Why the chairs in German parliament are 'Reichstag blue'
Christine Lehnen
December 8, 2021
Germany's new government is sworn into the Bundestag. What do a soothing color, Merkel's blazer and Annalena Baerbock's choice of trouser suit say about German politics?
The model is called Figura, and it was designed in 1984 by the Italian designer and architect Mario Bellini and his colleague Dieter Thiel for the Swiss company Vitra.
Yet the most notable aspect of the chair is its color — bright blue with a hint of purple. It has even been patented as "Reichstag blue." All chairs in the Bundestag are this color.
Yet, the blue color scheme wasn't always in the cards. When the Bundestag was redesigned by renowned British architect Norman Foster between 1993 and 1999, he wanted the chairs to be gray.
The blue color with a touch of purple has been patented 'Reichstag Blue'Image: picture alliance/dpa
The architect, who prevailed in a competition against his colleagues Santiago Calatrava and Pi de Bruijn, chose light gray as the basic color of the new plenary chamber. The chairs were to also be gray, as per Foster's wish.
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The horror of gray
However, politicians in the Bundestag resisted this. At the time, Peter Conradi of the Social Democrats quipped, according to German newspaper Tagesspiegel: "Gray men with gray hair in gray suits on gray armchairs in front of gray tables on a gray carpet with gray walls all around — who is not gripped by the horror?"
Thus, Danish designer Per Arnoldi was commissioned by Foster to find a different shade. The result was the "Reichstag Blue," which Foster was so enamored with, that he promptly patented it.
Norman Foster: Star architect at 90
The prolific, award-winning British architect is renowned for his futuristic works combining steel and glass. As he turns 90, here's a look at some of his most impressive designs.
Image: Claudio Furlan/LaPresse via ZUMA Press/picture alliance
A Berlin landmark
Inaugurated in 1999, Norman Foster's glass dome crowning the Reichstag building quickly became a new landmark of the reunited German capital, greeting countless visitors who climb up the spiral walkway. The architect's mirrored design allows the public to watch the German parliament at work, symbolically placing the people above the government and emphasizing the importance of transparency.
Image: Adam Berry/Getty Images
Shouting from the rooftops
Too cold in the winter, too hot in the summer! That's why a roof designed by Norman Foster was added to the courtyard of the Smithsonian Museum, one of the largest museums in Washington D.C. The wavy steel and glass structure, constructed in Germany, is a staggering 27 meters (88 feet) in length.
Image: Tim Sloan/AFP/Getty Images
Iconic synergy
Like a giant blue gherkin, the 30 St. Mary Axe tower, previously known as the Swiss Re Building, reaches up into the sky. The 180-meter (590-foot) high skyscraper has dominated the skyline of London's financial district since 2004. Architects Norman Foster and Ken Shuttleworth designed a structure consisting of interwoven helical strands, clad with triangular glass elements.
Image: Martin Sasse/DUMONT/picture-alliance
Free thinking
A construction for free spirits: For the Philological Library of the Free University Berlin, Foster designed a compact, multistory reinforced concrete building with two cores. The inner structure is enveloped by a self-supporting dome. The construction houses 700,000 books from 11 different philological libraries.
Image: Patrick Pleul dpa/lbn/picture-alliance
Transformation of Duisburg
Work, culture and life, past and future: Foster united apparent opposites when he presented his master plan for Duisburg in 2007. The German industrial city on the Rhine was in need of renewal. As such, Duisburg's inner harbor with its ancient mills and granaries was developed into a stunning green center on the waterfront.
Image: Rupert Oberhäuser/picture alliance
Bridging sports and design
Wembley Stadium, in the London district of Brent, is a pilgrimage site for the global game of football. Foster's new construction for 90,000 spectators replaced the legendary arena of 1923. A 133-meter-high arch with a retractable roof covers the sports field. Wembley is one of the 10 largest stadiums in the world. With it, Foster created a global sports monument.
The Millennium Bridge in London is a passage for pedestrians over the Thames River, connecting the city center with the district of Southwark. The suspended bridge offers the best view of St. Paul's Cathedral. Due to strong vibrations from foot traffic, Foster's bridge needed to be renovated several times.
Image: Mark Fairhurst/Avalon/picture alliance
Old and new
The extraordinary Millau Viaduct in southern France leads over the Tarn River in the direction of Barcelona. Foster added an aesthetic shape to the original construction of Michel Virlogeux. Since its inauguration in 2004, the viaduct — spanning 2,460 meters — is the longest cable-stayed bridge in the world. It's also France's tallest architectural structure.
