Athénée Palace received Allbim NET Distinction at Bucharest Architecture Annual 2022

• Optim Project Management provided Project Management and Cost Management services during the refurbishment works

The twentieth edition of Bucharest Architecture Annual took place on December 7th in the atrium of the National Library of Romania and rewarded the best recent Bucharest architecture projects. Athénée Palace was awarded with Allbim NET Distinction for the refurbishment of its accommodation spaces.

Houses, like people, have their own existence. There are, however, some buildings that have had several lives: went through two World Wars, as many catastrophic earthquakes, was bombed, survived and is still gorgeous and imposing today. Symbolic building of the capital, Athénée Palace Hotel has preserved its elegance and refinement over time.

Thousands of people worked at the Athénée Palace during its over one hundred years of existence and the hotel has been renovated five times so far; for the first time in the interwar period, in 1937. The team that changed the face of the hotel, in order to have a more modern look for the 40s, was led by the well-known Romanian architect Duiliu Marcu. After the bombings of August 1944, which damaged the hotel quite seriously, it was rebuilt by the same architect. In 1965, another wing was built, to cope with the increased flow of guests. The Athénée Palace was again modernized and reopened in 1997.

In 2020, Ana Hotels – the owner of the building – appointed Optim Project Management to provide Project Management and Cost Management services during the refurbishment process of Athénée Palace Hilton. The redevelopment of the accommodation area was made according to an interior design concept proposed by Alexander James LTD, adapted in the *BIM system. The new wing (1965) represented the first stage of development and 132 rooms were ready in six months. The 149 rooms in the historical wing (1914, 1935) were also redecorated in other six months. These, due to previous interventions and various compliances, had a unique status, the project having a high degree of difficulty.

The current works include the lobby, which has been completely renovated, being functional again at the end of November; Club Lounge, an entirely new space, expected to be finalized next week; and Regina Maria rooms, completely refurbished, expected to be ready by the middle of December, as well.

Although the entire remodelling was quick, the care towards the adaptation to each room configuration, towards the details, the quality of the materials and their placement was maximum. The art deco style, which Duiliu Marcu superimposed on the existing art nouveau building, was the generating element of the current redevelopment, in a modern interpretation. A complex project, which took into account the demands of the beneficiary, current technology and sustainability provide comfort and luxury to its customers and guarantee a new life for this edifice.

Bucharest Architecture Annual awards the entire team that contributes to the successful completion of a construction: architects, clients, developers, entrepreneurs, institutions, project managers, engineers and builders. The most spectacular individual and collective housing projects, public and heritage, interior architecture and portfolio projects by Bucharest architects competed in the following categories: Built Architecture, Interior Design Architecture, Portfolio Architecture, Research through Architecture.

*BIM – Building Information Modelling – is an interdisciplinary way of working, based on a 3D model, created from the information brought by each specialist, which supports efficient collaboration, transparent accountability and savings in all aspects throughout the life of the building.