The building, popularly called Romanita (“Romashka”) because of its resemblance to a flower, was once the tallest residential building in Chisinau. The stone flower rises on Mala Malina. In the 1980s, Romanita was one of the city’s most ambitious housing projects. A strange elongated shape, a futuristic “flying saucer” on the roof, a spiral staircase inside, and apartments arranged in a circle. Designed and built between 1978 and 1986, the project was the work of architect Oleg Vronsky and engineer A. Marian. Romanita stands 73 meters (240 feet) tall, with 165…
