building : photos © Adrian Welch 2006 taken with lumix camera
Scottish Parliament - Photos
New Scottish Parliament - Official Opening by HM Queen took place 9 Oct 2004
photo © Adrian Welch
MSP Foyer View © Adrian Welch
Scottish Parliament Building - Tours + Background on dates / opening times
Wins the Stirling Prize + Andrew Doolan Award for Architecture, Oct 2005
Images © Keith Hunter (above, below) released from RMJM Oct 2005:
The First Debate was on 7 Sep 2004
Edinburgh Walking Tours - these can include a visit to the building & description of the exterior: Contact Isabelle Lomholt on 01620 825722 / 07952 149814
Scottish Parliament Architecture - Tours:
Visit and try to understand the Enric Miralles legacy - check with the Scottish Parliament:
Contact on 0131 348 5000 or 0845 278 1999
Debating Chamber access depends on parliamentary business
image by Keith Hunter Aug 2004 from EMBT/RMJM
Spanish Architect: Information & Books:
Scottish Parliament Architect - Enric Miralles
Scottish Parliament Building Tours: scroll towards base of page for details
Scottish Parliament Building: MSP Block south-west prow © Adrian Welch
photograph 2007 © Jason Baxter
New Scottish Parliament - Devolution
The Assembly Building was on site in Holyrood since 1999: the images below are RMJM copyright unless otherwise stated
SUMMARY:
Architecture Competition announced by Scottish Office in 1998: 12 teams shortlisted, then narrowed down to 5 groups of Scottish + foreign architect teams.
SELECTION PROCESS:
"In launching the competition on 26 January 1998 to find a designer for the Scottish Parliament building at Holyrood Donald Dewar, then Secretary of State for Scotland announced "the first step has been taken towards finding the right architect and then the best design for the Parliament building". An advertisement placed in the Official Journal of the European Communities (OJEC) invited expressions of interest from architect-led design teams. In the same month Mr Dewar announced the membership of the Panel to select the Design Team for the Scottish Parliament building. The Panel was chaired by Mr Dewar himself and members were:-
Debating Chamber with MSP Desks, Well looking south
Joan O’Connor: architect, member of RIBA, President of the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland between 1994 and 1996.
Professor Andy McMillan: Formerly Director of the Mackintosh School of Architecture.
Kirsty Wark: Journalist, BBC Presenter, hon. fellow of the RIAS.
John Gibbons: Chief Architect at The Scottish Office since 1984, currently Director of the Construction and Building Control Group. Robert Gordon: Head of Scottish Office Constitution Group – the unit set up following the election to implement the Government’s proposals for a Scottish Parliament.
In response to the OJEC advertisement a meeting of the Selection Panel was held on 22 March 1998 to consider the 70 expressions of interest received from architects around the world. From that meeting 12 Design Teams were shortlisted:-
Ahrends Burton & Koralek with Behnisch, Behnisch & Partner (London/Stuttgart)
Allies and Morrison (London)
Benson & Forsyth (Edinburgh and London)
Glass Murray Architects/Denton Corker Marshall International (Glasgow/Melbourne)
Groep Planning (Bruges)
Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates/Elder & Cannon (New York/London/Glasgow)
Peter Kulka Architect BDA/McNeish Design Partnership (Cologne/Glasgow)
Richard Meier & Partners/Keppie Design Associated Architects (New York/Glasgow)
Enric Miralles Moya (Barcelona)
Rafael Vinoly Architects (New York)
Narud Stokke Wiig (Oslo)
Michael Wilford and Partners (London).
Links to these architects at World Architects
Site View © Adrian Welch
The next stage in the process was to invite each of the twelve teams for a competitive interview In May 1998. In announcing the five shortlisted teams for the Scottish Parliament Building the Secretary of State said that "…All twelve of the design teams gave presentations of the highest quality and impressed the panel both with the high quality of their previous work on prestigious buildings throughout the world and with their initial ideas for the Holyrood site."
The five teams who made the next stage:-
Rafael Vinoly
Michael Wilford
Richard Meier & Keppie Design
EMBT/RMJM
Glass Murray & Denton Corker Marshall International.
The final five teams were asked to produce indicative design ideas for the Parliament at Holyrood.The Secretary of State confirmed that all four of the non-UK entrants had formed alliances with Scottish architectural practices. In July 1998 a Spanish architectural practice led by Enric Miralles, wife Benedetta Tagliabue, in partnership with Edinburgh based RMJM, was chosen to design the new Scottish Parliament Building.
Scottish Parliament: Website - www.scottish.parliament.uk
OUTLINE:
Controversial Issues such as choice of site, timing, architect
(non-scottish), followed by escalating costs (from an unrealistic benchmark), have left the design of the Scottish Parliament Building often neglected in the Press. Sir David Steel, Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament claimed "This building is the most important to be built in Scotland for 300 years": although this no doubt refers back to the Act of Union in 1707, the point has architectural validity too.
MSP Foyer from above, looking east, QBH on left
PROGRESS:
The Scottish Parliament MSP building was topped out in March 2001. This huge concrete structure is best viewed from Holyrood Road where the unusual repeated apertures - like squared-off outlines of Australia (based on 'the skater' outline: see Murray Grigor's film, or visit the National Gallery) - make a strong impression. The Assembly towers and Canongate buildings are almost complete with the Debating Chamber rapidly taking shape. The Scottish Parliament Building started phased occupation in Summer 2004.
