Skylines and views seen from the Reichstag
PARLIAMENT BUILDING, NORMAN FOSTER'S DOME

The new Reichstag, Parliament Building, is actually an old classicist building from 1890 with a very troubled history; it was set on fire in 1933 and it was further damaged during WWII. It was reconstructed in the 1960s as a conference building, in 1995 the building was wrapped in silver fabric while a new parliement building was constructed inside, constructed by Sir Norman Foster. A glass dome on top, also designed by Norman Foster, that was added in the late 1990s. The building itself was designed by Paul Wallot. The dome is one of Berlin's most popular tourist attractions, since it offers views over the city and itself. It is situated on the roof of the old parliament building and there is a spiral stairway that leads to the top of the dome. Before entering the Reichstag, you have to stand in line for approximately an hour of so. Unfortunately the weather was not very good when I visited the dome.

You can read more about the parliament building itself and the surrounding government buildings here.

Reichstag, the Parliament Building. The glass dome can be seen on top of the entrance section in classicist style.

Marble stairs take you to the elevated entrance of the Reichstag.

A glass elevator take people up from the entrance hall to the dome on the top.

When you are on the roof of the Reichstag, you can enter the spiral stairways of Norman Foster's glass dome.

 

Views from the roof:

Gendarmenmarkt twin churches and East Berlin highrises.

Hauptbahnhof and surrounding highrises. Details of the Reichstag in the front.

Tiergarten.

City-West skyline, dominated by Zoefenster and Europa-Centrum.

Potsdamer Platz dominated by DB Bahn Tower and Tiergarten.

Details of the Reichstag, Kulturforum and Tiergarten.

A view towards old church towers.

 

The courtyard below the roof plaza.

Towards Alexanderplatz.

Alexanderplatz most recognizable landmarks, dominated by Fernsehturm.



People inside the dome.

The twin churches at Gendarmenmarkt and modernist highrises.

Bahnhof Friedrichstrasse and River Spree.

Bahnhof Friedrichstrasse and Alexanderplatz.

There is a lot of construction is going on in Berlin.


Hauptbahnhof and Tour Total.

Note the ICE (Intercity Express) train approaching the main railway station.

Chancellor's Office, a government building next to the Reichstag.

The Victory Monument (Siegessäule), the Bell Tower and Tiergarten.

 

Inside the glass dome:

This mirroring cylinder is built in the middle of the dome and stretches upwards.

Small circular walkways stretches in spirals upwards.

The mirror-covered hub is the ventilation system. The glass dome provides both lightning and ventilation for the parliament building. Stale air is drawn upwards and escape to the highest point of the dome. A computer-controlled system ensures that the 360 glass panels don't dazzle the representatives in the parliamenary chambers below. There is a huge atrium inside with glass walls and a large eagle where the seat of the Bundestag is.

The viewing platform on the top of the glass dome.

 

Views from the glass dome:


City-West seen through the rain filled glass of the dome.


Potsdamer Platz seen through the rain filled glass of the dome.


There is a hole on top of the dome, so when it starts to rain, it rains right through! Hard to say what Norman Foster thought about...

The German flag and Potsdamer Platz. Unfortunately it started to rain when I was on the top.

Close-up of visitors climbing the glass dome, seen from below.