The Galați branch of the National Bank of Romania (Banca Națională a României) is housed in a historic late 19th-century building in central Galați, constructed in 1885-1886 to provide the institution with a permanent local headquarters. Designed by French architect Albert Galleron, it was one of the purpose-built premises created for the National Bank’s first regional branches after the institution began expanding beyond Bucharest.
The Galați branch itself had opened in 1881, initially operating from a building belonging to the Kalergi family. Work on its own headquarters began in April 1885, and the bank transferred its operations there in October 1886. The original building consisted only of a ground floor, but growing activity eventually required more space, and an upper floor was added after a construction permit was issued in 1928. A further wing followed during alterations in 1961-1962.
The building was conceived in an eclectic architectural style, with a formal, symmetrical façade suited to its institutional function. Tall arched openings dominate the central section, framed by pilasters and horizontal masonry detailing, while a balustraded roofline and decorative crest give the composition a more monumental finish. Later restoration retained important interior elements as well, including the marble flooring of the central hall, the staircase, chandeliers and granite wall cladding.
