Reichstag vs The Shard

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The Reichstag (German: Reichstagsgebäude pronounced [??a?çsta?ksg??b??d?]; officially: Deutscher Bundestag -- Plenarbereich Reichstagsgebäude pronounced [ ?d??t?? ?b?nd?s?ta?k ?ple?na?rb?ra?ç ??a?çsta?ksg??b??d?]) is a historic edifice in Berlin, Germany, built to house the Imperial Diet (German: Reichstag) of the German Empire. It was opened in 1894 and housed the Diet until 1933, when it was severely damaged after being set on fire. Following World War II, the building fell into disuse; the parliament of the German Democratic Republic (the Volkskammer) fulfilled in the Palast der Republik in East Berlin, while the parliament of the Federal Republic of Germany (the Bundestag) fulfilled in the Bundeshaus in Bonn. The destroyed building was made secure against the elements and partly refurbished in the 1960s, but no attempt at full restoration was made until after German reunification on 3 October 1990, when it underwent a reconstruction led by architect Norman Foster.

Following its completion in 1999, it once more became the meeting place of the German parliament: the modern Bundestag. The expression Reichstag, when used to connote a diet, dates back to the Holy Roman Empire. The building was built for the Diet of the German Empire, which was succeeded by the Reichstag of the Weimar Republic. The latter would become the Reichstag of Nazi Germany, which left the building (and ceased to function as a parliament) after the 1933 fire and never returned, using the Kroll Opera House rather; the term Reichstag hasn't been used by German parliaments since World War II. In today's usage, the term Reichstag (Imperial Diet) refers mainly to the construction, while Bundestag (Federal Diet) identifies the institution.

Source: Wikipedia

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The Shard, also referred to as the Shard of Glass, Shard London Bridge and Previously London Bridge Tower, is a 95-storey skyscraper, designed by the Italian architect Renzo Piano, in Southwark, London, that forms a Part of the Shard Quarter development.

Standing 309.6 metres (1,016 feet) high, the Shard is the tallest building in the United Kingdom, and the sixth-tallest construction in Europe. It is also the second-tallest free-standing structure in the United Kingdom, after the concrete tower of the Emley Moor transmitting station. It replaced Southwark Towers, a 24-storey office block constructed on the website in 1975. The Shard's construction began in March 2009; it was topped out on 30 March 2012 and inaugurated on 5 July 2012. Practical completion was achieved in November 2012. The tower's privately operated observation deck, The View from The Shard, was opened to the general public on 1 February 2013. The glass-clad pyramidal tower includes 72 habitable floors, with a viewing gallery and open observation deck on the 72nd floor, at a height of 244 metres (801 ft). The Shard was developed by Sellar Property Group on behalf of LBQ Ltd and is collectively owned by Sellar Property (5%) and the State of Qatar (95%). The Shard is managed by Real Estate Management (UK) Limited on behalf of the owners.

Source: Wikipedia