This enormous building, visible from kilometers away, from the other end of Str. Stirbei Voda, was designed by Duiliu Marcu (also responsible for the Palatul Victoriei) and carries his trademark linearity. The Academy was one of the few places in Bucharest that saw live action during the relatively peaceful handover of power from Marshall Antonescu to King Mihai in August 1944. A small plaque in the courtyard commemorates the soldiers killed while successfully attacking the building, which played host to German military 'advisors' during World War II and which served as a last bastion of Nazism in Romania. It is closed to the public as it is still used as an officer's training facility. One of the few times you can gain access is on December 1st, Romania's National Day, when a small ceremony takes place in the parade ground.