@Comrade Shlomo Von shackelberg i guess u live in a 30 storey panel building in bucharest with little to no sunlight in your kennel, i mean flat🤭 and cant accept the fact that budapest cant be copy-pasted😏😏
@Comrade Shlomo Von shackelberg that's just fine. If I've been only in district VIII I'd think the same, but I know that ppl never travel without their culture, and wherever they are, they always find their own kind, and there you are, a fine example. If you take an advice, next time you're in Budapest, try not to stick to your own and explore the whole city, not only that one shit part of it, you'll be amazed how beautiful it is, especially around spring. If you need advices where to go, feel free to ask. Oh, and btw, that thousand years advantage Budapest has over București can make an old city has its own smells ;)
With the fire of 1916, the only part of the original Canadian parliament building centre block that survived was the library: It was "...saved from the 1916 fire that destroyed the majority of the Centre Block; the building was only connected to the main complex by a single corridor and the library clerk at the time, Michael MacCormac, secured the library's iron doors before the fire could spread into that area."
@@NewTracks As a life-long reader and childhood denizen of actual paper libraries, I couldn't agree more. I always feel betrayed when I find a book officially stamped as "Withdrawn" in a second-hand bookshop.
Never seen it before. The Parliament Room is magnificent and in good taste. As for the rest of the edifices here, I find the Bangladesh building most horrifying. Shows what happens when you let a 'modern' architect loose - beware!
I once had dinner in Budapest, dining on Beef Gulyas and listening to an excellent, traditional Hungarian Gypsy musical ensemble. The establishment was located on the other side of the Donau on which there was a moonglade, and the Hungarian Parliament was lit up in the light of the full moon. It was simply stunningly beautiful!
0:50 - Chapter 1 - Palace of the parliament (Romania) 3:50 - Chapter 2 - The national parliament house (Bangladesh) 6:15 - Chapter 3 - Centre block (Canada) 8:30 - Chapter 4 - The reichstag (Germany) 11:35 - Chapter 5 - Parliament of budapest
My wife and I did the tour of it back in 2015. My favourite parts were the library, and the main rotunda which has all the symbols of each province and territory carved into the columns. And the company I worked for at the time supplied a lot of steel anchors and reinforcement pieces for the renovations that were being done on the West Block at the time
I visited the Hungarian parliament building in June 2019. Such a beautiful building. The most beautiful part we saw, was undoubtly the grand staircase. We also visited the room under the dome where the crown is, and luckily the tour was behind schedule, which allowed us to vitness the change of guard seremony. Those who haven't been to Budapest yet, should consider to do so - I've been so many places, and this city is one of my favourites. But do buy tickets to the parliament online as early as possible, they sell out weeks ahead.
My sister's former father in law was a Canadian Member of Parliament, which allowed them to hold their wedding reception within the Centre Block. It was interesting, as we were allowed limited access, and could roam some hallways. Don't remember much as it was over 25 years ago, and 😂 they had an open bar
Pretty common and anybody can do this, you just have to pay for it. I have been to many a reception for various functions. Centre Block hosts all kinds of events. Every wedding I have ever been to has had an open bar.
Don't forget the Palais Bourbon, which currently houses the French parliament. Neoclassical isn't my favourite architectural style, but the Palais Bourbon, with its Napoleonic facade redesign, is one of the best examples of it in the world.
I've been inside Canada's Parliament buildings so many times -- it's GORGEOUS! One of the most spectacular parts, which survived the 1916 fire, is the Parliamentary Library. It's the round part at the back of the building, overlooking the river.
Pleasantly surprised to see The Bangladesh Parliament included. The extraordinary bldg is featured extensively in a documentary feature called "My Architect".
love this one as it shows stuff we in Australia were never taught as we mainly followed english and US history as it led to the reason for comming to Australia in the first place . We need to learn much more history of places in europe as well as the history of the first Australians that were here to greet the english.
