Palace of the Parliament
The Palace of the Parliament (Palatul Parlamentului) in Bucharest, Romania is reputed to be the largest building in Europe at 350,000 m². It is probably the third largest building in the world right after The Pentagon and the Merchandise Mart. Measuring 270m by 240m, 86m high, and 92m under ground. It is 12 stories tall, and has four additional underground levels currently available and in use, with another four in different stages of completion.
Built on the site of a hill variously known as Spirii Hill, Uranus Hill, or Arsenal Hill, which was largely razed for the project, the building anchors the west end of Unirii Boulevard and the Centru Civic. Construction began in 1984. The building was originally to be known as the House of the Republic (Casa Republicii) and was intended to serve as headquarters for all the major state institutions. However, the project was just nearing completion at the time of Nicolae Ceauşescu's 1989 overthrow and execution.
Officially renamed as the House of the People (Casa Poporului), it is now known (in the post-Communist era) as the Palace of the Parliament. However, to this day, many Romanians retain the old name and call it Casa Poporului.
The structure combines elements and motifs from multiple recognized architectural styles, making its classification impossible for architectural critics. The building is constructed entirely of materials of Romanian origin; it is reported that during the latter years of construction, this building and the Centru Civic created such a massive demand for Romanian marble that tombstones throughout the country had to be made from other materials. Effectively, the building, due to its immense size, cuts the city into two – an urban planner's nightmare. The building plus the surrounding area that needed to be cleared was said to have occupied, at the time of its construction, one-fifth of the city of Bucharest. The neighborhoods and churches that were razed to make way for the behemoth are remembered to this day.
Since 1994, the building has housed Romania's Chamber of Deputies that has formerly been housed in the Palace of the Patriarchy; the Romanian Senate joined them there in 2004, having previously been housed in the former Communist Party Central Committee building. The Palace also contains a massive array of miscellaneous conference halls, salons, etc., used for a wide variety of other purposes. The structure also houses a museum of modern art.
In 2003-2004 a glass annex was built, alongside external elevators. This was done to facilitate access to the National Museum of Contemporary Art (MNAC) opened in 2004 inside the west wing of the Palace of the Parliament, and to the Museum and Park of Totalitarianism and Realist Socialism, also opened in 2004. Another project concerning a huge, expensive flag was rejected following public outcry in 2004.
The cafeteria for use of the legislators has been refurbished recently, alongside the addition of a swimming pool, sauna and sports facilities at basement 1.
Parts of the building (some of the west wing, some of the east wing, parts of the second floor, basement 3 and everything below are yet to be completed. Currently, a new underground parking lot is being built (possibly open to the public), with a tunnel linking 13 Septembrie Avenue with the basement of the building. Its size is yet to be determined.
There are public tours organized in a number of languages.
External links
- Romanian Chamber of Deputies page about the Palace
- Photo gallery on the Chamber of Deputies website
- Cristina Hanganu-Bresch, People's House - The Building and Rebuilding of Romanian National Consciousness
- Source for the cafeteria news
- Photos Collection (various parts of Romania, including an extensive set with the "People's House")