# Telephone Palace [Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Muntenia](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/muntenia) › [București](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/city/bucuresti) > An Art Deco tower of about 52 m on Calea Victoriei, built in 1931–1933 on a steel frame to plans by Louis Seabury Weeks; for a long time the tallest building in Bucharest. **At a glance:** Monuments and historic sites in București. Opening hours: daily open 24 hours. Ticket: Free. The visit takes 15 min. Information verified on 26 October 2026. ## Key facts - **Opening hours:** daily open 24 hours — The exterior can be seen at any time, from Calea Victoriei. The interior cannot be visited. - **Ticket:** Free — the exterior can be seen from the street - **Visit duration:** 15 min — exterior only - **With kids:** Yes — just a stop on the street - **Parking:** Yes, paid — on the street, in the centre - **Best season:** All year round — the exterior can be seen all year - **Address:** Calea Victoriei 35, sector 1, București - **Coordinates:** 44.4363, 26.09746 - **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telephones_Company_Building - **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4982657 - **Categories:** [Monuments and historic sites](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/monumente-si-situri-istorice) ## About Telephone Palace The Telephone Palace (Palatul Telefoanelor) stands at Calea Victoriei 35, near the National Theatre and University Square, on the site of boyar houses that had held the well-known Oteteleșanu Terrace. It was built between 1931 and 1933 for the telephone company of the day, and was inaugurated in April 1933 in the presence of King Carol II. The plans are by the American architect Louis Seabury Weeks, while the details and construction were led by the architect Edmond van Saanen Algi, of Dutch origin and settled in Romania. The building is around 52 m tall and remained the tallest in Bucharest until 1956. Its structure is a steel frame, with steel from Reșița, and its inspiration comes from the American skyscrapers of the 1920s and 1930s, which is why it is often called the country's first skyscraper. Over the years it was extended (1940–1946), came through the earthquakes of 1940, 1977, 1986 and 1990 and the bombing of 1944, and was then reinforced in stages, the last of them finished in 2024. ### What you can see The palace is seen from outside: a white façade in stepped tiers, with accentuated vertical lines and narrow windows typical of Art Deco, and the tower at the top with its antenna mast. It is best seen from Calea Victoriei, in front of the Grand Hotel Continental, or from University Square, where you can see how it dominates the street. On the ground-floor wall there is a “Historic Monument” plaque. ### Good to know The building is an office headquarters of Orange România and is not open to visitors: the interior cannot be visited, while the exterior can be seen at any time from the pavement. ## Don't miss - The white, stepped façade with strong vertical lines, in Art Deco style. - The tower at the top, with its antenna mast, visible from far along Calea Victoriei. - The height of about 52 m, rare in interwar central Bucharest. - The “Historic Monument” plaque on the ground-floor wall. ## Good to know before you go ### Getting there **By car:** the palace is at Calea Victoriei 35, in central Bucharest, close to University Square and the National Theatre. The area is busy, with few parking spaces. **Public transport:** the Universitate metro station (M2) is about a 7–10-minute walk away, and several STB lines run along Calea Victoriei and Nicolae Bălcescu Boulevard. ### Where to park The building has no visitor car park. Around it you park on the streets, for a fee, and spaces are few; public transport is more convenient. ### Fees & discounts The interior cannot be visited, so there is no ticket; the exterior can be seen free of charge from the street. ### Rules The building is a working office headquarters: the interior cannot be visited, while the exterior can be photographed from the pavement. ## Details - **Historical period:** 1931–1933 ## Frequently asked questions about Telephone Palace **How much is a ticket to Telephone Palace?** Admission to Telephone Palace is free (the exterior can be seen from the street). The interior cannot be visited, so there is no ticket; the exterior can be seen free of charge from the street. **What are the opening hours of Telephone Palace?** Opening hours at Telephone Palace: daily open 24 hours. The exterior can be seen at any time, from Calea Victoriei. The interior cannot be visited. **How long does a visit to Telephone Palace take?** A visit to Telephone Palace takes about 15 min (exterior only). **Can you visit Telephone Palace with kids?** Yes, Telephone Palace is suitable for children (just a stop on the street). **Where can I park at Telephone Palace?** There is paid parking at Telephone Palace (on the street, in the centre). The building has no visitor car park. Around it you park on the streets, for a fee, and spaces are few; public transport is more convenient. **How do I get to Telephone Palace?** Telephone Palace is located at Calea Victoriei 35, sector 1, București. By car: the palace is at Calea Victoriei 35, in central Bucharest, close to University Square and the National Theatre. The area is busy, with few parking spaces. Public transport: the Universitate metro station (M2) is about a 7–10-minute walk away, and several STB lines run along Calea Victoriei and Nicolae Bălcescu Boulevard. **When is the best time to visit Telephone Palace?** The best season for Telephone Palace: All year round (the exterior can be seen all year). ## Nearby attractions - [National Military Circle Palace](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/cercul-militar-national) — Monuments and historic sites · București · Free · 20 min · 0 km A palace in central Bucharest, built in 1911–1923 to plans by Dimitrie Maimarolu, with a façade of Corinthian columns, steps down to the Sărindar Fountain and richly decorated ceremonial halls. - [Kretzulescu Church](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biserica-kretzulescu) — Churches · București · 20 min · 0 km A Brâncoveanu-style church of exposed brick, built in 1720–1722 on Calea Victoriei near Revolution Square, with an open porch on stone columns, two towers and the original painting in the porch. - [University Palace of Bucharest](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/palatul-universitatii-bucuresti) — Monuments and historic sites · București · Free · 20 min · 0 km The historic seat of the University of Bucharest, built in 1857–1869 to plans by Alexandru Orăscu: a neoclassical façade, four Muses added in 1929 and a pediment crowned again in 2026 with a bronze eagle and griffins. - [Macca-Villacrosse Passage](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/pasajul-macca-villacrosse) — Monuments and historic sites · București · Free · 20 min · 0 km A fork-shaped shopping arcade from 1891, roofed in yellow glass, with a rotunda under a coloured-glass dome and stucco façades, between Calea Victoriei and Strada Eugeniu Carada. - [Carol I Central University Library](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/biblioteca-centrala-universitara-bucuresti) — Monuments and historic sites · București · 50 lei · ½ – 1 hours · 1 km The former Carol I University Foundation, built in 1891–1895 to plans by Paul Gottereau on Revolution Square: a Beaux-Arts façade with a pediment and domes, an Aula that survived the 1989 fire, and visits by guided tour only. - [Royal Palace](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/palatul-regal) — Castles and palaces · București · 32 lei · 2½ – 3 hours · Top 100 · 1 km The former residence of Romania's kings on Revolution Square, now the National Museum of Art of Romania: the Throne Hall, the Voivodes' Staircase and the country's largest collection of Romanian and European art. --- Full page: https://peplaiuri.ro/en/palatul-telefoanelor Other languages: Română: https://peplaiuri.ro/palatul-telefoanelor.md · Deutsch: https://peplaiuri.ro/de/palatul-telefoanelor.md · Italiano: https://peplaiuri.ro/it/palatul-telefoanelor.md · Français: https://peplaiuri.ro/fr/palatul-telefoanelor.md · Español: https://peplaiuri.ro/es/palatul-telefoanelor.md · Magyar: https://peplaiuri.ro/hu/palatul-telefoanelor.md Last updated: 26 October 2026 Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania