Mihai Viteazul National College

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Mihai Viteazul National College was founded in 1865, as a subdivision of Saint Sava high school, and gained its autonomy two years later. The school changed location until 1921, when the construction of the current building began. The building was finished six years later.

The high school is located between Matei Voievod street and Pache Protopopescu boulevard. Both teachers’ and pupils’ entrances are accessible from the boulevard. The wing facing Pache Protopopescu stands out through its height. Pupils access the inner courtyard crossing through an alleyway bordered by vegetation. The courtyard is enclosed by the eastern and southern wings of the high school.

Classrooms run alongside the hallways of the two wings that make up an L-shaped plan. In the eastern wing, classrooms face and receive natural light from the inner courtyard, while in the southern wing, classrooms face Matei Voievod street.

The volume of the building has two endpoints, of a slightly different height. The first one, overlooking the boulevard, hosts the festivities halls and a monumental library. The second one contains the two-leveled gym. The high school consists of equal parts built and unbuilt spaces. The significant height of its levels emphasize the imposing character of educational buildings of that time.

Ceramic tiles decorate the facades alongside the window frameworks and the artificial stone of the socle. On the façade overlooking Matei Voievod street, crests appear in relation to the skylights. The southern wing façade stands out due to the windows that retain their original metal joinery and its upper floor terrace. The interior spaces are simple and lack decoration. The floorings, however, are treated with a geometric pattern.

Mihai Viteazul National College is a landmark for the area in which it is situated, due to its monumentality and educational function.

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