CEC Palace

The CEC Palace is a landmark at Calea Victoriei 13 in Sector 3 of Bucharest, Romania, opposite the National History Museum on the edge of the Old Town. It was built between 1897 and 1900 for the Casa de Economii si Consemnatiuni, the national savings bank, and designed by the French architect Paul Gottereau. The building combines eclectic and neoclassical styles, with a prominent glass and metal dome, a rounded corner facade with Corinthian columns, and ornate stonework. The corner entrance is flanked by stone columns and crowned by a dome that is especially striking from across Calea Victoriei. The ground floor and gardens host a cafe and restaurant that are open to the public during the day, while the upper floors are used by the bank. Visitors mainly admire the exterior, though the ground-floor interior and the garden courtyard can also be seen. A stop here typically takes 15 to 30 minutes. The best photo angle is from the opposite side of the street, with the dome and columns framed by the facade. Morning light brings out the glass dome. The palace is rarely crowded, with traffic and pedestrians the main constant, and the evening illumination adds appeal. Its location makes it an easy stop on a walk between the Old Town, the Romanian Athenaeum and Piata Unirii. The building was restored in recent decades and remains one of the city's best-known examples of late nineteenth-century architecture, reflecting the French influence that earned Bucharest its nickname Little Paris.