Inside the Scottish Parliament
Jan. 7th, 2009 04:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rhythmaningThe pictures I posted of the Scottish Parliament reminded me that I hadn’t posted pictures I took during a tour of the building in August: life and death had got in the way. I had been meaning to go around the Parliament for a long time; it only took me four years to get around to it!
I have posted other pictures of the outside of the Parliament building; I really like it: I think it is an interesting shape, full of detail.
The inside is no different. Unfortunately, there are only a very few parts of the building that they let one photograph: the public areas and the debating chamber. Other parts of the building were off limits, which is a great pity, because there were some really interesting bits – lots of nooks and crannies and curious, abstract shapes.
The Parliament is more like three different structures bundled together – the debating chamber, a tower (maybe two) and the MSPs’ offices. Where these three structures meet is the main lobby, beside a hidden garden. The roof has windows in it which are the same shape as the overall roof structure. I loved the lobby: it was a wet day, and the light fell through the windows at curious, startling angles. Here is a photograph of the lobby grabbed from the Scottish Parliament website (the pictures are uncredited):
I thought the whole of the Parliament was pretty special. It uses a lot of wood, and it is very light.
My photographs are mostly of the debating chamber, and the ceiling of the public lobby – it was full of angles which fascinated me.
The building has had so much thought put into it, it becomes much more than just a functional space. Of course, this comes at a price - £400m, in the case of the Scottish Parliament. And, to my mind, worth every penny.
I have posted other pictures of the outside of the Parliament building; I really like it: I think it is an interesting shape, full of detail.
The inside is no different. Unfortunately, there are only a very few parts of the building that they let one photograph: the public areas and the debating chamber. Other parts of the building were off limits, which is a great pity, because there were some really interesting bits – lots of nooks and crannies and curious, abstract shapes.
The Parliament is more like three different structures bundled together – the debating chamber, a tower (maybe two) and the MSPs’ offices. Where these three structures meet is the main lobby, beside a hidden garden. The roof has windows in it which are the same shape as the overall roof structure. I loved the lobby: it was a wet day, and the light fell through the windows at curious, startling angles. Here is a photograph of the lobby grabbed from the Scottish Parliament website (the pictures are uncredited):
I thought the whole of the Parliament was pretty special. It uses a lot of wood, and it is very light.
My photographs are mostly of the debating chamber, and the ceiling of the public lobby – it was full of angles which fascinated me.
The building has had so much thought put into it, it becomes much more than just a functional space. Of course, this comes at a price - £400m, in the case of the Scottish Parliament. And, to my mind, worth every penny.