Image: Bildagentur-online/picture alliance
In the spotlight
The undulating building of the United Arab Emirates Pavilion at the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai is reminiscent of coalescing sand dunes. Foster's design was celebrated as an architectural milestone at the World Expo. The 20-meter-long stainless steel facade reflects the sunlight during the day, infusing the building with golden light.
Image: Philippe Lopez/AFP
Imaginative works
London's City Hall rises on the South bank of the Thames, between Tower Bridge and London Bridge Station. The town hall's bulbous shape is designed to reduce energy consumption. The building has been compared to Darth Vader's helmet, a misshapen egg and even a glass testicle. Foster's imaginative designs make him one of the most talked-about and celebrated architects in the world.
Image: picture alliance/Zoonar
Highest honors
Born on June 1, 1935, Norman Robert Foster, Lord Foster of Thames Bank, is one of the most renowned architects of his generation. Knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, Foster has received prestigious orders of merit from the UK and Germany, a well as the Pritzker Architecture Prize, often referred the Nobel Prize of architecture.
Image: Claudio Furlan/LaPresse via ZUMA Press/picture alliance
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Blue was also chosen because it was a neutral political color which was unaffiliated with any of the parties in the Bundestag at the time.
That changed when the far-right AfD party came into the German Bundestag in 2017. However, its shade of blue is much lighter than the so-called "Reichstag blue."
"Reichstag blue is a well-chosen color. It can create a calm atmosphere in the Bundestag," color expert Silvia Prehn told DW. "It is a calm color that conveys clarity and objectivity. Blue has a physically calming effect — one's pulse and breath slow down as it relaxes and soothes."
Blue is also the favorite color of Germans, according to Prehn: "38% of surveyed Germans favor it. It's no wonder because blue is also a protective color: If you wear it, you make yourself invulnerable. Blue is very serious, and it also offers clarity and harmony," she says.
Former Chancellor Angela Merkel repeatedly chose to wear blue — especially when traveling abroad, as writer Stephan Rabimov noted in Forbes magazine: "Many remember the iconic G7 protocol photograph from the Bavarian Alps: a lineup of dark suits punctuated halfway with a single bright sky-blue jacket," he wrote in a 2020 article. He referred to the color as "Merkel Blue."
A colorful touch among black suits: Merkel at the G7 summit in 2015Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. Kappeler
Continuing the 'Merkel Blue' tradition?
"It is not surprising that Angela Merkel wanted to use the color blue on trips abroad," commented Silvia Prehn. "It's a logical, clear color that protects and inspires confidence."
With all these associations, the color could also be described as a "German blue," which stands for modern Germany and how the country wants to be perceived in the world, according to Prehn.
Thanks to her blazers, it can be said that Angela Merkel became something of a fashion icon for her particular style: "With a healthy 1.5 million following on Instagram, she is a bona fide global style influencer in her own right," wrote Rabimov.
Will Olaf Scholz continue the tradition as the new Chancellor? "Olaf Scholz mainly wears dark blue. The darker the blue, the more solemn, serious and sincere it looks," says Prehn. "It arouses feelings of trust, constancy and truth."
The new foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, would be more likely to be the heir to the "German Blue": "Just yesterday she wore exactly the same color as the chairs in the Reichstag, that is, aquamarine with a bit of purple," says the color expert. "She wants to be taken seriously."
Foreign minister Annalena Baerbock matched the chairs in the BundestagImage: Michael Kappeler/dpa/picture alliance
Whether top German politicians in the new government take up the blue again or not, the chairs in the Bundestag will continue to be "Reichstag Blue."
"The blue stands for the thinkers, analysts, the people with the data, numbers and facts," says Prehn. "Violet, on the other hand, represents the visionary and the foresighted."
The light gray in the plenary hall is the perfect companion to this, explains the color expert. "It is discreet, adaptable, stands for and encourages a willingness to compromise."
Perhaps this color scheme is also a reason why communication is comparatively polite in the Bundestag, at least when viewed from abroad. "Especially in the plenary hall, where so many heated debates take place, the blue can soothe people so that quieter, less emotional, angry discussions can take place," says Prehn. "It's a wonderful color scheme. It would be bad if everything were red."
