Austrian Parliament Building

The Austrian Parliament Building (German: Parlamentsgebäude, informally das Parlament) in Vienna is where the Austrian Parliament’s two houses meet. The structure is situated on the Ringstraße avenue in the first district Innere Stadt, close to the Hofburg Palace and the Palace of Justice. It was erected to house the two chambers of the Imperial Council (Reichsrat), the bicameral legislature of the Austro-Hungarian Empire’s Cisleithanian (Austrian) section. Since its erection, the Parliament Building has served as the seat of the Austrian legislature’s two chambers, as well as its successors, the National Council (Nationalrat) and the Federal Council (Bundesrat).

The foundation stone was placed in 1874, and the structure was finished in 1883. Theophil Hansen was the architect responsible for its Greek Revival design. He planned the building holistically, with the goal of having each part work in harmony with the others. As a result, he was also in charge of the interior decorating, which included sculptures, paintings, furniture, chandeliers, and a variety of other components. After its completion, Emperor Franz Joseph bestowed the title of Freiherr (Baron) to Hansen. Following extensive damage and devastation during WWII, the majority of the interior has been restored to its previous glory.

The parliament building is one of the largest structures on Ringstraße, spanning approximately 13,500 square meters. It has nearly a hundred chambers, the most notable of which are the National Council Chamber, the Federal Council Chamber, and the old House of Deputies (Abgeordnetenhaus). The structure also houses committee rooms, libraries, lobbies, dining rooms, bars, and gymnasiums. The Pallas Athena fountain in front of the main entrance is one of the building’s most iconic elements; it was created from 1898 to 1902 by Carl Kundmann after drawings by Hansen and is a popular Viennese tourist destination.

The Parliament Building hosts major official rituals, most notably the inauguration of Austria’s president. The adoption of the phrase Hohes Haus as a metonym for “Parliament” demonstrates the building’s intimate association with the two parliamentary organizations. Parliamentary offices overflow onto surrounding structures, such as the Palais Epstein.

The building is set to reopen on January 12, 2023, after five years of refurbishment.

The outside of the Austrian Parliament, particularly the statue and fountain of Athena, is one of Vienna’s most popular tourist attractions. The inner city of Vienna, including the Ringstraße and consequently the Parliament Building, is designated as a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). It is also a Grade I listed structure.

In October 2005, a visitor center opened. Visitors could now access the building from the front, rather than the traditional side door.

Exterior

The Reichsratsgebäude was designed by Baron von Hansen in the neo-Greek style, which was prominent during the 19th century Classic revival. Hansen was working in Athens at the time and was hired by the Greek-Austrian billionaire Nikolaus Dumba, who was on the committee tasked with creating a new parliament building.

Hansen was inspired by the design of Athens’ Zappeion hall. The initial designs called for separate structures for the House of Representatives and the House of Lords, but for logistical and economical considerations, both houses were eventually housed in the same structure. Von Hansen’s design reflected the form of the Imperial Council (Reichsrat), as prescribed by the so-called February Patent of 1861, which established the empire’s political framework. The major component, the enormous hypostyle hall, united the two rooms. The hall was designed to be a gathering place for commoners and lords, representing the social structure of the time.

The gable has not altered since the monarchy and is painted with emblems and allegories of the ancient Austro-Hungarian Empire’s 17 provinces (Kronländer). The ramp is approximately four metres high. The pillars are designed in the Corinthian style. Quadrigas may be found on both ends of the roof. The structure was once surrounded by tiny sections of lawn, which have now been converted into parking places. The structure has up to four storeys.

The architect’s original vision was for the entire outside to be polychrome, as in ancient Greece. He designed a showpiece on the southern side of the structure for this reason, with golden capitals and crimson and gilded friezes. Budgetary restrictions prevented the proposal from being realized.

Exterior

Roof

Eight bronze quadrigas adorn both ends of the roof, corresponding to the horse tamers on the Ringstraße ramp. The quadriga is a victory sign inspired by the goddess of victory, Nike. Both rooms’ attics are rich in symbolism, with 76 marble sculptures and 66 reliefs forming a beautiful ensemble. There are 44 allegorical statues that reflect human attributes and fields of human activity, and 32 statues that portray important Classical Antiquity figures. The reliefs are also metaphorical, corresponding to the sectors of public life on which the prominent persons had an effect. In 50 smaller reliefs, the empire’s crown areas, significant cities, and rivers are shown. The roof is mostly retained in the old Greek style, with ancient Greek-style caps and palmettes constructed of copper sheet metal.

