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The Bundesrat building – art and architecture
Light art on the facade for the centenary celebrations
The history of the Bundesrat building in Berlin’s Leipziger Straße spans over a hundred years: it was completed in 1904 under the aegis of architect Friedrich Schulze-Kolbitz for the Preußisches Herrenhaus, the upper chamber of the Prussian parliament. The three-wing ensemble was partially destroyed during the Second World War. Between the end of the war and German unification, the building was used by various GDR institutions. Architects Schweger & Partner oversaw conversion work on the building from 1997 on to prepare the premises for the Bundesrat, which moved here in August 2000. Nowadays the building is both a modern seat of parliament and an architectonic highlight.
Outdoor areas and facades
Relief by Otto Lessing on the tympanum
Entering the Bundesrat grounds from Leipziger Straße, the striking central section of the building is the first sight that greets visitors. The imposing main portal boasts the monumental proportions typical of Neo-Classicism. A weighty tympanum rests on six mighty pillars. The figures in the tympanum are the work of Otto Lessing, a descendant of the poet Gotthold Ephraim Lessing. A depiction of Borussia, symbol of the supreme executive power in Prussia, forms the central focus of the relief. The figures organised around her symbolise the various branches of the state administration in erstwhile Prussia.
The cour d’honneur: a striking ensemble
The cour d’honneur with its sumptuous gardens faces onto Leipziger Straße. It was remodelled to plans drawn up by landscape architect Prof. Gustav Lange as part of the conversion scheme when the Bundesrat moved into the building. He set particular store by maintaining elements of the original layout in his redesign. Visitors are greeted by Japanese azaleas, framed by a pattern of box hedges; in summer, pink and blue hortensias are the main floral element. Magnolia trees and roses dotted about the garden break up the strict geometrical order. The highlight of the cour d’honneur is the sandstone fountain in front of the main portal. Its design is modelled on a fountain that graced this spot in the past.
A yew in the garden: a souvenir of a historical event
Prior to redevelopment the courtyard had been neglected for decades. However the original layout of the paths and planted sections was rediscovered beneath the weeds and rubble. This made it possible to recreate the original path design. Even the mosaic pattern of small black and white stones on the footway parallel to Leipziger Straße was reconstructed with painstaking attention to detail.
Two yews in the southern section of the garden recall an interesting story: in 1851, when the building was to be converted for the purposes of the Preußisches Herrenhaus, Frederick William IV. in person insisted that the two ancient yews in the garden should be preserved. He had climbed those trees back in the days when he was Crown Prince. The Prussian King’s wish was respected, even though this involved altering the building plans. Although the original trees have long vanished, yews planted where they once stood recall this anecdote.