Toma Barbu Socolescu Explained

Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Toma Gheorghe Barbu Socolescu|italic=no a Romanian architect, son of Toma T. Socolescu and grandson of Toma N. Socolescu, functionalist in spite of himself, he had to espouse the directives of the Socialist Republic of Romania.

Biography

Graduated in architecture from the École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts of Paris in 1939.^[1] He was admitted to the 2nd class on July 10, 1934, winning two 3rd medals in construction and ornamental design, then to the 1st class on November 4, 1936, winning a 2nd medal in rendered design.

Before and during his studies, Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Toma Barbu Socolescu|italic=no worked on the interior design of the transatlantic liner Normandie in 1932-1935^{[1] [2] [3]} in Roger-Henri Expert's studio.

His first steps were taken alongside his father Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Toma T. Socolescu|italic=no, in the 1940s, with whom he worked on several projects in the Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Prahova Judet|italic=no: plans for a locomotive depot in Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Ploiești|italic=no as well as the systematization plans for Câmpina and Mizil.^{[4] [5]} His first appointment was as a university assistant at the Ion Mincu Institute of Architecture (Bucharest) in 1939, a post he held until 1951.^{[1] [2]} According to his declaration in his registration file with the Directorate of Higher Education in 1940, he was then on 12 months' military service with the rank of second lieutenant in the Romanian army.^[4]

He spent the rest of his career working on industrial architecture and large-scale civil buildings.^[6] From 1942 to 1945, he was Design Architect at the C.A.M (Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Cassa Autonomă a Monopolurilor Regatului României),^[7] a position he would still assume from 1949 to 1951 at the IPC (Institute of Design and Construction). From 1952 to 1958, he was chief design architect at the Institute of Design for Industrial Constructions (IPCI), while also working externally for the Ministry of Local Economy,^{[8] [2]} building canteens, housing and administrative pavilions. He pursued his expertise as chief design architect at the Institute of Design for Petroleum Refineries or Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Institutul de Proiectari pentru Instalatii Petroliere (IPIP SA) from 1958 to 1960. Finally, from 1960 to 1967, he worked as a consultant architect at the Institute of Design for Food Industries (IPIA) or Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Institutul de Proiectare al Industriei Alimentare.^{[9] [3]} He ended his career as a professor at the Technical School of Architecture and Town Building (Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Școala Tehnică de Arhitectură și Construcția Orașelor|italic=no) of Bucharest, from 1967 to 1970.^{[10] [9] [6]}

Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Barbu Socolescu|italic=no built a number of industrial projects, including a large-scale canning factory at Ovidiu near Constanța, from 1959 to 1965, a site which would later house the country's first Pepsi-Cola plant.^{[5] [6]}

Also a painter, he exhibited his watercolors at an exhibition organized by the Union of Architects of the Socialist Republic of Romania in Bucharest in 1954.^{[9] [5]}

Toma Barbu's career was more modest than his abilities would have suggested, as his family suffered political persecution. The Romanian political police monitored him for much of his career, as they did his father. He was prosecuted for demonstrations hostile to the State and summoned several times by the Securitate.^[3] As he was not considered dangerous to the regime, the prosecution had no follow-up.^[11]

Contests

1. 1937: First prize for the sketch competition for a casino project for the Astra Română refinery, in Ploiești, co-directed with his father Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Toma T. Socolescu|italic=no - Ploiești.^{[2] [12]}
2. April 1938: 1st mention at concours Paul Delaon - Paris.^[1]
3. 1943: Mention in the competition for the administrative grouping of UCEA factories in Făgăraş.^[13]
4. 1964: Award of the Architecture and Building State Commission for the canned vegetables factory of Ovidiu, Constanța County.^{[14] [9] [5]}

Memberships

He was a member of several groups of architects:

• Student and alumni association of the Paris École nationale et supérieure des Beaux-arts or Grande Masseof the School of Fine Arts since 1932.^[1]
• Société des Architectes Diplômés par le Gouvernement Français^[15] since 1939.^[1]
• Society of Certified Architects and Corporation of Romanian Architects in 1939.^[9]
• Society of Romanian Architects from 1939 to 1946.^[9]
• Architects Union of Romanian Socialist Republic since 1953.^[9]

