The George Sterian House (Casa George Sterian) is a historic residence in central Bacău, designed by the Romanian architect George Sterian (1860-1936) as his own home. Built in the early 1920s, the house combines Neo-Romanian architecture with French eclectic influences, giving it an imposing, almost castle-like appearance.
Sterian settled in Bacău after World War I and served as the city’s chief architect until 1932. Educated at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, he was a prominent advocate of Romanian national architecture and participated in the establishment of architectural education in Romania. His work included the Casino in Slănic-Moldova and the restoration of several historic churches, including the Precista Church in Bacău. Between 1921 and 1924, he developed his own residence, using the design to combine elements of medieval Romanian architecture with decorative influences acquired during his studies and travels in Western Europe.
The house has an approximately square plan, with a basement, ground floor, and upper floor arranged beneath a steep roof. Its asymmetrical composition is distinguished by projecting sections, substantial buttresses, and a crenellated tower on the northern side, recalling the architecture of medieval fortified residences. The main entrance is framed by a semicircular arch, while the upper windows, ornamental cornices, sculpted details, and glazed ceramic decorations give the façades a more elaborate character. Some of the roof ornamentation and decorative chimneys draw on 19th-century French architecture, creating a distinctive combination of styles.
After Sterian’s lifetime, the house passed through several uses. It was nationalized in 1950 and subsequently accommodated public institutions, including the Bacău State Notary Office. Following the Romanian Revolution of 1989, the building fell into disuse and suffered extensive deterioration, with damage to its roof, masonry, and interior. Proposals to restore it as an urban cultural center were developed but never implemented.
The Archdiocese of Roman and Bacău purchased the property in 2013 and undertook an extensive restoration that recovered its architectural features and adapted the interior for administrative and cultural activities. The restored house was inaugurated on June 12, 2025, as the archdiocese’s administrative residence in Bacău, with plans to accommodate exhibitions, conferences, book launches, and chamber music concerts.
