Conversion of the Old Reichstag Building for the German Parliament

Bundesbaudirektion, Berlin, Germany, 1992

In June 1992, the Bundesbaudirektion organised a single-stage competition for the conversion of the Reichstag building for the German Bundestag. This competition was open to German nationals and 14 invited foreign architects. After a review of 80 competition entries, the jury
awarded three first prizes, announcing the results in March 1993. Santiago Calatrava’s entry was one of the three.

Santiago Calatrava went beyond the constraints of the brief and approached the task globally. His proposal was unique in its analysis of the urban situation, redefining the surrounding area between the River Spree to the north and the Brandenburg Gate. He concluded that the
Reichstag, now freed from the limitations imposed by the Berlin Wall, should be reinstated as a free-standing, solitary structure as originally conceived, to symbolize a united Germany.

The status of the building is preserved by reinforcing its classicist three-tier structure and its proportional relationship to the Brandenburg Gate. Nevertheless, the decision to treat the Reichstag as a solitary building called for the relocation of adminstrative space in order to free the main block of subsidiary functions and thus avoid excessively dense conditions. Accordingly, Calatrava created a new block across Ebertstrasse to the east, on the site of the former Dorotheenblock, to house office space for political parties and parliamentary groups and members. The block is characterized by prominent, internal glazed surfaces that permit views into its central courtyard. Direct access to the heart of the Reichstag is achieved via a glazed gallery running below grade, ensuring maximum security. Gardens provide recreation and create a link to the perimeter buildings.

For the Reichstag itself, Calatrava redefined the interior spaces with a proposal that treated the building with the respect that it deserved, in view of its origins at a relatively uncontroversial period of history. His intention was to remove the intrusions of the 1960s and so free the primary structure, revealing its characteristic features. Where appropriate, the massive walls were made visible, to form the shell that would accept the new structures of assembly hall, assembly rooms and public spaces.

Calatrava’s assembly hall was located at ground level, in the center core of the neo-classical building at the intersection of the two major axes, and was bordered by the internal facades of the original Wallot structure.

The new structure took its rhythm from the Wallot proportions. Triangulated steel trusses were braced off the original Wallot masonry walls to span the two vaulted, enclosed courtyards, which were thereby transformed into lofty atria. Slender and elegant supports carried the loads to the ground and created a filigran system that defined a dramatic and symbolic interior space. As a part of the overall concept, glazed roofs drew light down into otherwise dark spaces. The new structure was conceived as a light and graceful counterpoint to the heavy
historic structure, leading to a dialogue between old and new.

Large areas of the building were allocated to the public. The top floor was reserved for exhibitions and events, while the fourth floor served as a lobby. Emphasis was placed on these public areas, which were laid out as generous open spaces to represent the transparency of the
democratic process. The top floor of the building was reserved exclusively for meeting rooms and parliamentary parties, while terraces were created on the rooftop, giving a view over the city that was accessible to public and politicians alike.

The filigran structure that Calatrava introduced into the Reichstag had a structural finesse that could be achieved only through modern-day technology. At the same time, it suggested a verticality that exceeded the limits of the existing structure. The assembly hall was thus
covered by a glazed, translucent roof composed of four petal-like segments. These mobile segments could move from the horizontal into a vertical, open position by pivoting each unit about a line inscribed by the edge of the public gallery (which was accessible via the steps at
the Reichstag’s west front). Immediate control of the lighting and climate conditions in the hall was thus possible, and the resultant transparency aided in the full comprehension of the building, from top to bottom.

The dome was the most remarkable characteristic in Calatrava’s design. In some quarters, the idea of a dome had been seen as a negative gesture; an inappropriately expensive relic that did not represent present-day Germany. Nevertheless, in the second phase, Calatrava did not
omit the dome; but he did rethink the element. He showed that construction of the dome was necessary, technically feasible, and (after consultation with well-known historians) historically desirable. Indeed, a dome had always been an important landmark in Berlin’s skyline. In contrast to the historical masonry-based structure, this new dome was light and translucent.
Its modern silhouette reinterpreted the original Wallot structure, in the same spirit and with all its suggestive power. Calatrava’s dome was comprised of four three-dimensional segments, conceived as curved glass surfaces. An ingenious system of cables acted as a bracing structure and carried the glazed outside skin. Because cables are tensioned elements, dimensions could be minimized, thus giving the dome a filigran appearance. This was intended to create a contemporary completion of the massive building volume — a traditional landmark would glow dramatically at night.

The two other first-place schemes (by Norman Foster and Pi de Brijn) proved to be incompatible with the design selected in the River Spree Embankment competition, which had been held concurrently. But the jury was unable to reach a unanimous decision. Accordingly, the sponsor reformulated the brief and held a second phase of the competition, which called for a revision of the projects submitted by the three winning architects.

For this phase, the Bundesbaudirektion stipulated a more detailed program. Indeed, main design features from Santiago Calatrava’s competition entry were adopted as fundamental components: the program demanded the removal of office spaces into a building block to the east of the Reichstag and required the location of the assembly hall in the center of the building, with an orientation that had initially been proposed by Calatrava. As a result, the second phase of the competition, held in the spring of 1993, culminated in the submission of three designs that had assumed a remarkable similarity.

The design now submitted by Santiago Calatrava was thus not a new project. He optimized the dome, arranging the four segments to pivot open and thus provide essential climate control while at the same time enhancing its symbolic value. He also simplified the project by
improving the integration of the new structure into the existing building; and he reconsidered the flows and functions and made revisions to adjust to the sponsor’s financial framework. As requested by the client, Calatrava maintained the assembly hall’s orientation but raised it to
the main entrance level. Beneath, he placed an amphitheater to serve as a public forum.