Projects
The Constanța Casino

Updated: August 2026 · FD.STIL

Projects · Romanian Architects' Union Prize 2025

The Art Nouveau lights of the Constanța Casino

Design: arch. Dan Dumitriu and arch. Fana Mihăescu · Made in the FD.STIL workshop, Bucharest

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. Fana Mihăescu, awarded the Romanian Architects' Union Prize for object design in 2025. The light fittings are new pieces, designed and built from scratch for the building undergoing restoration; they are not restored chandeliers, which is why the award is one for original design, in the object design category.

650+opal glass petals, shaped one by one

3.000 kgsolid brass, hand-finished in the workshop

1.160bulbs across the whole set of light fittings

UAR 2025Romanian Union of Architects Award, object design

The great hall of the Constanța Casino with the Art Nouveau chandeliers lit and the oval windows — The great hall. The central chandelier, the six side chandeliers and the sconces, all lit.

Why there were no models for Art Nouveau chandeliers

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 chandeliers in this style. There was no starting point, so we took the building itself as our reference, beginning with studies of form and structure that generated the forms and structures we proposed, the whole process ending in authentic pieces that belong to the space.

Pencil and colour sketch of the Art Nouveau chandelier for the Casino's great hall — The first sketch of the great hall chandelier: the corolla of petals, the curved arms and the glass tentacles — the “jellyfish”, before it had a name.

Colour sketch of an Art Nouveau chandelier with arms and glass droplets — Colour study for the chandelier with arms: brass, opal glass and green glass droplets.

Colour sketch of an Art Nouveau wall sconce, with pencils beside it — The wall sconce, in watercolour and pencil. Every petal is drawn before it is shaped in glass.

Drawing table with rolled sheets, sketches and brass parts — The drawing table: rolls of drawings, overlapping sketches and the first brass samples.

Where the shape of the chandeliers comes from

The project is the result of a collaboration that ran for a year, during which dozens of proposals, concepts and sketch variants were examined and refined by us down to the final models.

The shape of the chandeliers followed the curves of the window arcades, but it also drew on the natural setting, which led us to the shells and the jellyfish found in the Black Sea. For the stairwell, the drawing expresses a flower opening, its curves answering the plasterwork of the walls.

Four alternative sketches of an Art Nouveau sconce on the workbench — Four versions of the same sconce, side by side. There were dozens.

Chandelier sketch with handwritten technical annotations — A sketch with dimensions and annotations — diameter, height, number of pieces. The moment the drawing becomes a production order.

The workshop team around a full-scale drawing of the chandelier, laid on the floor — The 1:1 drawing laid out on the workshop floor. The team checks every curve before cutting the brass.

Brass volute and corolla placed over the technical drawing, with a compass beside them — The brass volute and the corolla, laid directly on the drawing. The piece has to follow the line, millimetre by millimetre.

The brass structure of a sconce, placed over the technical drawing — The sconce structure, checked against the technical drawing.

How the 650 glass petals are shaped

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 a colour taken from the same setting close at hand, one that recalls the green of sea water.

The structure is hidden by design and fitted precisely to the curve of the glass, so that you see the light, not the mechanics behind it.

Egg-shaped opal glass globes next to a brass corolla with petals, in the workshop — Opal glass globes and the first petals mounted on the brass corolla.

Opal glass petals standing in a metal rack on wheels — The glass petals, in the rack, waiting to be mounted.

How the brass is protected from the salt air of the sea

Every metal element is solid brass, hand-finished and protected against the salt air of the coast, a detail that takes nothing away from the look of the pieces but makes all the difference to how they age.

More than 3,000 kg of brass and 1,160 bulbs went into the work.

Turned brass cones on the workbench — Brass cones, turned on the lathe in the workshop.

A craftsman bending a brass strip into a volute — The volutes are bent by hand, over a template.

Brass volutes stacked on the workbench — Brass volutes, ready for assembly.

Cut brass strips, ready for shaping — Brass strips cut for the arms and the ribs.

A brass corolla on its metal template, with more corollas behind — The brass corollas, worked over the template. Behind them, the whole series.

Circular brass structure of the large chandelier, in the workshop — The brass ring of the large chandelier, in progress.

The large brass chandelier seen from below, with curved ribs and green glass droplets — The large chandelier, seen from underneath. 3,000 kg of brass, protected against the salt air of the sea.

Two craftsmen mounting petals on the corolla of a brass chandelier — Mounting the petals on the chandelier's corolla.

How the fittings were assembled and installed

Every fitting was fully assembled in the workshop, where it was also lit for the first time as a test.

In Constanța, installation was carried out from scaffolding, beneath the painted ceiling, while the building was still in the process of being restored.

Assembled Art Nouveau chandelier, suspended in the workshop — The chandelier fully assembled and hoisted in the workshop, before transport.

A chandelier lit for the first time, suspended in the workshop, with the team below — The first lighting, in the workshop.

Two Art Nouveau chandeliers lit, suspended in the workshop — Two fittings lit, in the workshop.

A lit Art Nouveau wall sconce, in the workshop — The wall sconce, lit for the first time.

