Designed to stun
- POSTED ON: 22 May, 2020
- TOTAL VIEWS: 630 Views
- POSTED BY: Archana Subramanian
- ARTICLE POINTS: 100 Points
A civic building is a central landmark in the business centre of a town or city. It is the pride of the district and fosters a strong local, regional and national identity. It also provides public services and has a positive impact on a neighborhood. Civic buildings include parliaments.
Today, let’s take a look at the world’s ten most striking government buildings.
Parliament House, Sri Lanka:
It is an asymmetric group of colonnaded pavilions with striking copper roofs ‘floating’ on a man-made lake. The site was originally a marsh and was dredged to form a small island to support the structures and a wide shore with dense tree cover.
Parliament House, Bangladesh: This magnificent group of buildings in Dhaka is set on an artificial lake. The main building is in fact not a single monument but comprises eight closely connected concrete and limestone blocks including a prayer hall and passageways using sunlight to an optimum.
Parliament House, Germany: The earlier neo-Baroque styled building was torched by Hitler and it was later in the 90’s that the werecked site was finally refurbished as offices. The Red Army graffiti has been preserved and visitors can walk around the steel and glass dome interiors.
Parliament House, Finland: Although it is a modern democratic country, yet its parliament house is designed in a classical way. Set on the Aracadia Hills, this imposing structure looks formidable. However, its interiors are colourful and the parliamentary chamber, is a circular, top-lit space adorned with statues representing Finnish virtues.
Parliament House, China: For the 10th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China, the Communist Party included the Great Hall of the People, as one of the 10 buildings they had ordered as a part of its celebration. This structure is a fine example of Chinese neo-Classicism with an enormous building and a floor area bigger than that of the Forbidden City. The State banquet hall is designed to accommodate 5,000 diners at a single sitting and the Great Auditorium, can house 10,000 delegates.
Parliament House, Romania: One of the world’s biggest and heaviest buildings, this structure was dictator Nicolae Ceausescu’s dream. These vast marble halls house the Senate and Chamber of Deputies as well as museums, a conference centre and eight underground levels including secret escape tunnels.
Now that you know all about these parliaments why not play a small game?