Statement of Integrity

Statement of Integrity

Brâncuși Monumental Ensemble of Târgu Jiu fulfils the condition of integrity since all of the elements necessary to convey the totality of the property’s values are includ- ed; each element is preserved in its entirety, in their origi- nal locations, and all are included as part of the property.

The physical fabric of the property, and all its significant features, are in good condition, and the impact of any potential deterioration processes is under control. The integrity of the conceptual axis of the ensemble, manifest by a physical axis designed to evoke the act of remembrance, is preserved through the entirety of de- signed commemorative urban open space. The property has suffered from some adverse development and neglect. This principally concerned, in physical terms of the elements, the Endless Column. In the context of commu- nist hostility to modernism during the early 1950s, the structure suffered a short attempt (by horse or tractor) to pull it down. Restoration and conservation that began in 1965–66, after several conservation phases, culminated in 2000 under the auspices of the World Monuments Fund.

Whilst some spaces retain high visual integrity – such as the Endless Column viewed against the ‘void’ of the sky, or the sculptures in the Constantin Brâncuși Park – the Avenue of Heroes is perceived to have suffered in terms of visual aesthetics from aspects of adverse urban development. Consideration, however, must be given to the artist’s decision to integrate the city into his work of art, with absolutely no intention to inhibit dynamic ur- banism that is simply evolving context to his creation; he did not want to freeze, or “conserve” such buildings. That is why the nominated property includes the physical ave- nue – and the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul that Brâncuși chose to integrate into the Ensemble – but excludes all adjacent property. Further, communist-era development which, although perhaps being considered to be inappropriate today, is still part of the urban history of the Ensemble. In this respect, to a certain extent, some undesirable characteristics are reversible (and will be dealt with in the forthcoming update of the Management Plan), whilst in other cases (such as inappropriate car parking) there are mitigation measures planned and due to be implemented in 2018–19.