In 1938,
Speer was assigned by Hitler himself to built the new Reichs Chancellery in
Berlin. Speer promised the building to be completed within the year. A
promise he kept.
Hitler decreed that the enormous
new Reichs Chancellery should impress every visitor with its monumentality.
"On the long corridor from the entrance to the reception hall, they'll learn
something about the grandeur of the German Reich," Hitler said. The long
corridor was to be 300 metres long, with a court of honour, a forecourt, a
mosaic hall, a round hall, and a marble gallery along the way. Hitler's own
office was 400 square metres in size. From the exterior, the chancellery has
a stern, authoritarian appearance.
Honour Courtyard: From the
Wilhelmplatz, visitors would enter the chancellery through the by four
pillars dominated Honour Courtyard. At the far end the steps with the main
entrance, flanked by two bronze statues by Arno Breker: Wehrmacht and Partei.
Mosaic Hall: The Mosaic Hall
would be the first room visitors would see after entering the new Reichs
Chancellery. The floor and walls were completely covered with red-stone
marble: daylight entered the room through a large light dome in the roof.
Round Hall: When visitors
had passed the impressive Mosaic Hall, the Round Hall would present them
access to the even more impressive Marble Gallery. The Round Hall was
covered by a large dome.
Marble Gallery: With 145
metres in length, twice as long as the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of
Versailles, the Marble Gallery was designed to impress visitors of the
Reichs Chancellery.
Hitler's Office: Almost 400
metres in square, Hitler's office was completely designed by Speer himself -
from the furniture to the windows. The distance from the doors of the room
until Hitler's writing desk was 15 metres. The idea behind this, was that if
visitors weren't yet impressed by the endless marble gallery, they would be
paralyzed by despondency in the nearness of the
Führer.
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