The architect Theohil Hansen chose a strict Neo-Clasical style when he designed the immense Parliament building. The parliament building was originally constructed as part of the Ringstrasse development to act as the Reichsrat building (the Parliament of the Austrian part of the Habsburg empire). Construction began in 1874 and finished in 1884. The front is guarded by the bronze Horse Tamers (1901) by sculptor Josef Lax and a central fountain (Athenebrunnen) dominated by the figure of Pallas Athene, the goddess of Wisdom, designed by Karl Kundmann in 1902. The building was completely destroyed during the World War II, and the final restoration ended in the 1990s.
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