History of the Scottish Parliament
Contents
New Parliament building
An international competition was held to design and build a new parliament building. A site in Edinburgh's Holyrood area was chosen and a design by architect Enric Miralles was selected.
The branch-shaped design has references to Scottish architectural history and was created to mirror the landscape. The building was opened by Her Majesty The Queen in 2004.
The design echoes the founding principles of the Scottish Parliament itself:
- sharing the power
- accountability
- access and participation
- equal opportunities
It’s centred around the striking Debating Chamber, Garden Lobby and Queensberry House.
A fuller explanation of the founding principles (Report of the Consultative Steering Group) (985KB, pdf) posted 12 September 2020
More information about the design of the building and its construction (archive website)
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Queensberry House