Featuring a Beaux-Arts theme, the design was built to impress upon visitors and residents the dawn of a new nation and its ascension to the world. Since 1863, the building complex has been used exclusively by the Sierran Parliament and underwent one significant renovation in 1963. In 2008, the Parliament Building's underground system was redesigned to redirect public access from the ground level to a controlled entry point, away from the Parliament's main entrance for security measures. A visitor center was also built in response to the continual rise of tourist visits to the site and heightened security concerns of possible terrorist activity.