Polychromatic Artistic Components as Interior Decorative Elements from the Constanta Casino Monument

At a Glance

Metadata	Details
Publication Date	2020-11-16
Authors	Ionut Marina, Sofia Teodorescu, Rodica‐Mariana Ion
Institutions	Valahia University of Targoviste, Institutul Naţional de Cercetare Dezvoltare pentru Chimie si Petrochimie
Analysis	Full AI Review Included

Executive Summary

This study utilized Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometry to analyze the composition of polychromatic artistic components (stuccoes and pigments) from the Constanta Casino, a significant Art Nouveau monument. The findings are critical for guiding restoration efforts.

Objective: Determine the chemical composition of decorative stuccoes and pigments collected from the Casino’s Theater Hall.
Methodology: FTIR spectrometry, employing both single-bounce diamond-Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR) and Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform (DRIFT) accessories.
Core Composition Identified: The decorative layers are primarily composed of a mixture of calcite (calcium carbonate), silica, and iron oxides.
Key Spectral Markers: Characteristic vibration modes confirmed calcium carbonate (875 and 712 cm^-1) and silica (798 and 779 cm^-1).
Restoration Relevance: The detailed compositional analysis provides the necessary baseline data for selecting chemically compatible consolidants and restoration materials, ensuring the longevity and authenticity of the monument.
Hydration Status: The presence of broad bands (3300-3500 cm^-1) and the water bending vibration (1632 cm^-1) indicate significant hydroxyl groups and absorbed humidity within the layers.

Technical Specifications

The following table summarizes the key analytical parameters and compositional findings derived from the FTIR analysis of the stucco and pigment samples.

Parameter	Value	Unit	Context
Analytical Technique	FTIR Spectrometry	N/A	Used for functional group identification
Equipment Model	Vertex 80v	N/A	Bruker Optik GMBH spectrometer
Measurement Range	4000-400	cm^-1	Spectral range utilized for analysis
Hydroxyl/Water Stretching Band	3300-3500	cm^-1	Stretching vibration of OH groups and humidity
Water Bending Vibration	1632	cm^-1	Assigned to vH-O-H bending mode
Bicarbonate Contribution	1410	cm^-1	Implies presence of bicarbonates in interlayer space
Calcium Carbonate (Calcite) Modes	875 and 712	cm^-1	Vibration modes of CaCO₃
Silica Vibration Modes	798 and 779	cm^-1	Assigned to SiO₂ components
Iron Oxide Indicator	570	cm^-1	Possible assignment for pink color pigment
Identified Matrix Composition	Calcite, Silica, Iron Oxides	N/A	Essential mixture for restoration planning

Key Methodologies

The compositional analysis relied on advanced infrared spectroscopy techniques tailored for small, solid samples typical of heritage materials.

Sample Origin: Stuccoes and pigments were collected from the Theater Hall of the Constanta Casino.
Primary Technique: Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometry.
Instrumentation: Bruker Optik GMBH Vertex 80v spectrometer.
Measurement Modes:
- Single-bounce diamond-Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR).
- Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform (DRIFT) accessory.
Analytical Goal: Identification of functional groups to deduce the inorganic and organic composition of the decorative layers.
Data Interpretation: Comparison of measured spectral peaks against established literature values for common building materials (carbonates, silicates) and pigments (iron oxides).

Commercial Applications

The material science insights derived from this analysis are directly applicable to the fields of heritage preservation, construction material development, and specialized analytical services.

Architectural Heritage Preservation:
- Consolidant Selection: Using the identified calcite/silica ratio to formulate or select appropriate consolidants (e.g., nanolime, silica-based treatments) that are chemically compatible with the original stucco matrix.
- Mortar Matching: Developing restoration mortars and plasters that replicate the chemical and physical properties of the original Art Nouveau materials.
Pigment and Coating Manufacturing:
- Authentic Replication: Manufacturing restoration pigments based on iron oxides and mineral fillers (calcite, silica) to achieve accurate chromatic and chemical matching for historic finishes.
Forensic Material Analysis:
- Providing specialized FTIR/ATR/DRIFT analytical services for the non-destructive or micro-destructive characterization of complex, multi-layered artistic and construction materials.
Moisture Management:
- The quantification of hydroxyl groups and water content (3300-3500 cm^-1) informs engineers about the current state of degradation and the necessary moisture mitigation strategies for the monument.

