Blending French Luxury with the Bucharest's Layered Architectural and Cultural Heritage

Ran & Morris Creative Partnership has completed the transformation of the Oscar Maugsch Palace into Sofitel Bucharest, a five-star hotel located in University Square, one of the Romanian capital’s most historically charged districts. The project restores and unifies two adjacent heritage buildings, converting them into a branded luxury destination that positions Bucharest’s past as a central part of the guest experience.

Main lobby
Photo credit: MOD Studio

Main lobby
Photo credit: MOD Studio

Main lobby
Photo credit: MOD Studio

The hotel comprises 157 guest rooms across four floors, supported by a dramatic lobby, two restaurants, a multipurpose event hall, and a spa. Guided by Sofitel’s philosophy of l’Art de Vivre, the design frames French luxury through Bucharest’s own historical narrative, drawing on the city’s former reputation as “Little Paris” and its blend of neoclassical, early modern, and Soviet-era influences.

Round suite
Photo credit: MOD Studio

Round suite
Photo credit: MOD Studio

Suite bathroom
Photo credit: MOD Studio

Selected through an international competition, Ran & Morris worked closely with Romanian architectural firm Cumulus to merge the two buildings—constructed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries—into a single, coherent composition. Designed by the same original architect, the structures shared proportional and structural similarities, allowing connections to be formed with minimal disruption. A former rear service courtyard was repurposed as the main entrance, while a new internal passageway was enclosed beneath a 14-metre-high skylight to create a vertically expressive lobby space. A fourth level was added to both buildings to accommodate new hotel functions.

Main resturant's patio (outdoor)
Photo credit: MOD Studio

Main resturant
Photo credit: MOD Studio

Main resturant
Photo credit: MOD Studio

Adaptive reuse played a central role in the project. A former exhibition hall from the site’s period as a bank was reimagined as a flexible ballroom capable of hosting events ranging from formal gatherings to cultural performances. An exterior patio was enclosed and integrated into the main restaurant, extending interior public space while maintaining a connection to the historic fabric.

Ballroom
Photo credit: MOD Studio

Ballroom, Fashion show scene
Photo credit: MOD Studio

The interior concept reframes the traditional hotel lobby as an active social environment. Inspired by the atmosphere of a Parisian street, the space incorporates café-style seating, layered lighting, and kinetic fixtures that animate the ceiling plane. Throughout the hotel, historic façades and ornamental stonework are paired with soft curves, sculptural forms, and a restrained palette of limestone tones, brushed brass, and warm neutrals.

Hotel corridors
Photo credit: MOD Studio

Hotel corridors
Photo credit: MOD Studio

Hotel corridors
Photo credit: MOD Studio

Guest rooms retain much of the original building layouts, resulting in varied proportions and distinctive geometries. French furniture and finishes define the overall luxury character, while Romanian cultural references appear through locally crafted headboards, textiles, and artwork. Vaulted ceilings approaching four metres in height, combined with marble or parquet flooring, reinforce the sense of spaciousness and heritage.

Standard room
Photo credit: MOD Studio

Standard room
Photo credit: MOD Studio

Standard room detail
Photo credit: MOD Studio

Sofitel Bucharest stands as a contemporary reinterpretation of two historic buildings, balancing preservation and transformation. By weaving together French elegance and Romanian cultural identity, the project positions design as a narrative tool—one that reconnects architecture, place, and memory within a modern luxury context.

Ran & Morris Creative Partnership

Since its founding in Tel Aviv, Israel, more than a decade ago, Ran & Morris Creative Partnership has forged a global reputation as the “Story Catchers” of the design world. With a prestigious international presence, the studio stands at the forefront of transformative commercial, retail, and hospitality interior design projects, garnering acclaim from around the globe for creating visionary spaces.

Under the direction of Ran Yanuv and Morris Algazi, Ran & Morris Creative Partnership is comprised of a diverse and talented team of architects and designers with unique perspectives that contribute to bespoke design solutions that resonate with their global clientele. Backed by a commitment to excellence and meticulous attention to detail, each project is a journey where each space is curated to tell its own truly unique story.