It's architecture thread time! This time on Libyan seats of power and governance through the ages. Let's get into it:
The Parliament Hall in #Baida, seat of the first parliament in the MENA region, was constructed in 1964. Unlike other colonial buildings, its design is simple but powerful, reflecting a new political era. It was renovated in 2014 for use by the Constitution Drafting Assembly. 
Before the unification of Libya, the Cyrenaica Parliament governed the Eastern province and operated out of this building in #Benghazi, also known as Palazzo Littorio and designed by Carlo Rossini in 1923. It was partially destroyed in WWII and eventually brought down.
After Libyan independence, the parliament &and congress both operated from قصر الأمة, in what was Libya's second capital city, #Benghazi, located on the Plaza of the Tree. The red roof turrets are an unusual feature for colonial architecture. It was sadly demolished in the 70s
The Eternal Palace قصر الخلد, or Palace of the King, was the headquarters of Libya’s monarchy in #Tripoli. Initially built for Italo Balbo during Italian colonisation in 1931 and designed by Saul Meraviglia Mantegazza, today it is a museum.
The People’s Hall in #Tripoli, built during the 70s to house the General People’s Congress. Departing from previous architecture styles, the building design is functionalist with few ornamental details, reflecting again a new political era.
Another new style for a new political era, the Tripoli Congress Center was completed in 2010 by Tabanlioglu Architects and reflects the cultural and environmental context of the building. It showed Libya’s opening to the rest of the world and desire to become more global
The most recent building is the #Benghazi Municipal Council, completed last year and designed by local architects. Technically not a new building but renovation of the old diwan. The grand entrance and strong geometry shows a desire to reassert the city place in national politics
#Libya's volatile politics is very clearly reflected in the architecture of the government, with new styles (and new names) emerging after changes in power. But what also matters is where these buildings are located, showing the very contentious politics of geography.
Bonus tweet: The People's Hall in Tripoli was going to be relocated to this questionably designed center by Zaha Hadid, during that post-2003 period of opening up. I think the concept was 'sand dunes', even though Tripoli is...on the coast. But after 2011 the plans were scraped
Bonus tweet 2: The Ouagadougou center in #Sirte is a fascinating building which *I think* used to house the National People's Congress at one point, but I can't find any info about it online. It almost looks like a postmodernist take on the Baida parliament.
Bonus tweet 3 (last one I promise!): There's a number of these 'revolutionary bases' مثابة ثورية whose design looks inspired by Oscar Nieymar's Brasilia Cathedral, but again not much info. They were used as meeting halls under Gadhafi for the revolutionary guard.
