After the final vote in the Bundestag chamber of the Reichstag building, Mrs Merkel expressed confidence in her candidate.

BBC: Merkel candidate Wulff wins presidency on third attempt

British architect Lord Norman Foster, who designed London's Gherkin tower and the dome on the Reichstag building in Berlin, described Niemeyer as an "inspiration" who "stood accepted wisdom on its head".

BBC: Oscar Niemeyer, Brazilian architect, dies at 104

In 1933, the German parliament building, the Reichstag, was destroyed by fire.

CNN: Friday,