After the proclamation of the Kingdom of Romania in 1881 , building works in the city accelerated . In 1883 , floodings of the Dâmboviţa such as the 1865 flooding of Bucharest , endemic under Cuza , were stopped through the channelling of the river ( the change in course modified the neighbourhoods adjacent to the banks ) . New buildings were added , including the Romanian Athenaeum , and the skyline increased in height – the Athénée Palace , the first one in the city to use reinforced concrete , had five stories . In 1885 – 1887 , after Romania denounced its economic ties with Austria-Hungary , Bucharest 's commercial and industrial development went unhindered : over 760 new enterprises were established in the city before 1912 , and hundreds more by the 1940s . Limited use of electricity was introduced in 1882
1865 flooding of Bucharest
1865 flooding of Bucharest
History of Bucharest