Built in 1913, the real estate hosted, at the beginning of XX century, the most luxurious hotel in the city Mercur, former a chef of Queen Elizabeth was hired.
The former, headquarters of the National Bank in Constanta it is one of the oldest buildings in this municipality, being raised at the first half of the XXcentury. It operated for a while as hotel, after that was bought by various banks, now is the property of BNR.
Although most of its existence has hosted various banks, this was not the original purpose of the building. In this place has operated in the first years of the XXth perhaps the most luxurious hotel in Constanta in that days – Hotel Mercury.
The story begins somewhere toward the end of the nineteenth century, when on the current place of building has operated Gambetta, one of the most popular hotels in Constanta at the time. But the main problem was that this unit does not have a solid foundation and there was a risk to collapse at any time. Due to this reason, the authorities decided to demolish Gambetta. It was demolished at the request of the architect Nicolae Loghin, the head of technical service of the City Hall of Constanta, as mentioned in a document in 1911.
The place remain not a desolate place for a long time because there was built the Mercur Hotelul.
Art historian Doina Păuleanu says that he building permit for the new building was issued in 12 of Jule 1913 on behalf Stefan Hagi Tudorache, a reprezentative of the Cooperative Society Mercury.
According to the building permit, the hotel would take more than two thousand square meters distributed in “basements, between ground floor and three floors.”.
The Mercur Hotel had two elevators, electric lighting, bathrooms on each floor, hot and cold water in every room, radiator, telephone, reading room, terraces overlooking the sea amphitheater. The furniture was bought from one of the most famous companies abroad and the hotel staff was recruited in Bucharest. A particular attention was paid to the kitchen endowed with the most modern utensils, and food was daily examined by the hotel doctor.
The art historian Doina Păuleanu says that in the kitchen had been hired at Hotel Mercury the former chef of Queen Elizabeth, Alfredo de Lordo, and the restaurant customers could listen to the symphonic music, and national songs from the orchestra consists of ten music teachers and graduates of the Conservatory.
After the war, until 1927, the building, which has a ground floor, four floors and terrace, being made in eclectic style with decorative elements specific to neo-Romanian style, sheltered the Mercury Company’s offices, after that it was sold. It was bought by Marmorosch Bank Blank & Co., then was rented to Exchange Trade in Constanţa, but subsequently there was the installed the Industrial and Crafts Dobrodgean.
During the communist period, in this building has operated the National Bank Branch in Constanta and now the building is the also the BNR property.
