It is massive. It is overwhelming. Anyone viewing the building for the first time will be quick to offer an opinion. It is certainly controversial, and people tend to despise or praise it for a plethora of reasons. Despite passions or debate, however, this disputed building will clearly dominate the Bucharest skyline for years to come.

Once, many years ago, a kind-hearted doctor lived and treated the poor on this very site. He also built a church for them on the hill that would carry his name - Spirea Veche. In the middle of the 17 th century it became known simply as "The Hill of Spirea" . Michael the Brave was the patron of another splendid church located on a nearby hill. His church was completed in 1584 and the hill soon carried his name as well.

There is still another story, woven in mystery, concerning a certain palace constructed there around 1776. This new palace, erected on orders from Phanariotruler Alexandru Ipsilante, replaced the ruined remains of Vlad Tepes' former palace, "Curtea Veche" . Later, in the fall of 1848, this same neighborhood was the site of an important, dramatic battle between Bucharest firemen and the Turkish army.

In the 1980s, one of Bucharest's finest historical areas was sadly lost forever to make room for today's "Palace of Parliament". No one can even imagine what name or purpose the building might have after the lapse of a century or two. History has a long-range perspective and memories tend to fade. Future generations probably won't see or understand some of the descriptive abusive epithets that presently label this building. What seems "shocking" today, might be termed "magnificent" to others with the passing of time. The late dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, in building his so-called "People's House", destroyed not only some of Bucharest's elegant l9th-century homes and neighborhoods but historic churches, temples and parks as well. His motives and efforts remain among those strange and unfortunate realities of our world.

Today there is widespread discussion suggesting the building will find its way into the Guiness Book of World Records. It is the second-largest building in the world (330,000 m2), after the Pentagon in Washington DC Regarding cubic volume (2,550,000 m3) it ranks with Mexico's Quetzalcoatl pyramid. It also surpasses the pyramid of Keops by 2%. The gigantic reception halls have been compared, in size alone, to the columns of Luxor. Within such incredible space, the human body seems dwarfed to that of an insect. Overall plans for this 900 room building were conceived by a team of nearly 700 architects. Its main entrance, one of four, faces Unirii Boulevard. It cuts through that downtown Bucharest thoroughfare like an axel. It was scheduled to be called "The Victory of Socialism" . Actual planning began in 1980, and by 1982 a systematic strategy of demolition was already In progress.

A "real" army of almost 20,000 men (working in 3 shifts 24 hours a day) began actual construction in 1984. The whole idea of a "People's House" came from a man singly determined that Bucharest inspire awe and obedience from his people, from the mind of a man desperately wanting to leave a monument to himself and his power after death.

Amateurs of statistics will undoubtedly be intrigued with some of the interesting construction data. 550,000 tons of cement; 2,000,000 tons of sand, 700,000 tons of steel and 1,000 tons of basalt were used for the project. Romanian forests were sacrificed 900,000 m3 of valuable trees (oak, cherry, nut and rose) for the effort. Additional materials consisted of 1,000,000 m3 of marble, 200,000 m3 of glass; 5 kg of 14 carat sheets of thin gold-leaf; 3,500 tons of crystal and leather; 2,800 chandeliers; carpets measuring 220,000 m2

. By the time of the December 1989 Revolution, only 70% of the planned work had been completed. People who were once forbidden to approach the building could now enter and walk freely through its hundreds of rooms. Though still unfinished, they discovered excesses of pomp and ostentatious splendor coming right out of the "Arabian Nights". For many it was a free trip into a fairy tale world, a world in which an entire nation had paid supremely with long years of privations and persecutions.

It may seem trivial, but people are always overwhelmed by enormous buildings. The Palace of Parliament in Bucharest is a prime example. Architects, engineers, specialists in fine arts and interior decorators combined their talents and efforts to create this 330000 square meter modern three register building.

Let's take a journey through some of the most interesting parts of this one-of-a-kind building. "Alexandru Ioan Cuza Hall" (named after the first ruler of Romania's United Principalities) streches out to cover more than 2,000 square meters; its imposing 18 m high ceiling is adorned with exquisite ornaments fashioned in gold. Almost equal in size," Unity Hall" is distinguished by its magnificent carved white marble columns from Ruschita. The room itself, inaugurated on the fifth anniversary of the '89 Revolution, included new improvements consisting of ornaments carved in mahogany, cherry and aluminium moulded for the ceiling itself. All of this was enhanced with draperies and embroidered curtains, including carpets weighing 14 tons. It was here, on the first floor of the Palace, that participants of the 94th Interparliamentary Conference gathered in 1995. Important as this one special occasion was, it's important to acknowledge the other seven halls in the Palace of Parliament. They, too, express something of the beauty and historical details of personalities and historical events.

"Nicolae Balcescu Hall", for instance, reveals something of the romantic personality of this 1848 historian and revolutionary personality. His death came at an early age in Palermo, Italy, where he was buried. Spiru Haret, the world famous scholar, is honoured, too, by a hall that bears his name. This year l996, is the 145th anniversary of his birth; a crater on the moon bears his name even today. This hall, named after him, is today used primarily for international press confererences.

The I. C. Bratianu Hall (covering 1260 m), conceived in the Rennaisance style of the Brancoveanu epoch, is located on the ground floor of the building. Located between two inner-yards, it bears the name of this charismatic pre-second world war figure who descended from a family of liberal politicians. Another exceptional hall, called "The Human Rights Hall" ,covers 625 meters and is dominated by a huge chandelier and an oak-carved table seating sixty people.

Another hall in the Palace of Parliament is dedicated to Nicolae Iorga, a brilliant Romanian historian. Nicolae Titulescu is the name assigned to another elegant hall designated for official meetings. Titulescu had been a famous Romanian diplomat and orator; he served two terms as President of the League of Nations. The room dedicated to his name features Ruschita marble, Louis XV furniture and Alba lulia silver, porcelain and copper, all of which add to the distinguished, cosy atmosphere of this unusual room.

In the spring of 1994,this same Palace of Parliament had the honour of hosting the Crans-Montana Forum. This was a far reaching, important meeting. It was the second public meeting preceeding the peace treaty between Israel and Palestine, the meeting between Prime Minister Shimon Perez and President Yasser Arafat.

In addition, the Palace of Parliament reveals something remarkable on its Southern side. The floors are made of Greek ornaments inspired by mosaics discovered in the ancient citadel of Histria." The Gallery of Honour" consists of three rooms, divided by gliding doors made of oak. Along the hall, we discover the impressive International Conference Center. These halls can be rented by both Romanian and foreign organizations and individuals. All sorts of events can be held here, ranging from congresses and seminars to exhibitions, concerts and fashion shows. The facilities include devices for simultaneous translating in 8 languages, cable TV, computers with access to Internet. On special occasions, the International Conference Center offers a fully equipped press center (with phones, faxes, telexes), together with services off video, photo and copy machines, typewriters, cell phones, rent-a-car and exchange offices. Guests from abroad can buy Romanian icons, albums, artifacts, pottery, porcelain and video cassettes from the shop located in the main hall.