Genealogy

The Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Socol|italic=no family of , formerly part of Făgăraș or Țara Făgărașului is a branch of the Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Socol|italic=no family of Muntenia, which lived in the county of Dâmbovița. A 'Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Socol|italic=no', great boyar and son-in-law of Mihai Viteazul (1557–1601), had two religious foundations in Dâmbovița county, still existing, Cornești and Răzvadu de Sus. He built their churches and another one in the suburb of Târgoviște. This boyar married Marula, daughter of Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Tudora din Popești|italic=no, also known as Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Tudora din Târgșor|italic=no,^[16] sister of Prince Antonie-Vodă. Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Marula|italic=no was recognized by Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Mihai Viteazul|italic=no as his illegitimate daughter, following an extra-marital liaison with Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Tudora|italic=no. Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Marula|italic=no is buried in the church of Răzvadu de Sus, where, on a richly carved stone slab,^[17] her name can be read.

Nicolae Iorga, the great Romanian historian and friend of Barbu's father Toma T. Socolescu, found Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Socol|italic=no ancestors among the founders of the City of Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Făgăraș|italic=no in the 12th century.^[18] In 1655, the Prince of Transylvania George II Rákóczi ennobled an ancestor of Nicolae G. Socol: "Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Ștefan Boier din Berivoiul Mare|italic=no, and through him his wife Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Sofia Spătar|italic=no, his son Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Socoly|italic=no, and their heirs and descendants of whatever sex, to be treated and regarded as true and undeniable NOBLEMEN.",^[19] in gratitude for his services as the Prince's courier in the Carpathians, a function "which he fulfilled faithfully and steadfastly for many years, and especially in these stormy times [...]".^{[19] [20]} Around 1846, five Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Socol|italic=no^[21] come to Muntenia, from, in the territory of Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Făgăraș|italic=no. One of the brothers was architect Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Nicolae Gh. Socol|italic=no (??-1872). He settled in Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Ploiești|italic=no around 1840-1845, and named himself Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Socolescu|italic=no. He married Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Iona Săndulescu, from the Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Sfantu Spiridon|italic=no suburb. He had a daughter (died in infancy) and four sons,^{[22] [23]} two of whom became major architects: Toma N. Socolescu and . The lineage of architects continues with Toma T. Socolescu, and his son Barbu Socolescu.

The historian, cartographer and geographer evokes, in 1891,^[24] the presence of Romanian boyars of the first rank Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Socoleşti, in Bucharest, descendants of Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Socol|italic=no from Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Dâmbovița|italic=no. Finally, Constantin Stan also refers, in 1928, to the precise origin of Nicolae Gheorghe Socol :

Architectural achievements

• Interior decoration of the liner Normandie in 1936, under the direction of professor of architecture Roger-Henri Expert.^{[1] [3]}

• Villa of Dr Gheorghiu in Breaza, Prahova County, in 1940.^{[1] [6]}

Civil and industrial construction

Almost all of Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Barbu Socolescu|italic=no's projects are in the industrial field, particularly in the food industry.^{[25] [9] [2] [6]}

• Slănic Salt Mine Employee Housing Building (Salina Slănic), Prahova County, in 1942.
• Social complex and canteen of the municipality of Ghimpați, Giurgiu County, in 1942.
• Tobacco manufacturing and fermentation warehouse of the Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Cassa Autonomă a Monopolurilor Regatului României^[7] in Râmnicu Sărat and Târgu Jiu, in 1943.
• Salt deposit at Ocna Mureș, Alba County, in 1943.
• Administrative premises, staff accommodation and warehouses from Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Cassa Autonomă a Monopolurilor Regatului României^[7] in Fălticeni, Suceava County, in 1943.
• Oil factory in Craiova, in 1949.
• Cement plant of Bicaz, 1951.
• Various works for the Medgidia and Fieni cement plants: mechanical workshop, cement paste tank, canteen, administrative pavilion, in 1951
• Many other industrial constructions until 1966, including a vegetable canning factory in Ovidiu, near Constanța.
• A slaughterhouse in Ploiești, 1958.
• A canning factory in Tecuci (Romanian Moldavia), 1958.^[26]
• Several other industrial buildings until 1966, including the large Ovidiu vegetable canning factory (later Munca Ovidiu) at Ovidiu near Constanța in 1962^[14] . The project actually stretched from 1955 to 1966. In 1966, the plant was expanded to accommodate a Pepsi-Cola bottling line,^{[27] [6]} one of only two production units in the country, the other being in Bucharest. The factory went bankrupt in 2005 and was dissolved.^[28] The entire factory has been emptied of its machine tools, and only the building and its metal structures remain clearly recognizable (in April 2024), despite extensions and modifications. It is located in a square bounded by the Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: strada Tulcea|italic=no and the Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: strada Intrarea petrolului|italic=no.

