The majority of buildings show the influence of classical Haussmanian architecture, characterized by elaborate ornamentation borrowed from Greek, Renaissance and 18th century styles. Wrought iron and ceramic roof tiles were imported from France; mechanically sawn timber from Romania, cast iron balustrades came from Great Britain, and Italy provided marble balcony slabs. In the 1930s, the use of reinforced concrete, cast in moulds, allowed builders to emulate complex stonework detail.