operations will start during spring 2012, and by next autumn the National Library will be completely rehoused in the new site. In 2013 collections currently in storage will be transferred to the National Library. The library has seven floors above ground and two below, a 30 meter atrium, glass elevators and glass ceilings and LED lit floors.

Aedificia Carpati won the contract with the Ministry of Culture in March 2009 for the completion of construction work on the building. The offer submitted by the construction company to complete the new headquarters of the National Library was EUR 69.9 million excluding VAT, with a 30-month execution period.

Work started on the building, originally planned as a library, during Ceausescu’s regime, but construction came to a halt after the revolution. The building then stood half finished until 2009 when Aedificia Carpati won the tender for its completion.

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com

(photo source: Gov.ro)