The team on scaffolding, installing a chandelier in the Constanța Casino — Installation from scaffolding, inside the Casino.

A chandelier hoisted on scaffolding, beneath the Casino ceiling — The chandelier goes up to its place, beneath the restored ceiling.

A craftsman on scaffolding beside a chandelier, beneath the painted ceiling of the Casino — Beneath the painted ceiling, the final adjustments.

How the work looks in the building today

The photographs below were taken in February 2025, after all the fittings had been installed.

This is the work in place: the chandeliers of the great hall, the ceiling lights, the sconces, the chandelier and the floor lamp of the grand staircase, the fittings in the salons and the lanterns on the outer arcades.

The Constanța Casino seen from a drone, the sea around it, after restoration — The Constanța Casino, after restoration. Every light fitting inside was designed and made in our workshop.

A row of Art Nouveau brass lanterns on the Casino's outer arcades, at sunset — The brass lanterns on the outer arcades, in the last light of the day. The first line of defence against the salt air.

An Art Nouveau chandelier in brass and opal glass, photographed at its own height, with the sea visible through the arched windows — The “jellyfish”, photographed at its own height. Behind it, the sea.

The Casino's great hall seen through the balcony arch, with the chandeliers lit — The great hall, seen from the balcony arch.

A large circular ceiling light in opal glass and brass, seen from below, against the painted ceiling — The central ceiling light, from underneath. More than 650 glass petals, mounted one at a time.

Detail of the Art Nouveau chandelier, with its brass corolla and opal glass petals — The brass corolla, the glass petals and the green droplets — drawn two years earlier, on paper.

A round ceiling light with opal glass petals and green glass droplets, against a painted ceiling — The small ceiling light, with its ring of green droplets.

A lit Art Nouveau wall sconce, on a wall with painted decoration in pastel tones — The sconce, on the painted wall. Its line continues the line of the decoration.

Detail of the lit glass rods beneath a brass sconce — The glass rods of the sconce, lit.

An Art Nouveau chandelier hanging in front of a large stained-glass window with floral motifs, on the grand staircase — The grand staircase chandelier, in front of the stained glass. Its drawing was tried out right here, on the wall, before manufacturing.

The Casino's grand staircase, with wrought-iron balustrades, chandelier and stained glass, seen from below — The grand staircase, from below.

An Art Nouveau chandelier and lit sconces on the grand staircase, with the wrought-iron balustrade in the foreground — The chandelier and sconces of the grand staircase, from the landing.

A brass floor lamp with an opal glass globe at the foot of the grand staircase, the stained glass behind it — The brass floor lamp at the foot of the grand staircase.

A lit Art Nouveau wall sconce, mounted between two marble columns — The sconce, between the marble columns of the hall.

A hall with a lit coffered ceiling, marble columns and green walls, in the Constanța Casino — The upper hall, with its coffered ceiling lit.

A long salon with arched windows and lit Art Nouveau chandeliers with opal glass petals — The salon with windows onto the sea. The tulip chandeliers, in a row.

A brass chandelier with arms and opal glass globes, beneath the painted ceiling bearing the inscription “Cazino 1910” — The chandelier with arms, beneath the original inscription: Cazino, 1910.

A brass chandelier with arms and glass globes, photographed at its own height, with a marble staircase behind — The chandelier with arms, at its own height, with the side staircase behind.

An Art Nouveau brass wall sconce with an opal glass globe, on a white wall with gilded mouldings — The globe sconce, with its brass volute bent by hand.

A brass pendant with three opal glass globes in front of a large window looking out to sea — The pendant at the window onto the sea. The brass is protected against the salt air.

A lit Art Nouveau sconce on a wall with gilded mouldings, beside a window looking out to sea — The wall sconce, with the sea beside it.

What the project comprises

The building: The Constanța Casino, arch. Daniel Renard — one of the most representative Art Nouveau buildings in south-eastern Europe
The work: New light fittings, designed and made from scratch for the building under restoration. They are not restored chandeliers.
Project: arch. Dan Dumitriu and arch. Fana Mihăescu
Made by: the FD.STIL workshop, Bucharest — drawing, casting, blown glass and finishing under one roof
Award: Romanian Union of Architects Award 2025, object design section
Fittings: the great hall chandeliers, ceiling lights, wall sconces, the chandelier and floor lamp of the grand staircase, the fittings in the salons, lanterns on the outer arcades
Glass: over 650 opal glass petals, shaped by hand at more than 800°C, with green glass accents
Metal: over 3,000 kg of solid brass, hand-finished and protected against the salt air of the seafront
Bulbs: 1,160 across the whole set of fittings
Photos: taken during the work and in February 2025, after all the fittings had been installed

The film of the project: from drawing to first lighting.

How we work with architects and heritage design teams

We design and make light fittings for buildings with a special status: monuments under restoration, churches, museums, hotels, headquarters. The drawing, the brass casting, the blown glass and the finishing are all done in the same Bucharest workshop, with nothing subcontracted — which is why a piece can be remade identically years later.

Send us the drawings, the ceiling heights and a few photographs of the space. We will come back with a design proposal and a quotation.

office@fdstil.com Partnership with architects 0790 360 000

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