From Berlin's Reichstag to Tbilisi's President's Residence

The Reichstag building in Berlin, Germany, is historical. It houses the German parliament. Opened in 1894, it housed the Reichstag until 1933 when it was severely damaged in a fire. Dutch communist, Marinus van der Lubbe, lit the fire. After the Second World War the Reichstag building fell into disuse. After the reunification of Germany on October 3, 1990, reconstruction of the building commenced. Architect Norman Foster completed the renovation in 1999. It became the meeting place of the modern German parliament, the Bundestag.

Foster won an architectural contest for the design of the building, but he made modifications afterwards. The original design did not include a cupola (dome). The Reichstag is the second most visited attraction in Berlin – mainly because of the large glass dome that was erected on the roof as a gesture to the original 1894 cupola. From inside it has an impressive view of the city.

The President’s Residence in Tbilisi looks rather similar to Foster’s Reichstag building.

The Presidential Office of Georgia was constructed from 2004 to 2009. Designed by Italian architect, Michele De Lucchi, he also designed the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the government of Georgia, the hotel Medea in Batumi, and Tbilisi’s striking ‘Bridge of Peace.’

Tbilisi’s President’s Residence has three floors. The first floor holds the museum where the President’s gifts from foreign leaders are held for viewing. The second floor has the Ekvtime Takaishvili Hall for official meetings. The Office of the President of Georgia is a combination of a work office and a library, which are on two floors. On the third floor is the hall for official receptions and ceremonies – and the dome of the presidential office.

The dome was constructed in Germany from three-dimensional bent glass. Georgian architect, Vakhtang Zesashvili, designed the dome in collaboration with Italian architect Franc Zagari.

MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of:- The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).

Comments

Pir-E-Kamil - The Perfect Mentor by Umera Ahmed: book review

The Perfect Mentor pbuh (2011) is set in Lahore and Islamabad in Pakistan. The novel commences with Imama Mubeen in medical university. She wants to be an eye specialist. Her parents have arranged for her to marry her first cousin Asjad. Salar Sikander, her neighbour, is 18 years old with an IQ of 150+ and a photographic memory. He has long hair tied in a ponytail. He imbibes alcohol, treats women disrespectfully and is generally a “weird chap” and a rude, belligerent teenager. In the past three years he has tried to commit suicide three times. He tries again. Imama and her brother, Waseem, answer the servant’s call to help Salar. They stop the bleeding from his wrist and save his life. Imama and Asjad have been engaged for three years, because she wants to finish her studies first. Imama is really delaying her marriage to Asjad because she loves Jalal Ansar. She proposes to him and he says yes. But he knows his parents won’t agree, nor will Imama’s parents. ...

The acacia thorn trees of Kenya

There are nearly 800 species of acacia trees in the world, and most don’t have thorns. The famous "whistling thorn tree" and the Umbrella Thorn tree of Kenya are species of acacia that do have thorns, or spines. Giraffes and other herbivores normally eat thorny acacia foliage, but leave the whistling thorn alone. Usually spines are no deterrent to giraffes. Their long tongues are adapted to strip the leaves from the branches despite the thorns. The thorny acacia like dry and hot conditions. The thorns typically occur in pairs and are 5-8 centimetres (2-3 inches) long. Spines can be straight or curved depending on the species. MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of:- Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom (2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Suda...

Shindi: the Georgian Cornelian cherry

The Cornelian cherry – shindi in Georgian – is a fruit with medicinal and decorative properties. It was grown from ancient times, according to the International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS). It is also commonly called the European cornel. It is native to southern Europe from France to Ukraine as well as Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, Turkey, Israel, Lebanon, and Syria. The Cornelian cherry tree ( Cornus mas ) can be grown in orchards, but it is often seen in the forests of Georgia where it grows up to 1,350 metres above sea level. It is a medium to large deciduous tree, growing from 5-12 metres tall. The flowers are small with four yellow petals in clusters, which flower in February and March. The Cornus mas has three botanical varieties: (1) var. typica Sanadze with cylindrical red fruits, (2) var. pyriformis Sanadze with pear-shaped red fruits, and (3) var. flava vest with yellow fruits. The fruits are oblong red drupes about 2 centimetres ...

FEAST OR FAMINE

Search This Blog