Eprubetei Office Building

Peripheral residential areas of Bucharest often display a heterogeneous and fragmented urban landscape, where the familiar image of large housing estates overlaps with the chаotic interventions of the unregulated period prior to the 2000s.

Our intervention focuses on the transformation of an unfinished building, located in a similarly inconsistent context—between a gas station and a car wash—into an urban landmark with a structuring role.

The multifunctional building is situated near the Ilioara housing estates, along the road leading to the Soarelui Highway, the main route towards the seaside.

The design strategy aimed to unify and simplify the building’s overall expression. A system of horizontal lines, developed across the first three levels and extended into solar shading elements in front of the windows, creates a gradual transition from solid to perforated surfaces. This approach allows all four façades to be articulated through a single, coherent gesture.

The ground floor and the top floor are treated as distinct elements. The fourth floor accommodates a fitness hall, fully glazed on all sides, offering panoramic views over the surrounding area.

The staircase is enclosed with a translucent façade made of U-shaped profiled glass, functioning as an “urban lantern”—a luminous landmark visible even at car speed for those approaching from or heading towards the highway.

Despite the constraints imposed by the existing structure, the intervention demonstrates how a limited set of architectural gestures can significantly transform the building’s character, contributing to a clearer and more coherent urban environment.

Eprubetei Office Building – Façade Remodeling
Design Concept and Technical Assistance: LTFB Studio
Photos: Maria Oancea, Cosmin Dragomir