The Mirror Street in Cluj, on its official name, Iuliu Maniu Street, is a unique sight in the Transylvanian area, as well as a symbol of Cluj-Napoca.
The western end of the street, the one from Unirii Square, impresses with the two buildings that are symmetrical almost entirely. Hence the name, due to the mirror image effect created by the buildings. These are located between Bánffy Palace and the Wolphard-Kakas House and give the uniqueness and harmony of the street that goes out to Union Square.
Never at the corner of the street
Here, you are never at the corner of the street, for the buildings follow a rounded structure. And the turrets covered with decorated helmets accentuate the roundness of the corners. So, the street invites you to discover it, to dare to explore its buildings ...
And not just the two twin buildings are architectural treasures. If you walk down the street, you will notice others. For example, we challenge you to admire the ceiling of the building on Iuliu Maniu Street, no. 38.
Brief history of the two buildings in the mirror
The architectural ensemble at the western end of the street was created under the guidance of architect Ignác Alpár. The works were completed at the end of the 19th century in 1899. Following the trends of those times, the architecture of the buildings is inspired by the works of architect Hausmann, the architect who restructured Paris in the nineteenth century. Like Paris, Cluj passed through its own systematization in 1895.
The four plots of land on which the buildings were built at that time belonged to the Catholic Church. The church was previously demolished by a series of buildings around St. Michael's Church, which they rented as shops and pubs. As compensation for the demolitions made, the Church received the land that later built the most elegant palaces in Cluj in the nineteenth century.
Haussmannian architecture can also be admired in our country and on Magheru Boulevard in Bucharest. Similar, face-to-face buildings, almost identical in appearance, existed throughout Europe in the nineteenth century. The most famous are, of course, Paris and Vienna.
Information and images taken from cluj.com