In 1959-1962, through the efforts of then Metropolitan Dr. Iustin Moisescu (1957-1977), later patriarch of Romania (1977-1986), important work was done in view of the systematization of the Metropolitan Complex. The project was entrusted to architect G. M. Cantacuzino who gracefully harmonized the new buildings with the existing edifices around the Metropolitan Cathedral. The area to the west near the main entrance in the Cathedral was arranged as a generous esplanade, offering a new perspective on the monument. On either side, stairways flanked by balustrades run downhill toward the lower court yard of the Metropolitanate in the direction of the present-day St George Gate.