Almost everything you see as the UK parliament is neo-gothic rebuilding after a fire in the 19th century. Very little of the medieval palace of Westminster survives
@@golddragonette7795 However there are certain “sections” of the medieval building remaining: - The extremely grand 11th century “Westminster Hall”; built 1097-1099 - although its huge wooden ceiling was added in 1393 (one of the finest in Europe and a masterpiece of medieval woodwork), - The 14th century “Jewel Tower” (built 1365), - The two storey “Cloisters” and tiny “Chapter House” (early 16th century) of St Stephen’s Chapel, - The underground chapel of “St Mary Undercroft” (13th/ 14th century - with 19th century decoration). The rest was indeed destroyed by the fire of 1834. It is thought that a palace has stood on the site since the reign of ‘Cnut the Great’ (1016-1035), although most of the present building dates to between 1840-1860 (with certain sections unfinished till 1876). It remains to this day one of the world’s greatest neo-Gothic buildings, and for this reason is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (only the Hungarian Parliament building, of the 5 mentioned above, holds the same title). I’m sure it will no doubt be discussed in its own separate video.
@@kellym3610just to clarify I'm English. Basically we bullied the Welsh for 800 years, got into a dysfunctional relationship with Scotland and tried to treat Ireland like a cheap whore. After we had done that for a few hundred years we ended up calling ourselves the United Kingdom and made the British empire by doing the same thing to the rest of the world. Our Celtic cousins have good reason to dislike being called English.
I have a suggestion. How they fixed Winchester Cathedral. Its an amazing story with a hero who spends more time under water under that cathedral replacing the wooden pilons that where part of the foundation than any man ever should have before well real scuba gear.
I would argue that Parliament House here in Canberra, Australia is easily the best federal legislative building in the world in terms of architectural design and engineering. Might be worth doing a Megaprojects episode on it!
@@doomguy1001 Yeah it’s not pretty but at least it looks like an actual building. The Australian parliament is ridiculous, gaudy and ugly. Desperately trying to hard to be grand but overall the effect is poor and just appears garish and brutal.
Very interesting! I loved it. I was surprised though that Westminster in London and Capitol Hill in Washinton DC were not included. Maybe you could plan a sequal?
Thanks for the video! Small addendum: The German Parliament (as an institution) was already called the Bundestag when convening in Bonn. It wasn't renamed when moving to Berlin, just relocated and enlarged to house the members of parliament from the "new" German states.
When I first saw this title I thought "If the building I saw in Budapest, Hungary is not in this I'll eat my hat." I knew I was on safe ground because I don't own a hat.
So far, of these five, I've only managed to visit the ones in Ottawa and Budapest. Surprisingly, aside from passing through, I've never been to Berlin while Bucharest wasn't on the schedule of my Romanian road trip.
Could you guys include the oldest parliament building still in use today, in a follow up video? It’s the Dutch parliament in The Hague, called Binnenhof. Built in the 13th century by the Count of Holland.
Well, technically the Binnenhof isn’t the oldest paliament building. The oldest parliament building still in use today is probably the Alþingi in Iceland, founded in 930. (The Binnenhof was founded in 1230).
@@h-Qalziel I was talking about the parliament building, not parliament itself. The Icelandic parliament building dates back to the 19th century and not the 10th. That makes the Binnenhof building complex older.
@@MLWitteman The UK Parliament building (the Palace of Westminster) contains parts that are older; the biggest of which is “Westminster Hall” (which was constructed between 1097-1099 - although the wooden ceiling, a masterpiece in medieval woodwork, was added in 1393). Of course the majority of the building dates to between 1840-1860, but it does actually contain quite a few surviving elements of the old medieval palace, that date to the 11th-15th centuries.
The only time when the Romanian parliament building was properly used for something, was the time when the guys from TopGear raced each other in it's basement! (mic drop !)
I didn't get a chance to tour the Budapest parliament, as I arrived in Hungary the same day as the Brussels attack...but the view of the building from the Buda Castle monument is exceptional
Rideau Canal and river system for MEGA/SIDE PROJECTS! Francis "Peggy" Pegahmagabow for Biographics! Who doesnt love a great war sniper and this guy is the best of the best! Vote Canada!
@@nikolaaswright6028 before covid I was a tour guide and I loved telling people about the trans continental railroad and great and interesting canadian historical figures like peyto, jerry potts, tom wilson, macleod, chief crowfoot and such. The canadian biographics vid that would be worth hundreds of thousands of views would be the black grizzly of whiskey creek.
Hi I played on the steps of the ruined Reichstag's building in 1965 as a four year old when my dad was stationed in Berlin with the RAF as part of the Brixmis association (which may warrant a look at) and allowed my dad almost unlimited access to east Berlin while on duty.
