“Did you ever hear about a mall that had a circus right next door?” I ask, gesturing towards Complexul Comercial Băneasa. Complexul Comercial Băneasa isn’t just any shopping mall. Its history intertwines with the rise and fall of a rather peculiar neighbor: the Hunger Circus. Opened in April 2008, Complexul Comercial Băneasa quickly became a landmark in Bucharest. It boasts over 250 stores and a vast retail space of 55,000 square meters. It was built by the French firm Bouygues at a cost of 150 million euros. This investment transformed the Băneasa neighborhood. Now, where shoppers hunt for bargains, there once stood a very different kind of spectacle. Imagine the contrast: the glittering storefronts of Băneasa Shopping City rising near the faded grandeur of the old Hunger Circus. This circus, with its strange name, offered a unique, if unsettling, form of entertainment. While details of the Hunger Circus remain elusive, its name evokes a sense of both spectacle and desperation. Perhaps it was a place where performers pushed their limits, enduring hunger and hardship for the sake of their art. Or maybe the name is simply a whimsical, if somewhat morbid, moniker. The stark contrast between the bustling commercial center and the now-defunct circus paints a vivid picture of Bucharest’s evolving landscape. Complexul Comercial Băneasa, with its modern architecture and plethora of brands, represents the city’s embrace of consumerism and globalization. The ghostly memory of the Hunger Circus, on the other hand, whispers tales of a bygone era, a time of different priorities and perhaps, a different kind of hunger. So, the next time you find yourself wandering through the gleaming halls of Complexul Comercial Băneasa, take a moment to consider its unusual past. Imagine the roar of the crowds, the smell of popcorn, and the faint echo of the Hunger Circus, a silent reminder of the city’s ever-changing narrative.
Центральный дом работников искусств
Step through the grand wooden doors of the Central House of the Workers of Art, and you’ll be transported to