Conceived but unimplemented architectural projects

• Astra Refinery Casino, Ploiești, carried out with his father, Toma T. Socolescu, in 1937^{[2] [12]} ..
• Orthodox Church of Predeal in 1956 or 1957, another project carried out with his father.^{[29] [30]}

Bibliography

• Book: Petrescu, Gabriela. ARHITECȚII SOCOLESCU 1840-1940, Studiu monografic. SOCOLESCU ARCHITECTS 1840-1940, Monographic study. Editura Simetria. Bucharest. ro. 2024. 978-973-1872-55-1. ^[31]
• Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: , Arhitectura journal,^[32] published by thr SOCIETY OF ROMANIAN ARCHITECTS,^[33] published from 1906 to 1944. During the Communist period, it changed its name twice: Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Arhitectura RPR from 1960 to 1968, then Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Arhitectura again from 1968., Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: București|italic=no, published from 1906 to 1944.^[34] During the Communist period, it changed its name twice: Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Arhitectura RPR from 1960 to 1968, then Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Arhitectura again from 1968.
• International Who's who in Art and Antiques - Second Edition, Ernest Kay (Directeur Editorial), Great Britain, Melrose Press Ltd, 1976, 525 p. .

Other sources

• UAR Archives (Union of Architects of Romania) - UAR documentary archives (available on site on request).
• Archives of the Paris School of Fine Arts / AGORHA - Plateforme de données de la recherche de l'Institut national d'histoire de l'art / Dictionnaire des élèves architectes de l’École des beaux-arts de Paris (1800-1968) Dictionary database, Paris.
• Ion Mincu Architecture and Urbanism University Library, Bucharest.
• Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Socolescu|italic=no family's archives (Paris, Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: București|italic=no) including a photographic collection.

See also

• .

Notes and references

• (a) Book: Socolescu, Toma T.. Toma T. Socolescu. Arhitectura în Ploești, studiu istoric. Architecture in Ploești, historical study. Preface by Nicolae Iorga. Cartea Românească. Bucharest. ro. 1938. 16725.

• (b) Book: Socolescu, Toma T.. Toma T. Socolescu. Amintiri. Memories. Editura Caligraf Design. Bucharest. ro. 2004. 973-86771-0-6.

• (c) Book: Sevastos, Mihail. Mihail Sevastos. Monografia orașului Ploești. Monograph of the city of Ploești. Cartea Românească. Bucharest. ro. 1937.

• (d) SOCIETY OF ROMANIAN ARCHITECTS (SAR),^[33] journal of architecture Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Arhitectura, published from 1906 to 1944. During the Communist period, it changed its name twice: Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Arhitectura RPR from 1960 to 1968, then Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Arhitectura again from 1968.

• (e) Book: Petrescu, Gabriela. ARHITECȚII SOCOLESCU 1840-1940, Studiu monografic. SOCOLESCU ARCHITECTS 1840-1940, Monographic study. Editura Simetria. Bucharest. ro. 2024. 978-973-1872-55-1.

• Other notes and references :

