Reichstag dome

Coordinates: 52°31′07″N 13°22′34″E / 52.51861°N 13.37611°E / 52.51861; 13.37611
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
The Reichstag glass dome in 2019.
Interior of the dome in 2004.

The Reichstag dome is a glass dome constructed on top of the rebuilt Reichstag building in Berlin, Germany. It was designed by architect Norman Foster, from an idea of Gottfried Böhm, and built by Waagner-Biro to symbolize the reunification of Germany. The distinctive appearance of the dome has made it a prominent landmark in the city.

Design

The Reichstag dome is a large glass dome with a 360° view of the surrounding Berlin cityscape. The

double helix.[2]

The glass dome was also designed by Foster to be

carbon emissions.[3]
A large sun shield tracks the movement of the sun electronically and blocks direct sunlight which, would not only cause large solar gain, but also dazzle those below.

The futuristic and transparent design of the Reichstag dome is intended to symbolize Berlin's attempt to move away from a past of Nazism and instead towards a future with a heavier emphasis on a united, democratic Germany.[4] Specifically, it symbolizes that the people are above the government, as was not the case during Nazism.[5][6][7]

Construction

Spiral walkway inside the glass dome

With the

parasol-esque building, but his original design was rejected, partly due to the unrealistic costs.[2] The design of the dome was at first controversial,[8] but has become accepted as one of Berlin's most important landmarks. It derives from a design by Gottfried Böhm, who had previously suggested a cupola of glass with visitors walking on spiral ways to the top in 1988. His design was added to the information of the competition in 1992, which was won by Foster. Later the Bundestag decided that a cupola had to be built and Foster consequently gave up his resistance against it. Foster reused the idea of a spiral walkway within a conical structure for his design for City Hall in London
some years later.

The dome was designed and constructed by Austrian steel and glass specialists Waagner-Biro.[9] The steel and glass were joined by using silicone.[10]

Original dome

The Reichstag before the war with original dome in 1895.

The original Reichstag building was proposed due to a need for a larger parliamentary building. Construction did not immediately begin due to debates between Otto von Bismarck and Reichstag members. In 1894, after an architectural contest, the winner, Frankfurt architect Paul Wallot, was chosen to design the building, which featured a very large dome.

On February 27, 1933, the plenary chamber of the Reichstag building was destroyed in the

Communists, despite there being little evidence to determine who actually started the fire. The remains of the building and the dome were further demolished with the bombings of Berlin through World War II and the eventual fall of Berlin to the Soviets in 1945. While the Reichstag building was partially reconstructed in the 1960s as a conference center,[1] the dome was not. Much of the dome and the ornaments that decorated it had been removed by that time.[8]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Reichstag dome, Berlin". Galinsky.
  2. ^
    Guardian Unlimited
    . April 19, 1999.
  3. ^ "Berlin: A Smooth Ride With Solar Energy". Deutsche Welle. January 6, 2004.
  4. ^ "Deutschland, Deutschland uber alles". New Statesman. April 2, 2001.
  5. ^ "The Reichstag Dome – A Sculpture of Light Above Government in Berlin, Germany". The Pinnacle List. Retrieved 2017-10-04.
  6. ^ "Foster + Partners". fp-corporatewebsite-prod.azurewebsites.net. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
  7. ^ Martin, Guy. "Touring the Reichstag: How Germany and Sir Norman Foster Gave the Building Back to the Public". Forbes. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
  8. ^ a b "Reichstag: Glass Dome". A View on Cities.
  9. ^ "Reichstag Dome – Waagner Biro / Steel and Glass facades". Retrieved 2020-10-22.
  10. ^ Discovering Silicones Documentation, Wacker Chemie AG

52°31′07″N 13°22′34″E / 52.51861°N 13.37611°E / 52.51861; 13.37611

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