The former "Saint Catherine" orphanage at the Arc de Triomphe, designed to be transformed through urban regeneration into a campus with two areas: one public, with a museum and park, and another, with therapeutic centers

The historical ensemble near the Arc de Triomphe, designed 125 years ago by the Cantacuzino family to provide shelter for abandoned children and later transformed by the communist regime into an orphanage, will be renamed by the District 1 City Hall "Ecaterina's Cradle".

This will become a campus with the role of a socio-educational hub, structured into two distinct areas: one with open access to the public, intended for interaction and community activities, and another dedicated to therapy and support for vulnerable children and their families.

The initiative is part of a framework cooperation agreement concluded between the District 1 City Hall and the Hope and Homes for Children (HHC) Foundation, valid for a period of five years and approved by the Local Council on May 29.

"Ecaterina's Cradle" - a history marked by the suffering of abandoned children and philanthropy

Founded in 1897 by Irina Cantacuzino in memory of her kidnapped daughter Ecaterina, the ensemble carries the message of an illustration “from a mother without children, for children without a mother”. The main building, designed by architect Ion D. Berindey, is a monument of neo-Romanian architecture, where over time, thousands of orphaned children were cared for, the institution receiving international recognition, including in Geneva in 1927. After 1989, used as a children's institution, the building remained in use until 2003. Currently, it houses offices of the DGASPC and the Civil Status Directorate, which will, however, be relocated to fully return this space to the children and the community .

The relocation initiated by the mayor of sector 1, George Tuță, which is part of a larger project to reopen historic buildings owned by the local administration to the community, will include: moving the population and civil status records to a new modernized space in Piața Amzei, transforming the former Marriage House into an efficient administrative space and capitalizing on a new back-office space in Piața Mureș, for DGASPC officials.

The vision of urban regeneration: a space open to the city and one for therapy

The HHC Foundation, in partnership with Sector 1 and the team of architects led by Dr. Ilinca Ghannadi, is proposing an urban and social regeneration of the entire complex located on Mareșal Averescu Blvd. The project is designed to be transformed, according to the non-governmental organization, into a space of hope, recovery and meeting between communities.

The campus will be divided into two areas:

Area A – Community and cultural space open to all

• Urban gateway – transformed into an urban garden for community events and educational activities.
• Cradle Museum – located in the main historical building; exhibition route about the history of abandonment, interwar philanthropy, and the child protection system.
  • The chapel will be integrated into the museum circuit.
  • In the attic: spaces for temporary exhibitions and cultural events.
  • A bistro , a museum giftshop , and a cafeteria will open .
• HOPE Club – educational space for children and adolescents (6–18 years old), with activities that encourage inclusion between children from stable families and vulnerable children.

Area B – Specialized services for children and adolescents

• Community support center for young people with addictions – space for individual and group therapy, art therapy, occupational therapy, social support and counseling. Other buildings will house specialized social and medical services, focused on the needs of children and families, as follows:
• Recovery center for children with behavioral disorders , a place where these children are not labeled, but supported with empathy and professionalism
• Counseling and professional training spaces for parents , which will contribute to rebalancing family dynamics
• "Family, my whole" Center – dedicated to preventing child separation from family, a space where parents and children can be supported together
• "Body and Soul" Center – intended for the recovery of children with special needs, including temporary accommodation , to avoid unnecessary placement in the special protection system

The financing of the future campus will come mainly from European funds, already identified for the development of services for children with behavioral disorders and special needs, stated the mayor of Sector 1, George Tuță.

Also, the District 1 City Hall will contribute directly, depending on the needs of each center within the campus.

"We are transforming a place that has symbolized abandonment for years into a space of hope and rediscovery. We are giving back to the community a valuable heritage, supported by partners with ideas and effective solutions for people's real needs," said George Tuță at the presentation event of the future campus.