Elie Radu (April 20, 1853 – October 10, 1931) was a distinguished Romanian civil engineer and academic. Over a span of some 50 years he completed over 60 major projects, constructing railways, roads, bridges, public buildings, and civic facilities. He was also a university professor, served as president of the Romanian Association of Engineers, and was elected honorary member of the Romanian Academy.
He was born in BotoÃÂani, Moldavia, the son of a tax collector who was mayor of the city for 10 years. After completing elementary school and gymnasium in BotoÃÂani, he went to study at the Academia MihÃÂileanÃÂ in IaÃÂi, and then in 1872 to Brussels, where he studied engineering at the ÃÂcole polytechnique, obtaining his diploma in 1877.
Upon returning to Romania, he found employment with the Ministry of Public Works, and worked with engineer Anghel Saligny on the construction of the PloieÃÂtiâÂÂPredeal rail line. He went on to design and build over of railway lines, and design an additional of tracks â a substantial portion of the rail network of CÃÂile Ferate Române at the time. In 1898âÂÂ1899 he built the Curtea de Argeàand ComÃÂneÃÂti train stations, based on plans drawn by Italian architect , inspired by the design of the Lausanne railway station. In the aftermath of World War I and the Union of Transylvania with Romania, Radu helped build new roads and railways across the Carpathian mountain passes, the most important one being the Târgu OcnaâÂÂComÃÂneÃÂtiâÂÂPalanca rail line.
Named in 1887 chief of civil works for the city of Bucharest, he built in the next two years an underground water collection station in Bragadiru, feeding into a filtration unit in GrozÃÂveÃÂti. This was the first water supply network for the capital city, and its design was unique in Europe at the time. Together with a fellow engineer, Dimitrie Leonida, Radu made in 1909âÂÂ1910 the first proposals for a metro system in Bucharest.
In 1906âÂÂ1910 he supervised the construction of the , which was designed by architect Petre Antonescu. Built with a foundation made of reinforced concrete screed thick, and with reinforced concrete floors, the building now houses the . With chief architect Dimitrie Maimarolu, engineers Anghel and Paul Saligny, and his son, Mircea Radu, he built the Palace of the National Military Circle in downtown Bucharest.
In 1894 Radu was named professor at the School of Bridges and Roads, Mines and Architecture in Bucharest. In 1897âÂÂ1898 and 1903âÂÂ1904 he served as president of the General Association of Engineers of Romania. Starting in 1920 he taught at the newly founded Politehnica University of Bucharest. He was elected honorary member of the Romanian Academy in June 1926, and retired on January 1, 1930.
He died in Bucharest in 1931 and was buried in the city's Bellu Cemetery.
A street in Bucharest (running by City Hall, from the CiÃÂmigiu Gardens to the DâmboviÃÂa River) bears his name. Technical high schools in Bucharest, PloieÃÂti, and BotoÃÂani are also named after him. The where he lived next to GrÃÂdina Icoanei was designed by Giulio Magni; it has been designated a historic monument, and currently houses a bistro.