A French-style Beaux-Arts library, built in 1895 for the use of the University of Bucharest and the royal court. The original building burned to the ground in December 1989 during the revolution — when fighting raged across Revolution Square in front and a great deal of its rare-book collection was destroyed. It was rebuilt in the 1990s, faithfully replicating the original façade and adding a modern annex.
The equestrian statue of King Carol I in front, demolished by the Communists and recast in 2010, is by the Croatian sculptor Ivan Meštrović. The building is open to readers and during cultural events; even from outside it is one of the most photogenic on Calea Victoriei.