The reichstag-bundestag-thing is something a lot of people don't quite grasp. It's the "Reichstagsgebäude" (Reichstag-Building), but it houses the Bundestag. Also, the glass dome with it's mirror-system and the glass facade behind the pillars up front were purposely chosen to reflect change and improvement over what once was.
I used to live in a bachelor apartment across the river from the canadian parliament and I would look at it from my balcony. I thought it was beautiful, but I didn't know it was considered so ornate on a global scale :o that's pretty cool :)
You are astonishingly informative and have such sharp concentration while talking with supersonic speed! Could you please just slow down a tiny fraction? I love your voice, your intonation, your facial expressions and, of course, your attractive face. Thank you for your obviously monumental efforts in preparing these episodes
Canada's so big. Europe's countries are much smaller, the capitals cities closer together. Parliament is amazing! Never understood ppl who say things like: "You're not missing much".
Another interesting thing to know about the Reichstag: From the dome you can look down right in to the plenary chamber. In the dome hangs a big cone of mirrors that reflects natural light into the plenary chamber beneath, minimizing the need for artificial lighting. Not just a pretty smart idea, but it also looks pretty cool xD
G'day Simon, Good one! Really impressive buildings. I reckon you, and the world, should take a close look at Australia's 'New Parliament House', built into the side of a huge man-made hill and topped by one of the biggest flagpole structures in the world. Part of the roof complex is under neatly manicured grass lawns, drawing the building into the bushland covered hills as it's backdrop. It certainly is one of a kind. Cheers, BH
Bangladesh🇧🇩parliament house looks so futuristic compare to others but it was designed approximately 60 years ago. It carries the evidence how talented Louis kahn was, as a Bangladeshi i'm really indebted to him. At the moment Bangladesh is progressing rapidly, hopefully we will be able to see Bangladesh in a peak form. Long live Bangladesh 🇧🇩
I've never been thinking about An issue, but, couldn't agree more, sir. In a way, it's pitty that Spear's vision of centerpeace of Germania haven't been built. It would be something.
Simon, I think it would be cool if one of your channels did a video on the snowy hydro project in Australia. It was a massive effort and still powers a large area
Master Simon, if you look through every stage of history, in every cultural region and more recently, national identity, the largest, most ornate buildings of each age or generation ALWAYS reflect what is the most important aspects or people of their culture. In Mesopotamia, it was first temples, then great palaces, then, kerplunk. In Egypt it was sprawling temple complexes, the the tombs of the god kings, the pharaoh’s Pyramids, Valley of the Kings. In Greece, it was the great temples to the gods, especially Athens. As democracy took hold, public meeting houses became the buildings of note. In Rome, first it was the temples to the gods on the 7 hills of Rome. Then grand palaces. Then the Caesars realized they had to placate the Mob, so, giant public granaries, brothels, bathhouses, the the biggies, The Colosseum and Circus Maximus. By Cleopatra in Egypt, the Ptolemy rule had is eye on the seat of Power, palaces and Knowledge. The Great Library of Alexandria. As western Empire began to collapse, even in the Eastern Empire, Churches and Cathedrals were the grandest of buildings for nearly a millennium. After the wars of the reformations, seats of power, Castles became the grandest. Then after the U.S. lit the fuse of Popular Revolution over the Monarchy, Grand Palaces, like Napoleon in his beloved Versailles reigned supreme. Once Empires began to crumble, Houses of Legislature took center stage. Look at Washington D.C., London, Paris, Tokyo, etc. Then came the Industrial Revolution and Post-Industrial Revolution, fueled by WWI & WWII, came in like bullet trains. Suddenly THE Cities and Buildings were in Market Centers. New York, Chicago, Silicon Valley, Dallas Texas, New London, A whole New Tokyo, The once Mighty Hong Kong, Taripei, Seoul. You can even see the same progression in Messoametica. By the time Hernán Cortés reach Tenochitlan, it was both the religious and political center of Mesoamerica. Not to mention one of the grandest cities in Mesoamerica, full of scholars, libraries, a floating city, complex trade relations. Had it not been for a Conflagration of 5, relatively insignificant individually, factors simultaneously, the Aztecs DO NOT fall. 1. Most important is the prophesy of the return of Quetzalcóatl. He was a prophet who was banished by the people who would returning Judgement as their Salvation and end. He was expelled, in mythology, around the 3rd to 8th Century A.D., though likely closer to the 3rd. The name has several meaning, chief among them: Feathered Serpent, their most major deity and One Reed, Our Prince. Sort of like king of kings, the rub was, when banished, Quetzalcóatl was unique among the Mesoamericans. He was much taller than the average . He also had very fair skin, hair and eyes, plus a beard. All thing very foreign to Mesoamericans. Guess what Hernán Cortés looked like. But Moctezuma wasn’t convinced. He sent envoys to visit Cortés. 