06/06/2023
Reichstag Dome | DE
•
•
•
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 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.(Wikipedia,2023)
Around 23 meters high and 40 meters wide - when the government moved in 1999, the Reichstag building received a dome again. The architect Sir Norman Foster designed the construction made of steel and glass together with specialist engineers and thus successfully prevailed over other designs: In the spring of 1995, the Council of Elders of the German Bundestag decided in favor of this modern version of a dome. The Europe-wide tender for the construction of the structure was won by the Reichstag dome consortium, consisting of the companies Waagner-Biró AG, Vienna, Waagner-Biró GmbH, Munich, and Götz GmbH, Dillingen.
The dome is accessible to the public via a ramp from the roof terrace and supplies the plenary hall with the latest exposure and lighting technology. Since the start of parliamentary work in the Reichstag building in 1999, visitors have been able to enter the seat of parliament via the west portal and from there take two elevators to the roof terrace. There is also a restaurant at the top at a height of 24 meters. If you want to enjoy an even more attractive panoramic view of Berlin, you can walk to the 200 square meter viewing platform in the upper part of the dome. It is at a height of 40 meters.
The counter-rotating ramps leading to this observation deck (one for going up, the other for going down) were installed in 1997. For this purpose, an assembly scaffold was erected inside the dome. The ramp elements, prefabricated in a workshop, could be welded together and used on the roof of the Reichstag building. This was followed by the steel ribs and bracing with 17 horizontal beams. After the viewing platform was connected to the ramp and the main structure, the structure could be released and the auxiliary structure dismantled.(Bundestag,2023)
•
•
•
