Imagine Bucharest adopting a soaring symbol. What if the Coloana Infinitului became the city’s emblem?
Today, we’re standing before the Coloana Sculpture. It could become a symbol for Bucharest. Vicepremierul Paul Stănescu expressed his pride in this possibility. He sees Constantin Brâncuși’s famous sculpture as a potential icon for Romania’s capital.
Stănescu mentioned a project to erect a copy near the Palace of the Parliament. A sculptor named Rodion Gheorghiță is working on it. This Coloana would stand tall at 52 meters. That equals a 20-story building. Stănescu hoped to unveil it by December 1st. He believes it would be wonderful for Romania.
The discussion began in Slatina at a Constantin Brâncuși exhibition. There, Stănescu met Constantin Barbu. Barbu convinced everyone that the Coloana Infinitului deserves to be a symbol of Bucharest. Stănescu embraced the idea. He started making efforts with the mayor. He anticipates a decision from the General Council of Bucharest.
Constantin Brâncuși was a super genius according to Stănescu. He doesn’t think there has been a sculptor of his magnitude in modern times. Stănescu believes it is a universal symbol.
The Coloana Infinitului, or Endless Column, is originally from Târgu Jiu. It is part of a trilogy. The trilogy includes the Poarta Sărutului and Masa Tăcerii. Constantin Brâncuși conceived and executed these. The column was inaugurated on October 27, 1938. It stands 29.35 meters tall. It comprises 16 superimposed octahedral modules. At each end, there is half a module.
The sculpture is a stylization of funerary columns. These are specific to southern Romania. Its original name was “Coloana recunoștinței fără sfârșit”. It was dedicated to Romanian soldiers from World War I. They fell in 1916 during battles on the Jiu River.
These symbolic works by Constantin Brâncuși have been officially recognized. They are globally valued for their immense cultural significance. The ensemble includes the famous sculptures. They include “Masa Tăcerii”, “Aleea Scaunelor”, “Poarta Sărutului”, and “Coloana Infinitului”.
The project to create the Coloana dates back to 1909. Brâncuși’s workshop contained “truncated trunks and beams, truncated columns of wood”. In 1918, he exhibited the first version of a column. It was called “Architectural Project”. Later, in 1933, at his New York exhibition, Brâncuși displayed his project. This time, he used the famous name, Coloana fără sfârșit.
Brâncuși himself called it “a column project that, enlarged, could support the celestial vault”.
The column was cast in iron in September 1937. It was created at the Central Workshops in Petroșani. The project was headed by engineer Ștefan Georgescu-Gorjan. Engineer Nicolae Hasnas did the execution design and calculations. Master-chief Ion Romoșan coordinated the central pillar execution. Master carpenter Carol Flisec made the wooden model of the beads. He worked directly with Brâncuși, who came from Paris. He came to supervise the column’s casting.
Its components include a metal core of square pipe. It also includes a concrete foundation reaching a depth of 5 meters. There are iron “beads” strung on the core. Brâncuși called them “mărgele”.
In Madrid, sculptor Santiago Calatrava erected an obelisk of steel and bronze. It stands 120 m tall in the Plaza de Castilla. Calatrava admitted that he drew inspiration from Brâncuși’s Coloana Infinitului.
So, as you gaze upon this sculpture, consider its potential. Could the Coloana Infinitului capture Bucharest’s spirit? It already embodies artistic genius and universal symbolism.