Graduating from the Superior School of Architecture in 1919 with the highest distinction, Virginia Andreescu Haret became the first woman to earn an architecture degree in Romania. Her career bridged the interwar years, resulting in a portfolio of approximately 40 buildings that ranged from public educational institutions to private residences across Bucharest and the surrounding regions.
Early Education and Artistic Development
Born in Bucharest on 21 June 1894, Andreescu Haret completed her secondary schooling at Mihai Viteazul High School in 1912. Her training was interdisciplinary, as she simultaneously pursued studies at the Academy of Fine Arts under the instruction of Ipolit Strâmbu. This artistic foundation proved significant in 1920, when Strâmbu organized an exhibition of her sketches, drawings, and watercolors. The success of this show enabled the Historical Monuments Commission to acquire 28 of her pieces for permanent collection, providing the capital necessary to fund further travel and education abroad.
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Following a study trip to the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes in 1922, Andreescu Haret relocated to Rome for eighteen months. Studying under Professor Gr. Bargelini, she explored traditional construction techniques while observing the contemporary Novecento Italiano movement. Upon returning to Romania in late 1923, she secured a position at the Ministry of Technical Education. She remained with the ministry until her retirement in 1947, balancing her administrative duties with an extensive private practice and research projects, including a four-volume history of architecture authored with Nicolae Ghica-Budești.
Architectural Legacy and Public Service
Andreescu Haret’s building output reached its peak during the period between the two World Wars. Her projects demonstrate stylistic versatility, shifting between classical influences and the Art Deco aesthetic she personally favored. Key municipal works include the Gheorghe Șincai National College, constructed between 1924 and 1928, and a wing of the Cantemir Vodă National College, completed in 1929. Her professional standing eventually led to her appointment as Romanian Architectural Inspector General, the first woman to hold the title. She represented Romanian interests at international congresses held in cities including Brussels, Moscow, Paris, and Rome before her death in Bucharest on 6 May 1962.
Fast facts
- Born: 21 June 1894, Bucharest
- Died: 6 May 1962, Bucharest
- Degree: Superior School of Architecture, 1919
- Notable Role: First female Romanian Architectural Inspector General
- Marriage: Spiru I. Haret, 1928
- Primary Field: Modernism
- Academic Focus: History of architecture
- Total building output: Approximately 40 structures
Questions readers ask
What stylistic movements influenced her designs?
Her work spanned various styles from classical to modern, with a noted personal preference for Art Deco.
Did she contribute to architectural literature?
Yes, she co-authored a four-volume history of architecture alongside Nicolae Ghica-Budești.
Achievements
- Notable work: Gheorghe Șincai National College, Bucharest
- Notable work: Cantemir Vodă National College
