Norman Foster

In the 1990s Norman Foster transformed Berlin's Reichstag from a historical symbol of Germany's defeat and division to an architectural beacon for twenty-first century democracy, as can be seen in this generously illustrated book. This book introduces readers to one of Europe's iconic buildings and documents its rehabilitation by Foster + Partners through full-color photographs, plans, and sketches, along with informative essays. The new Reichstag's cutting-edge and environmentally sustainable features; the preservation of its historic details; and the cupola's new identity as an urban landmark are all discussed in the book, confirming Foster's innovative vision. -- Book Description from Website.

Includes structural cross-section.

"This book, written by Norman Foster with invited contributions from others, is the architectural study of the new Reichstag. It is published almost exactly ten years after the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989 and fifty years after the foundation of the Bundestag in September 1949.". "Norman Foster discusses the design, evolution and construction of the building, highlighting the architectural, environmental and symbolic ideas that underlie the project. This discourse is punctuated with "interludes" by outside voices who offer complementary viewpoints. They discuss the Reichstag's place in the past and the future, the memories of ordinary people whose lives have been caught up in its dramatic past, the conservation of the marks of history on the building, and its design in the context of other parliaments.". "These texts are illustrated with archive photographs, new photographic material from Rudi Meisel and others and Norman Foster's sketches and drawings. This material charts the transformation of the Reichstag from a grim relic of the past to an optimistic symbol of German democracy and European unity."--BOOK JACKET.