Set immediately behind the historic opera house by Gottfried Semper, the new parliamentary complex strikingly consolidates the urban development along the banks of the River Elbe. The main entrance, the public foyer, the public restaurant, and the debating chamber and assembly rooms are all oriented to the river. Party offices and the rooms of the president of the state parliament are located in tracts removed from the Elbe. The clear architectural language of the building is indebted to the Modern Movement and is characterized by bold horizontal roof lines.?