I had only one half day to spare and decided to visit the Palace of Parliament. It was a short walking distance from the hotel. The concierge advised to book on the day of visit, which they did on the phone. Quite simple, in theory.
I read a lot about this building being the second largest administrative building in the world after Pentagon but frankly, it's rather disappointing. The building looks colossal from the outside but rather threadbare inside.
May wasn't yet the tourist season but already there were tourist buses parked outside the entrance. The building looks impressive from the outside. Later on, the guide would explain that when the building was constructed, some monasteries were demolished and about 40,000 people were forcibly relocated. The construction was done by soldiers to keep cost to a minimum. It was a totalitarian regime under Ceausescu after all.
On entry, the first step was to buy a ticket. I was told to bring my passport but two British guys in front did not bring theirs and argued with the ticket desk. Meanwhile a long queue formed. After obtaining the necessary vouchers, I joined another queue at the payment kiosk to pay. Then the real queuing began. The admission time was supposed to be 12 noon but it was only at 12.30 pm that the security screening started to operate. First, the visitors had to surrender their passport in exchange of an ID card, then went through security screening one by one, then waited ages for the tour to start. And what a disappointment.
The operative word for the building was size: 20 floors, 8 of which are underground, with a floor area of over 365,000 sq. m.; that apart, the interior was in parts very grand and in many parts uninspiring. Try as I did, I was not awestruck.
It was very obvious that the Romanians loathe Ceaușescu; they executed him and his wife after all. It came through loud and clear in the narrative provided by the guide. The first room we were ushered into was the auditorium where a massive chandelier was the star of the show. I have since forgotten about the statistics but I marveled at the small room built to service the chandelier. I also made a mental note that a young woman aged 28 led 400 contributing architects back in the 1980's during the construction of the building. That truly was remarkable.
The guide, a young lady was engaging and witty. She answered all the questions raised by an American couple whilst the other visitors in the group stayed quiet. The conversations were peppered with unsolicited opinions from the Americans.
I came away from the building with a chill down my spine, that there are megalomaniacs who are hellbent in building grandiose projects that are of little value to the ordinary men and women of their country. The building cost was estimated at €3 bn in early 2000. At 2014, the average monthly salary was less than €500.
I read a lot about this building being the second largest administrative building in the world after Pentagon but frankly, it's rather disappointing. The building looks colossal from the outside but rather threadbare inside.
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| Entrance facing Calea 13 Septembrie |
May wasn't yet the tourist season but already there were tourist buses parked outside the entrance. The building looks impressive from the outside. Later on, the guide would explain that when the building was constructed, some monasteries were demolished and about 40,000 people were forcibly relocated. The construction was done by soldiers to keep cost to a minimum. It was a totalitarian regime under Ceausescu after all.
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| Enormous queue at security check |
The operative word for the building was size: 20 floors, 8 of which are underground, with a floor area of over 365,000 sq. m.; that apart, the interior was in parts very grand and in many parts uninspiring. Try as I did, I was not awestruck.
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| The auditorium not available for conference hire |
The guide, a young lady was engaging and witty. She answered all the questions raised by an American couple whilst the other visitors in the group stayed quiet. The conversations were peppered with unsolicited opinions from the Americans.
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| Grand staircase leading to top floor |
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| The reception room for dignitaries |
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| An ornate wooden door, courtesy of Zaire's Mobutu |
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| Alexandru Ioan Cuza Hall, minus one chair |
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| Elaborate decorations in Alexandru Ioan Cuza Hall |
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| View from the balcony |
I came away from the building with a chill down my spine, that there are megalomaniacs who are hellbent in building grandiose projects that are of little value to the ordinary men and women of their country. The building cost was estimated at €3 bn in early 2000. At 2014, the average monthly salary was less than €500.