2. Hernán Cortés made VERY nice with Princess of a king who didn’t enjoy the tribute he had to pay the Aztecs. She quickly learned Spanish and could easily translate for Cortés to all the other subjugated tribes. 4. Cotés had horses, canons and muskets, plus Spanish steel. The finest steel in the world. He also had the finest, most current war doctrine available. 5. Moctezuma welcomed Cortés into Tenochitlan, just in case he was Quetzlcóatl. What he didn’t expect was all 400 Conquistadores, on horseback, fully armed, with a delegation of 4,000 other Mesoamericans to “pay tribute” to take him hostage, while hundreds of thousands tributary tribes attacked from the outside. Thus Tenochitlan fell. Yet today, México city remain a juggernaut of a city. A corporate center, education paradise, 3 of the largest companies I. The world are based there. Though the official population of México City is 25-30 million, if you to observation deck of the TelMex building, which is itself a few kilometers from shanty towns, you will see shanty towns, from the observation deck, as far as the eye can see. From its tallest building. One of the largest telecom companies on the planet.
I'd love to see a video on Buffalo NY. The city is rich with architectural history and was the site of President McKinley's assassination. It also boasts an absolutely massive city hall, second only to Philadelphia in scale.
Do one about the cathedral of Mexico It is the largest one in the Americas and build out of parts from the pyramids of the mexica on top of the lake of Texcoco which was filled with dirt and sand by the Spanish and is currently sinking and leaning towards the side. It took 240 years (from 1573 to 1813) to be build. If this one isn't enough for a video, maybe one about this one and others in Latin America...
Most of these are form over functionality. If it looks good, build it. Though most seem to be quite vacant, they really do look impressive. Architecture really is amazing.
Wonder of wonders, you didn't mention the UK House of Parliament. Last time I was in London, I wanted to tour the massive structure, but there were (not infrequent) bomb threats, so we went elsewhere. But looking at the building itself, one thing struck me: It is as grey as English weather! Looked dirty and in need of power-washing. As did some of the protesters outside....
The UK Houses of Parliament building is currently going through major renovations. The Elizabeth Tower (often incorrectly called 'Big Ben' which is actually the name of the bell inside the clock tower) has been covered in scaffolding for a long time as it undergoes an £80 million restoration, you can watch a great video by the B1M: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-UCwZ1iI3pdw.html They are meant to start a £4 billion restoration of the rest of the building soon, but it keeps getting pushed back as it is a lot of money!
That one in Bangladesh is truly beautiful!!! It really reminds me of a Medieval Castle how it’s surrounded by water/mote. Edit: I’ve also REALLY give it to our brothers to the north. They built an amazing Parliament!
Hey guys are you able to do another video of extraordinary parliaments. I Love what you have covered, but there are quite a few out there like Australian Parliament House (APH), The Duma, etc.
After the "Dem duschen Volken"... erm, mishap, I was wondering how you would tackle the Hungarian names. You handled them rather well, I must say: there weren't any.
I am surprised to see the beautiful Hungarian Parliament building without scaffolding somewhere. I thought the exterior was made from a soft stone that required perpetual work to keep it looking good. I must say the Parliament in Bangladesh is the coolest looking building.
The original stones were softer indeed which got dirty easier, but the renovation works have been completed about 10 years ago, and the softer stone has been replaced by a harder one.
@@ericmason349 do it! The surrounding buildings are also being renovated, and the Kossuth Square (the big square in front of the building) has been refurbished too. This project is probably the only one I can praise our government for.
Such was meant as, a showing of Imperial Power in many cases too. That can apply to Stalinistic Communism as, well as supposed Capitalistic Countries & or Democracies both.