Palace of the Parliament, Bucharest

Palace of the Parliament, Bucharest

Commissioned by Nicolae Ceaușescu as part of the reconstruction of Bucharest after the earthquake of 1977, the Palace of the Parliament is the seat of the Romanian Senate, the Chamber of Deputies, the Constitutional Court, and the Legislative Council.

Commissioned by Nicolae Ceaușescu as part of the reconstruction of Bucharest after the earthquake of 1977, the Palace of the Parliament is the seat of the Romanian Senate, the Chamber of Deputies, the Constitutional Court, and the Legislative Council. It is the second largest administrative building in the world after the United States Pentagon, and the fourth largest building in the world. Sprawling over 365,000 m² in central Bucharest, the colossal Neoclassical building is also the heaviest building in the world weighing a whopping 4,098,500 tonnes. It also houses the headquarters of the Southeast European Cooperation Initiative, the International Conference Center with 16 halls, and 3 museums - the National Museum of Contemporary Art (Muzeul Național de Artă Contemporană), the Museum of Communist Totalitarianism, and the Museum of the Palace.

Its ornate interiors have 23 sections with a total of 1100 rooms adorned with marble floors, wood work, velvet-brocade curtains, beautiful carpets, and crystal chandeliers. The architecture includes traditional Romanian elements including those of the Brancovenesc style, as well as popular art decorations. Several tours of the complex are available. Explore the important areas on a standard tour which covers the main rooms and hallways, or take a complete tour which includes the terrace and basement.

The monumental entrance from Calea 13 September comprises an elegant hall with a blue glass dome and a magnificent staircase that leads to the presidential bureaus. The Gallery of Honor is the official entrance hall, with sliding wooden doors, and metal framed crystal windows and ceiling. The ornate floor is made of white marble tiles with beige outlines. The Alexandru Ioan Cuza Chamber is one of the most important rooms and has the highest ceiling in the complex, featuring glass sections and rosettes. It leads to the Balcony facing Piața Unirii, which offers a birds' eye view over the Bulevardul Unirii.

The Hall of the Union (Sala Unirii) is the largest hall in the complex, featuring white marble columns with Romanian flutings and Corinthian capitals. The richly decorated hall has a central carpet weighing 3 tonnes. The Human Rights Chamber is a heavily wooded room decked in oak fittings and a 2 tonne crystal chandelier that lights up the room's tapestries. The Constantin Brancusi exhibition hall hosts Romanian and foreign art exhibitions, concerts, and theatrical performances.

The Nicolae Balcescu Hall, named after the eponymous revolutionary politician, historian and philosopher, features mahogany doors which were gifted by President Sese Seko of Zaire. It is richly decorated with marble columns, velvet curtains and floral carpets. The Nicolae Iorga Hall is dedicated to the namesake Prime Minister of Romania.

The building has 8 underground levels built by Ceaușescu to protect his family and colleagues in case of nuclear war. The anti-atomic bomb bunker is linked to the main state institutions by 20 km of catacombs, as well as all military units in Romania through telephone connections.