Sala Floreasca, the 1950 sports complex next to Floreasca Park

Where it is

The Floreasca Sports Complex (Complexul Sportiv Floreasca), known as Sala Floreasca, is on Calea Floreasca, across from Floreasca Park, in Sector 1, according to Wikipedia and ProSport.

Built in 1949

The Romanian Wikipedia and ProSport write that the complex was built in 1949, to plans by the architects Titus Evolceanu and Sofia Ungureanu, and put into use on April 14, 1950. The hall’s roof is a three-dimensional wooden structure, according to both sources. Wikipedia says that since 1994 the hall has been named after the handball player Lucian Grigorescu; the information comes from a single source.

What it includes

The Romanian Wikipedia describes a hall for sports games and a covered swimming pool, 33 meters long and 16 meters wide. It also says that the first event hosted was the International Table Tennis Championships of the Romanian People’s Republic, on the very day of the inauguration, and that in 1957 the European Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Championships were held here.

Its condition in 2023

ProSport wrote on April 15, 2023 that the Romanian Handball Federation runs the hall under a 50-year concession from the Ministry of Sport and that the hall is in an advanced state of deterioration. The Federation said the hall urgently needs repairs, and an intervention by the CNI (the National Investment Company) was not ruled out. We found no more recent source on the situation today.

Frequently asked questions

When did Sala Floreasca open?

On April 14, 1950, after the complex had been built in 1949.

Who designed it?

The architects Titus Evolceanu and Sofia Ungureanu.

Can the hall still be used?

ProSport described an advanced state of deterioration in April 2023. Check with the Romanian Handball Federation or the Ministry of Sport whether anything has changed.