Updated: August 2026 · FD.STIL
The Art Nouveau lights of the Constanța Casino
More than 650 hand-formed opal glass petals, 3,000 kg of brass and 1,160 bulbs, for one of the most important Art Nouveau buildings in south-eastern Europe. A project by the team led by Arch. Dan Dumitriu with Arch. Maria Mihăescu — awarded the Romanian Architects' Union Prize for object design in 2025.
A style with no model to follow
Daniel Renard left a deep mark on Romanian architecture, and the Constanța Casino remains one of the most representative Art Nouveau buildings in south-eastern Europe.
Designing the light fittings was a challenge precisely because there were no clear models for monumental Art Nouveau chandeliers. There was nothing to start from, so we started from the building: studies of form and structure, until the pieces were authentic and belonged to its spirit.
A year, and dozens of variants
The project is the result of a collaboration that ran for a year, during which dozens of sketch variants were examined and refined down to the final models.
The shape of the chandeliers drew on the curves of the window arcades and on the jellyfish of the Black Sea. For the stairwell, the drawing expresses a flower opening, its curves answering the plasterwork of the walls.
Glass, at over 800°C
The white opal glass, textured like sea shells, was formed at over 800°C into more than 650 individual petals. For the accents we used the green of sea water.
The structure is hidden by design and fitted precisely to the curve of the glass — you see the light, not the mechanics behind it.
Brass for salt air
Every metal element is solid brass, hand-finished and protected against the salt air of the coast — a detail nobody sees, but one that decides how the pieces look twenty years on.
More than 3,000 kg of brass and 1,160 bulbs went into the work. The design is 100% original, by the team led by Dan Dumitriu.
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