Notes and References

1. Biography of the architect available on the AGORHA (French: Plateforme de données de la recherche de l'Institut national d'histoire de l'art) website: Web site: Socolescu, Toma Barbu. AGORHA - Institut national d’histoire de l’art. Marie-Laure. Crosnier Leconte. fr. September 19, 2024. Ploiești.
2. Registration file with the RPR Union of Architects, February 25, 1953, approval minutes of April 3 and 10, 1953, p. 2.
3. p. 192.
4. UAR archives, Ministry of National Education, Cults and the Arts, Directorate General of Higher Education, Registration file and review board, Ref 1034/1940, sheet 429-2.
5. p. 193.
6. in Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Arhitectura|italic=no journal, the architect's obituary published in 1977, p. 8.
7. translation: Autonomous House of Monopolies of the Kingdom of Romania.
8. Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Ministerul Gospodariei locale
9. Book: Kay. Ernest. International Who's who in Art and Antiques - Second Edition. Melrose Press Ltd. London. 1976. 358. 0-900332-37-9.
10. The school changed its name several times until 2001 when it eventually bore the name of his great-uncle : .
11. Archives CNSAS - Consiliul Naţional pentru Studierea Arhivelor Securităţii (National Council for the Study of Security Archives), file 53442 Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Barbu Socolescu, decision of the military prosecutor's office of November 2, 1965.
12. pp. 186, 192-193, 205 and 206.
13. Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Arhitectura journal, Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Grupul administrativ al fabricilor UCEA, 1943-1944, years IX-X, p. 31.
14. Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Arhitectura RPR journal, Arh Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Barbu Socolescu|italic=no, Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Fabrica de conserve Ovidiu din Constanta, 1964, year XII, Nr2, pp. 5-7.
15. French association: Society of Architects Graduated by the French Government.
16. Web site: Mihai Viteazul. Enciclopedia României. ro. September 19, 2024. Bucharest. EnciclopediaRomâniei.ro. .
17. Slavonic inscription on the cross on the tombstone of Răzvadu de Sus: " Died, the servant of God Marula, Master of the Royal Court, Lady of Messire Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Socol|italic=no, former Grand Master of the Royal Court, daughter of the late Prince Mihai and Lady Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Tudora|italic=no, in the year 1647, during the reign of Prince Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Ion Matei Basarab|italic=no in 17 December, around the tenth hour of the night, solar calendar of the 21st year ", according to the Romanian translation done by G.D Florescu in 1944 from an original slavon version:" Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: A răposat roaba lui Dumnezeu Marula clucereasa jupanului Socol fost mare clucer, fiică a răposatului Io Mihai Voevod și a jupînesei Tudora la anul 1647 în zilele lui Ion Matei Basarab voevod în luna decembrie 17 zile spre al zecilea ceas din noapte crugul solar temelia 21|italic=no ".
    Source: G.D. Florescu, Idem, Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Un sfetnic al lui Matei Basarab, ginerele lui Mihai Viteazul|italic=no, in Revista istorică română, XI–XII, 1941–1942, pp. 88–89.
18. Note 8 - p. 15.
19. pp. 8 and 9 - Extract from the ennoblement deed of July 14, 1655.
20. p. 14 - Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Toma T. Socolescu|italic=no writes:
    
21. p. 14 - Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Toma T. Socolescu|italic=no writes :
22. pp. 105-106.
23. pp. 214-215.
24. p. 17 - Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Dimitrie Papazoglu, Istoria fondărei orașului București, Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: București, Curtea Veche, 2005, p. 59.
25. pp. 192 and 193.
26. p. 206.
27. Article Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Cum a ajuns Pepsi pe piața românească în anii ’60. Băutura capitalistă se dădea la schimb cu vin, vodcă sau nave (How Pepsi reached the Romanian market in the 60s. The capitalist drink was traded for wine, vodka or ships), Marianu Iancu, Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Adevarul newspaper, 10/06/2023 - Cum a ajuns Pepsi pe piața românească în anii ’60. Băutura capitalistă se dădea la schimb cu vin, vodcă sau navede.
28. Press releases:- Munca Ovidiu, intra în faliment (Munca Ovidiu goes bankrupt), Darius Martinescu, Romania Libera newspaper, 24/06/2005 - Munca Ovidiu, intra în faliment.
    - Fabrica „Munca Ovidiu”, taiata la fier vechi ("Munca Ovidiu" factory, scrapped), Darius Martinescu, Romania Libera newspaper, 26/10/2005 - Fabrica „Munca Ovidiu”, taiata la fier vechi.
    - Faliment la Munca Ovidiu (Bankrupt at Muca Ovidiu), Lavinia Siclitaru, Ziua de Constanța newspaper, 18/11/2005 - Faliment la Munca Ovidiu.
29. p. 6.
30. p. 205.
31. The book is available:
    • at the Ion Mincu University of Architecture and Urban Planning - Library website: Direct link, on BUAUIM catalog, reference 'II 8867'.
    • at the Romanian National Library on BNR catalog, reference 'IV 120354'.
32. translation : Architecture.
33. Founded by in 1891 and which later become the Union of Romanian Architects (UAR) UAR internet site, historic
34. All issues of the magazine can be read :
    • at the Library of the Ion Mincu University of Architecture and Urban Planning - Page where all issues can be viewed (pdf).
    • at the Bucharest Carol I Central University Library.