Material

The use of Austrian marble in the construction of the Ringstraße buildings was the emperor’s personal request. Marble from the Tyrol hamlet of Laas was brought in for this purpose and abundantly employed on the Hofburg Imperial Palace and the Reichsratsgebäude. The white, durable stone was ideal for the architect Baron von Hansen since the construction blocks for the façade and statues could be modeled after those found in ancient Greece. Over the years and with growing air pollution, the marble has shown to be extraordinarily robust, even tougher than its famed Carrara sibling.

Bronzework

At the two lower ends of the ramp (Auffahrtsrampe) are four bronze sculptures of horse tamers. They are a potent symbol of suppressing passion, which is a necessary requirement for good legislative collaboration. J. Lax conceived and executed them in the Kaiserlich Königliche Kunst-Erzgießerei between 1897 and 1900. The two quadrigas on the roof are also bronze works, each chariot drawn by four horses and guided by the goddess Nike. Due to acid rain and air pollution degradation, the bronze works required considerable conservation and restoration work in the 1990s. Over the years, rust corroded the bronze and ate holes in the statues. To that end, each sculpture was totally enclosed in a separate building to protect it from the weather while it was being restored.

Pallas Athene Fountain

Carl Kundmann, Josef Tautenhayn, and Hugo Haerdtl built the Athena Fountain (Pallas-Athene-Brunnen) in front of the Parliament between 1893 and 1902, based on drawings by Baron von Hansen. A water bowl and a highly adorned foundation are in the center. The four figures at Athena’s feet are allegorical depictions of the Austro-Hungarian Empire’s four most significant rivers. They symbolize the Danube and Inn rivers in the front, and the Elbe and Vltava (German: Moldau) rivers in the back. Little cupids ride dolphins on the sides. Haerdtl created the Danube, Inn, and cupid statues, while Kundmann created the Elbe and Moldau statues. Tautenhayn sculpted the female sculptures above, which reflect the state’s legislative and executive functions. They are once again dominated by Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom, who stands atop a pillar. Athena is clad in armour with a golden helmet, holding a spear in her left hand and Nike in her right.

Grounds

Greenery surrounds Parliament. A park is placed on the north side of the Rathausplatz, while a tiny grass close to the Justizpalast is located on the south side. On either end are monuments honouring the First Republic’s founders as well as Dr. Karl Renner.

Interior

The entrance

The central axis is divided into an entry hall, vestibule, atrium, peristyle, and two huge rooms at the far end. Baron von Hansen employed Greek architectural features such as Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian pillars for the interior design, as well as Pompei-style stucco technique for the walls of the two rooms.

The main entrance at the portico is an exact replica of the Erechtheion gate on the Acropolis of Athens, complete with a bronze portal. The Ringstraße main door leads into the foyer of the building, which has Ionic pillars. Pavonazzo marble is used to embellish the walls. Greek deity figurines may be seen in the niches. Apollo, Athena, Zeus, Hera, and Hephaestus may be seen from the entrance, and Hermes, Demeter, Poseidon, Artemis, and Ares can be seen from the right.

Above the deity niches is a more than 100-meter-long frieze by Viennese artist Alois Hans Schram that runs along the passageway and into the atrium. It is an allegorical representation of the blessing of Peace, civic virtues, and patriotism.

A frieze depicting Austria on her throne is located over the entrance to the magnificent Hall of Pillars (Säulenhalle). Warriors vow their fealty and ladies send offerings to represent the phrase “Goods and Blood for thy Country” (Gut und Blut furs Vaterland).

Hall of Pillars

The magnificent Hall of Pillars (Säulenhalle) or peristyle is located behind the entry atrium. The hall is approximately 40 meters long and 23 meters broad. The 24 Corinthian pillars are built of Adnet marble and are all monoliths weighing around 16 tons apiece. The pillars support the skylit main ceiling in the center and the coffered side ceilings. The glossy marble floor is supported by a concrete hull. The room below was planned as a hypocaust for the hall’s floor heating and air circulation system.

The chambers of the former House of Representatives (on the left) and the chambers of the old House of Lords (on the right) are located on the transverse axis at the end of the Hall of Pillars. Von Hansen intended for the Hall of Pillars to be the focal point of the structure. It was intended to serve as a bridge between the House of Lords and the House of Representatives. Hansen also desired that the queen utilize the hall for the State Opening of Parliament and the Speech from the Throne, as is customary in the United Kingdom. However, such ceremonies were never performed in the edifice since Emperor Franz Joseph I despised the parliamentary body. Instead, speeches from the Throne were delivered in front of lawmakers in the Hofburg Palace.

Von Hansen gave special attention to the design and construction of this hall. A difficult method was used to polish the marble floor. The pillar capitals were adorned with 23 carat (96%) gold. A frieze 126 m long and 2.3 m high wrapped around the wall. Eduard Lebiedzki designed and painted it. The colossal work took decades to prepare and design, then four years to paint, from 1907 to 1911. On a golden background, the frieze depicted allegories illustrating the tasks of parliament.

