Reality, Meet Fiction: Architecture

A view of the Berlin governmental district across the river Spree.
The dome pictured is the Reichstag Building, where the
German Parliament meets.

Reality:

Growing up in the Midwest, my exposure to different types of architecture was rather limited. My home state is only a little over 200 years old, so old buildings are hard to come by. If they do exist, they're typically simple structures, such as log cabins. One of my favorite aspects of Germany was the variety of architecture present in the country and the stories behind their design.

One building that had a particularly interesting story was the Reichstag building, seat of the German Parliament, or Bundestag.

The building originally housed the Reichstag (Imperial Diet) during the time of the German Empire. When it was succeeded by the Weimar Republic, it housed the Reichstag, or Parliament. 

However, just before Hitler came to power, it burned down under mysterious circumstances. Some hypothesize that the Nazi party was responsible for the fire, which gave them an excuse to arrest political enemies immediately prior to electing Hitler as Chancellor. 

Throughout the Nazi era, the building was left mostly unoccupied and in deteriorating condition as WWII raged on. 

Courtesy of Avda
(I wish I could take credit for such a nice picture.)

The building was repaired more fully during the Cold War, but the German Parliament, now called the Bundestag, did not return to the building until after German reunification in the 1990's. The current glass dome was built on top to replace the cupola that had been destroyed. It is made of glass to symbolize transparency in government, a theme that is repeated throughout most governmental buildings, which also utilize large windows. Walkways allow visitors to climb to the top of the dome, symbolizing that the people are above the government. 

In short, the building's architecture tells the story of a nation that has faced many trials in the past few centuries. 

Fiction: 

Perhaps the nations you feature in your book have a more straightforward history than modern Germany, but how can you have architecture tell a story within your story?

Why did your characters (or their government) decide on a certain style of architecture? Is it due to the region's climate and available materials as a primitive society? Does it represent part of their religion? 

Does your nation honor past rulers with statues and monuments? Or do they eschew such gestures due to a checkered or short past? 

Does your nation's architecture reveal any of their fears--fears of peasant revolt, invasion, dictatorship, etc? How can these be revealed in the architecture? Is it well fortified, or does it have more of an open design? 

Does your nation's architecture reveal their values? Is this reflected in materials they use (or don't use)? If they value fresh air, are large windows present? If they value strength, do they rely on materials they consider strong? Are buildings designed to be beautiful or utilitarian? 

How long has your nation been in existence? Do they value buildings from older, former kingdoms? Or do they feel the need to replace these buildings and place their own mark on the world? Have wars or natural disasters impacted which buildings remain? 

What buildings or styles have cultural significance? Have certain buildings served important purposes in the past? What buildings would your nation choose to rebuild if they were destroyed?

What buildings do you know of with an interesting backstory?