View Original Abstract

first_page settings Order Article Reprints Font Type: Arial Georgia Verdana Font Size: Aa Aa Aa Line Spacing:    Column Width:    Background: Open AccessExtended Abstract Polychromatic Artistic Components as Interior Decorative Elements from the Constanta Casino Monument † by Ionut Marina 1,*, Sofia Teodorescu 2 and Rodica-Mariana Ion 1,2 1 Doctoral School of Materials Engineering, Valahia University of Targoviste, 130004 Târgoviște, Romania 2 National Institute for Research and Development in Chemistry and Petrochemistry—ICECHIM, 202 Spl. Independenței, 060021 Bucharest, Romania * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. † Presented at the 16th International Symposium “Priorities of Chemistry for a Sustainable Development” PRIOCHEM, Bucharest, Romania, 28-30 October 2020. Proceedings 2020, 57(1), 83; https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2020057083 Published: 16 November 2020 (This article belongs to the Proceedings of The 16th International Symposium “Priorities of Chemistry for a Sustainable Development” PRIOCHEM) Download Download PDF Download PDF with Cover Download XML Browse Figure Versions Notes The Casino building from Constanta is the most important and characteristic public building built in the Art Nouveau style [1]. The stylistic unity of the treatment of the elements is remarkable: the volume, the façades, the shape of the gaps, the modernization, the interior and exterior color decoration (stuccoes), the furniture elements of the interior, and the exploitation of the fluidity of the location [2]. The building was designed as a parallelepiped mounted horizontally which gives the impression of stability, but in which each of the five visible sides (four façades and roof), are different from spatial, volumetric, and decorative points of view. Besides the elements of the artistic components described above, there are some decorative elements from the repertoire of the Art Nouveau style: floral reliefs, curved decorative elements in spirals or waves, painted ceilings, railing and window hardware, lighting fixtures, and stained glass (which unfortunately only retains traces of the original ones) all contribute to the harmony of the general composition. In this paper, some compositional aspects of the pigments, collected from the Theater Hall of the Casino’s stuccoes, have been investigated and discussed.Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometry was used to identify functional groups of the analyzed materials. FTIR spectrometry was performed with single-bounce diamond-attenuated total reflectance (ATR) using a Vertex 80v spectrometer (Bruker Optik GMBH, Ettlingen, Germany), equipped with a Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform (DRIFT) accessory in the range of 4000-400 cm−1.FTIR spectra of the analyzed samples presents several peaks comparable to those in the literature [2,3]. The broad band located in the region 3300-3500 cm−1 arises from the stretching vibration of the hydroxyl groups of the layers, as well as the water molecules from the humidity. The band at 1632 cm−1 is attributed to the bending vibration of water (vH-O-H); a band at 1410 cm−1 was also observed, implying a contribution of bicarbonates in the interlayer space. Bands lower than 1000 cm−1 could be assigned to the vibration mode of calcium carbonate (875 and 712 cm−1) and silica (798 and 779 cm−1) and possibly iron oxides (570 cm−1) for pink color.The composition identified by the FTIR technique is extremely important for the restoration works: a mixture of calcite, silica, and iron oxides. Figure 1. Casino Building (a) and FTIR spectra of some stuccoes from the Theater Hall of the Casino (b). Figure 1. Casino Building (a) and FTIR spectra of some stuccoes from the Theater Hall of the Casino (b). ReferencesMarina, I.; Ion, R.M.; David, M.E.; Iancu, L.; Grigorescu, R.M. Investigation of Chromatic Parameters of Some Samples from Constanta Casino. Multidiscip. Digit. Publ. Inst. Proc. 2019, 29, 64. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]Ion, R.M.; Iancu, L.; David, M.E.; Grigorescu, R.M.; Trica, B.; Somoghi, R.; Vasile, S.F.; Dulama, I.D.; Gheboianu, A.I.; Tincu, S. Multi-Analytical Characterization of Corvins’ Castle—Deserted Tower. Construction Materials and Conservation Tests. Heritage 2020, 3, 941-964. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]Iancu, L.; Ion, R.M.; Grigorescu, R.M.; David, M.E.; Ghiurea, M.; Vasilievici, G.; Stirbescu, R.M.; Dulama, I.D. Double substituted carbonated hydroxyapatite for stone consolidation. J. Sci. Arts 2020, 3, 713-730. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Share and Cite MDPI and ACS Style Marina, I.; Teodorescu, S.; Ion, R.-M. Polychromatic Artistic Components as Interior Decorative Elements from the Constanta Casino Monument. Proceedings 2020, 57, 83. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2020057083 AMA Style Marina I, Teodorescu S, Ion R-M. Polychromatic Artistic Components as Interior Decorative Elements from the Constanta Casino Monument. Proceedings. 2020; 57(1):83. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2020057083 Chicago/Turabian Style Marina, Ionut, Sofia Teodorescu, and Rodica-Mariana Ion. 2020. “Polychromatic Artistic Components as Interior Decorative Elements from the Constanta Casino Monument” Proceedings 57, no. 1: 83. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2020057083 Find Other Styles Note that from the first issue of 2016, MDPI journals use article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here. Article Metrics No No Article Access Statistics Multiple requests from the same IP address are counted as one view.

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Original Source

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2020057083

References

2020 - Multi-Analytical Characterization of Corvins’ Castle—Deserted Tower. Construction Materials and Conservation Tests [Crossref]
2020 - Double substituted carbonated hydroxyapatite for stone consolidation [Crossref]