The Reichstag Palace was inaugurated in 1894, after the creation of the German Reich in 1871. Built under the careful supervision of Emperor Wilhelm II, the palace of Paul Wallot, winner of the 1882 architectural competition, was a synthesis of late Renaissance style and classic elements such as a facade with its colonnaded portico. The building already had a glass and metal dome. The solemnity of it was accentuated by an imposing facade with Corinthian columns supporting a triangular gable and a large staircase providing access to the entrance portal.