THE BUILDINGS:
The New Scottish Parliament building is divided as follows:-
site plan
MSP building - East of site, fit-out underway
Queensberry House - North of site, refurbishment underway
Assembly Buildings - East of site, construction nearing completion
The Scottish Parliament Assembly Buildings are split as follows:-
Canongate - the cantilvered building onto the Royal Mile
MSP Foyer (Garden Lobby) - between the latter, the Towers & Queensberry House
Towers - four buildings, contain Committee rooms, offices, etc.
Debating Chamber - incl. exhibition spaces, cafeteria, etc.
Press Tower - just north of latter, housing studios
Postscript:
Enric Miralles died in 2000 (aged 45) a few months after construction on the Scottish Parliament Building commenced
Donald Dewar also died in 2000: he was Secretary of State for Scotland, and then First Minister in the Scottish Parliament, selected the Holyrood site and also Enric Miralles for the project
Scottish Parliament Architecture
Scottish Parliament Building - Book: Enric Miralles Architecture
'Works and Projects, 1975-1995'
author Enric Miralles
edited by Juanjo Lahuerta
edited by Benedetta Tagliabue Miralles
272 pp 400 illustrations, 100 in color
£27.50
Scottish Parliament Context - Edinburgh Old Town
Former Scottish Parliament - New College
The home up to mid-2004 of the Scottish Parliament was New College, Old Town, Edinburgh:
Scottish Parliament Building: Temporary Home at the Mound © Adrian Welch
The Scottish Parliament Building can be viewed from the Canongate (Royal Mile), Horse Guards and Holyrood Road.
Edinburgh Architecture Tours can include a visit around the building's exterior
info@edinburgharchitecture.co.uk / 01620 825722 for details
Scottish Parliament Architecture: Tour Enquiries 0131 348 5000
Scottish Architecture: best Scottish Buildings of the last three decades
Scottish Parliament Building - Migration:
The first wave of staff moved into the Scottish Parliament Building at the start of August 2004 in accordance with the overall plan for the phased roll-out of the migration into the new building.
News Excerpts re the new Scottish Parliament Building:
New Scottish Parliament
"The most significant public building in Scotland’s recent history is taking shape at Holyrood. The new Scottish Parliament building will be as important for Scotland as the Sydney Opera House is for Australia, and Enric Miralles’ exciting design is going to be a tremendous asset for Edinburgh."
news.scotsman.com
04.01.02
Scottish Attraction
"The new Scottish Parliament building is set to become Edinburgh’s second most popular tourist attraction after the Castle, it was claimed today"
news.scotsman.com
22.08.02
Modern Parliament
“It is a great modern building. Should we really have settled for anything less?”
news.scotsman.com
06.03.03
Prospect: Scottish Parliament Building
A special edition on the Scottish Parliament Building came out as the building was reaching completion in August 2004. Key members of the groups involved in creating the Parliament were interviewed, such as Brian Stewart, Alan Mack, etc. and also key architecture critics such as Isi Metzstein and Sir Charles Jencks. The issue stated that it was intended to draw together various strands to understand the architecture of this building.
The new Scottish Parliament Building was officially opened by HM The Queen on 9 Oct 2004
Influences for the Parliament building reported include upturned boats at Holy Island, flower paintings & Glasgow School of Art by Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Architect influences are noted by Gillespie as Aalto, Kahn, Pietila, Coderch, Lapena & Torres, Viaplana & Pinon.
MSP Foyer: image by Keith Hunter Aug 2004 from EMBT/RMJM
Louis Kahn was a strong influence on Enric Miralles and the Kimbell Museum’s vaults specifically for the three tapering vaults of the Debating Chamber ground floor.
Scottish Parliament influence - Lindisfarne boat.....just over the border into England
Holy Island Boat - influence: photo © Adrian Welch 2006
Scottish Parliament : Best Building in Scotland winner in 2005
Scottish Parliament Building : Reviews
Holyrood Debating Chamber
Scottish Parliament: MSP Foyer 'leaf'
Scottish Parliament Guided Tours at £3.50 per person started on 11 Oct after the official building opening; some parts of the building such as under the Debating Chamber - Foyer, Shop, Cafeteria - are accessible for free without booking: check with the Scottish Parliament for dates & opening times
MSP Block south facade, MSP east stair to right © Adrian Welch
Scottish Parliament Building: MSP Block with Queensberry House on right
New Scottish Parliament Building - Book: Enric Miralles Architect
The Scottish Parliament: Tower 2 L4
Scottish Parliament : Edinburgh Architectural Association Centenary Medal
Also by RMJM in Edinburgh:
Scottish Executive Building, Leith
Scottish Parliament - Competition: Leith Proposal
Towers - Roofs
Scottish Parliament Building image by Keith Hunter late Aug 2004 from EMBT/RMJM
Archived images of the Scottish Parliament available upon request to info@edinburgharchitecture.co.uk
Edinburgh : back to index
Scottish Parliament : Scottish Design Awards 2005 - Best Publicly Funded
Building + Architecture Grand Prix
Scottish Housing
Scottish Parliament Architects - RMJM Scotland
Scottish Parliament photos without direct credits were all approved by RMJM/Scottish Parliament in 2004 for use on the website. Scottish Parliament images are frequently requested - please right click on the images you desire and mail us with the titles. We will try and contact the relevant people / photographer
Old Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament : Civic Trust Awards 2006 Scotland winner
Buildings / photos for the Scottish Parliament Architecture page welcome:
info@e-architect.co.uk
Scottish Parliament Building : page - adrian welch / isabelle lomholt