Art Nouveau Buildings, Examples of Innovative and Sustainable Approach—Case Study: Oradea, Romania

In the current context, where sustainability, energy efficiency, and reduction of environmental impact are omnipresent themes, the need and interest for conservation, restoration, and reuse of heritage buildings is a topic of real interest. The city of Oradea, engaged in the last decades on the path of a sustainable urban regeneration, has managed to bring back to life part of the valuable Art Nouveau architectural treasure it inherited from previous generations. This paper presents a part of a much wider research and studies on Art Nouveau buildings in Oradea, in the context of the needs arising from the many problems identified with the start of conservation and restoration works. After an introduction on the link between heritage buildings and sustainability and a review of the current context in Oradea related to this topic, one of the emblematic buildings under renovation, the Ullmann Palace, is presented, as well as the results of some physical-mechanical tests carried out. This is followed by some discussions on the innovative and sustainable character of Art Nouveau buildings and the importance of carrying out high-quality conservation and restoration works that are environmentally friendly, safe, and sustainable.