The CEC Palace (Palatul CEC) is a monumental building located opposite the National Museum of Romanian History on Calea Victoriei in the old town of Bucharest.
The palace was built between 1897 and 1900 on the site of the former Saint John the Great Monastery from the 16th century, which was demolished in 1875 after it had been in a state of deterioration. The eclectic architectural design, which was typical for the Belle Époque, was the work of the French architect Paul Gottereau, who also designed Cotroceni Palace and the building of the Central University Library Carol I.
The entrance of the CEC Palace features an arch supported by two pairs of columns in a composite style. The four corners of the building each have a Renaissance-style dome and the center of the palace is topped with a large dome of metal and glass.
The CEC Palace was built to house the headquarters of the oldest bank of Romania, the House of Deposits, Consignments, and Economy (Casa de Depuneri, Consemnațiuni și Economie), nowadays the CEC Bank.
