Reichstag dome

It was designed by architect Norman Foster, from an idea of Gottfried Böhm, and built by Waagner-Biro to symbolize the reunification of Germany.

[2] The glass dome was also designed by Foster to be environmentally friendly and energy efficient; in allowing daylight to shine through the mirrored cone, the use of artificial lighting is significantly reduced, and thus so are carbon emissions.

The futuristic and transparent design of the Reichstag dome is intended to symbolize Berlin's attempt to move away from a past of Nazism and instead towards a future with a heavier emphasis on a united, democratic Germany.

It derives from a design by Gottfried Böhm, who had previously suggested a cupola of glass with visitors walking on spiral ways to the top in 1988.

In 1894, after an architectural contest, the winner, Frankfurt architect Paul Wallot, was chosen to design the building, which featured a very large dome.