The Parliament building is the main tourist site of Bucharest and Romania. The building has housed the National Assembly and the Senate since 1994. Its construction began in 1983, during which Romania was under rule of the Communist government. Ceausescu contracted Anca Petrescu, a 35 year old female architect for the construction of the building, which would be used to gather the main institutions of the Romanian Communist government.
In order to realize this grandiose project, more than 1/6th of the city center was destroyed and about 40,000 people had to be relocated. Likewise, many public buildings such as churches were destroyed or relocated during this period of major construction.
The marble needed for the construction was mined from various quarries in the country and sometimes ran out. One million cubic meters of marble were needed for the project. Following the events of 1989 and the deaths of Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu, the “People’s House” (Casa Poporului) as it was called during that time, was not yet completed. The government of Ion Iliescu decided to carry on with the construction, which was already accounting for up to 40% of Romania’s GDP. This took place in 1994, when the Romanian Parliament finally moved into the building.
The dimensions of the Parliament building are impressive and showcase the megalomania of the former Romanian leader. It has a length of 270 meters and a width of 245 meters, while standing at a height of 86 meters. The underground level is 92 meters deep, and features over 1000 rooms. The building sits on an area of 330,000 square meters, making it the second largest administrative building in the world after the Pentagon.
Historical Monument
Bulgaria
Macedonia
Romania
Bucarest