Manasia Bar is a rather unusual establishment in the urban landscape of Bucharest. The main reason for this is its location: a former police station.
Manasia Bar is located between Universitate and Unirii, on Stelea Spatarul Street, no. 13, in a well-maintained interwar building, also benefiting from a lush courtyard, excellently arranged to welcome those who want to withdraw from the hustle and bustle of the city.
The uniqueness of the venue comes from the fact that this building functioned as a police station for over six decades. The building still retains the cells in the basement where criminals were put under arrest and the inner courtyard where they took their walks. We visited them and we can say that the atmosphere there is unique. Every scratch on the wall has a story.
All these unconventional spaces, which total almost 1600 square meters, will host exhibitions and other types of events, uniting in a professional hub aimed at supporting young entrepreneurs in the visual arts community.
Manasia proposes two different things. The first would be to transform a building that has functioned for many years, across various political regimes, as a police station.
This means both preserving certain aesthetic motifs specific to the building and its past, and transforming it into a fresh space with a pleasant atmosphere, culturally useful for Bucharest and the European art community.
Then, Manasia proposes bringing a relaxed, fraternal, rural atmosphere right in the heart of the Capital. The project includes a reinterpretation of the Romanian porch, for example, as part of a visual eclecticism that forms a relaxing, interesting space, beyond norms and visual trends.
The actual arrangement of the space took about four months, during which utilities were put in place, the garden and annex buildings were arranged.
The aforementioned eclecticism is reflected most in the choice of furniture. Part of it was bought from second-hand shops and refurbished, another part came from Spazio Studio, and among these are inserted classic garden chairs.
Considering that Manasia Bar wants to be developed as a hub for visual culture, most events will be in this direction, but for now we enjoy the terrace, a relaxing space perfect for spending summer days in an unconventional setting.
Manasia Bar is a rather unusual establishment in the urban landscape of Bucharest. The main reason for this is its location: a former police station.
Manasia Bar is located between Universitate and Unirii, on Stelea Spatarul Street, no. 13, in a well-maintained interwar building, also benefiting from a lush courtyard, excellently arranged to welcome those who want to withdraw from the hustle and bustle of the city.