During World War II, aircraft bombardments by Allied forces severely destroyed the hall. The hall was directly destroyed by aircraft bombs on February 7, 1945. At least two pillars and the skylight were demolished totally. The gold coffered side ceilings that supported the frieze on the walls were nearly totally destroyed. The few pieces of the frieze that survived were removed and stored. Only in the 1990s were the remaining pieces as much as possible repaired.

Because of its representational nature, the Hall of Pillars is now utilized for celebratory activities as well as customary parliamentary receptions by the Presidents of the National Council and the Federal Council.

The welcome salon (Empfangssalon) of the President of the National Council is located at the back of the Hall of Pillars. The chamber has plaster Pompeian wall decorations and a huge glass skylight. Portraits of the National Council Presidents since 1945 are on the wall.

The historic receiving hall for both chambers of the Imperial Council is located behind the reception salon. The National Council now uses it for committee meetings and hearings on financial, state budget, and audit court concerns, thus the term Budgetsaal. The hall is lavishly designed in the Renaissance style with marble, stucco, and a magnificent coffered ceiling. The coats of arms of the 17 Kronländer kingdoms and territories represented in the Imperial Council are inlaid on the ceiling.

Former House of Representatives Chamber

The old House of Deputies (Abgeordnetenhaus) chamber is still used by the Federal Assembly (Bundesversammlung) on important events such as National Day and the inauguration ceremony of a newly elected Federal President of Austria. The chamber is a semicircle with a diameter of 34 m and a depth of 22.5 m.

It originally had 364 seats. With the implementation of numerous electoral changes, the number was expanded to 425 seats in 1896, then to 516 seats with the implementation of male universal suffrage in 1907.

The chamber contains two levels of viewing galleries. The first gallery contains a box in the center for the head of state. The diplomatic corps sits on the right side of the gallery, while the government and the president’s family sit on the left. Seats for journalists are available on both ends. The gallery on the second level, which is slightly lower than the one on the first, is open to the public.

The room is designed like an ancient Greek theatron. The wall behind the presidium is constructed in the style of an antique skene, with marble colonnades carrying a gable.

The allegorical hours of the day are shown by a group of figures in the gable made of Laas marble. The wall’s columns and pilasters are built of Untersberg marble, the stylobates of dark marble, and the entrance embellishments of red Salzburg stone. The wall area between the pillars is built of grey scagliola, with niches between adorned with Carrara marble figures. Numa Pompilius, Cincinnatus, Quintus Fabius Maximus, Cato the Elder, Gaius Gracchus, Cicero, Manlius Torquatus, Augustus, Seneca the Younger, and Constantine the Great are shown in the statues.[1] August Eisenmenger painted the friezes above, which portray the history of civic life’s rise.

The House of Representatives chamber was significant in the history of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Many politicians began their careers as deputies, including Karl Renner, Austria’s later chancellor and president, and Leopold Kunschak, the country’s eventual conservative leader. Other MPs from outside core Austria played key roles in their home countries following World Wars I and II.

key politicians who began their careers and gained their first democratic experience eventually played key roles in their home countries once the Austro-Hungarian Empire fell apart.

National Council Chamber

The National Council has utilized the old conference chamber of the House of Lords as a plenary meeting room since 1920. The House of Lords (Herrenhaus) used to meet in the room where the National Council now meets. The room was created in the classical style, with horseshoe-shaped seats facing the chair. The National Council Chamber was devastated by aircraft bombardments in 1945 and was totally reconstructed in a contemporary design. The new chamber, which was completed in 1956, is a classic example of 1950s architecture. The room is devoid of adornment save for a steel coat of arms. The carpet is mint-green, which was considered neutral at the time since it did not represent any political party. Green was also supposed to have a calming effect, which may have influenced the selection, given the stormy arguments the building had to face prior to the two World Wars. The government bench (Regierungsbank) is located behind the speaker’s pult and is only completely occupied at big events like as the government declaration (Regierungserklärung) or the state budget address (Budgetrede).

Federal Council Chamber

The present Chamber of the Federal Council of Austria (Bundesrat) is located next to the Chamber of the previous House of Lords. The Lords utilized the area as an antechamber and casual gathering space. Following the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the adoption of a new republican constitution in 1920, the old Lords room became the Federal Council Chamber.

The seating arrangement of the current Federal Council Chamber is comparable to that of the other two great chamber halls. Federal Council members sit in a semicircle facing the presidium. The cabinet seat is located in front of the presidium. In 1999, the furnishings was totally redone. The coats of arms of Austria and the nine Austrian states were erected above the presidium in 1970.

Vienna, Austria