The Reichstag Dome – A Symbol of Unity

     In 1933, the original dome of the Reichstag Parliament Building of Germany was destroyed in a fire.  Further demolition of the building came with the bombings throughout World War II. In 1993, a competition for the re-design was won by Sir Norman Foster.

Interior View

     Foster’s idea for the new building included a large glass dome over the top of the parliament room. Inside the dome there was a conical structure bending down to the center point. This conical structure allowed light to enter both the dome and the parliament room below. It also allowed for visitors to the dome to see the parliament in action. Also inside the dome is a large screen that adjusts based on the position of the sun to provide just enough light to the space without it being too overbearing. The dome provides a panoramic view of Berlin and has attracted over 34 million visitors

  

Exterior View

   The transparency of the dome and the futurist structure of the dome symbolize the unification of the German people and a symbol of a more transparent, democratic government. The idea of visitors being in the dome and being able to oversee the actions of the parliament also symbolizes the idea that the people are above the government.

     In my model of the building, I wanted to explore the structure of the dome and understand the transparency of the structure as well as the shadows that occur. The cut section of the dome shows the exterior dome shape, the interior conical shape, and the visitor area in between the two.

Exterior

Interior