Bucharest Centennial: The National Bank of Romania Palace, a landmark building in the capital

, were chosen in 1882 to design the first project of the palace. In Bucharest, Garnier also worked on the National School of Roads and Bridges – the Polytechnic Institute. Romanian architects Grigore Cerchez and Constantin Băicoianu were then tasked with finishing the works on the BNR Palace. A decision was taken that the façade of the building would face the Lipscani street, and in July 1884 the works were officially inaugurated. Although it was initially estimated that they would last two or three years, construction ended in six years. Besides the extensive size of the project, both the Serbian-Bulgarian war of 1885, which triggered an interruption in the exploitation and transport of the Rusciuk stone used in the construction, and various difficulties in organizing the bids added to the delay. The project of the palace includes numerous elements from French Classicism architecture, being subordinated to the academic eclectic style. Six sculptures decorate the façade of the palace, four of which are placed on the lateral spaces. The latter were done by Ion Georgescu and Ştefan Ionescu Valbudea and they represent four allegorical characters: Justice (Themis), Agriculture (Ceres), Trade (Mercury) and Industry (Vulcan). Their symbolism communicates the BNR support towards the national economy. On the inside, the Hall of Counters is the most important space dedicated to the public, now hosting the BNR Museum. The coat of arms of the provinces of the Romanian Kingdom at the time of the construction can be found here: the aurochs of Moldova, the eagle of Muntenia, the lion of Oltenia, and the two dolphins facing each other for the Dobrogea region. Three years after the Great Union, in 1921, József Sebestyén designed the coat of arms of the inter-war Romania, at the request of King Ferdinand I of Romania. Another important space of the palace is the Gallery of the Governors. Here, the portraits of the 25 governors who led the bank until 1990 and two portraits of Eugeniu Carada, the founder of BNR, can be admired. The Hall of the Council of Administration is the most richly decorated room, in an eclectic style, with powerful baroque accents. The importance of the palace in the architectural landscape of the capital was noticed since its inauguration. Architect Ion Mincu explained to his students at the Architecture School that the BNR palace was “the most beautiful building in Bucharest,” while architect Toma Socolescu declared it such a fitting building and “which would make any of the capitals of the West proud.” As the role of BNR developed, its operations expanded and the staff grew, a larger work space was needed. As such, the interior of the old palace would be transformed. In 1915, the ample gallery at the first level turned into an office space. A second floor, also for offices was erected in the secondary wings. In 1923, BNR purchased two nearby buildings, the Zaharia building and the edifice of the Modern Theater, to adapt them to the bank’s needs. In 1933, the issue of expanding the BNR spaces emerged again, and in 1940 the construction of the new palace began. It ended only in the mid-1950s. Those who visit the BNR Museum can discover not only the old palace of the bank but also one of the most valuable numismatic collections in Romania, covering over two thousand years. The museum collection includes the oldest coin issued on the territory of today’s Romania as well as the smallest paper notes issued here. It also displays the coins of the ancient city of Histria (Istros), the first to be issued on the current territory of the country, as well as Dacian and Roman coins, but also the complete series of coins issued by the Romanian state, beginning with 1867 and until the leu’s denomination in 2005. An appointment should be made before visiting the museum.