Democracy has been reclaimed by the Celtic principalities of the United Kingdom. With Devolution, Scotland have their own Parliament and Wales now have an Assembly (if you count a hole in the ground). Of course these political institutions need buildings whose complex architecture needs careful articulation. None more so than in Hollyrood, Scotland.
Here the parliament building has just accepted its first occupants
Designed by Enric Miralles for an initial construction cost estimate of £50 million excluding VAT and fees this escalated dramatically to about £400 million
Controversial Issues such as choice of site, timing, architect (non-Scottish), followed by escalating costs (from an unrealistic benchmark) have all played their part.
The official opening of the building by Her Majesty the Queen will be on Saturday 9 October 2004. One for the diary Paul!
Shame Enric Miralles died in 2000 (aged 45) a few month after construction on the Scottish Parliament Building commenced. I think he would be pleased. A democratic gem, a gift from the taxpayer!
I think Enric would have produced many more stunning works of architecture if it hadn't been for his premature passing. Some preview images of the parliament building are here
There are still other buildings in construction phase which he was directly involved with during its design development such as the Torre de Gas, Parc Diagonal and the Mercat de Santa Caterina. It’s going to be interesting to see what the office work will be like once commissions under Benedetta Tagliabue start to emerge.
If we want to see similar work we might have to rely on Carmen Pinos, his former wife.
Miralles’ office might have plenty of clones but neither Benedetta nor the staff could ever duplicate Enric’s energy and personal ideas for future projects.
- New Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh, Scotland
- School of Architecture of Venice, Venice, Italy
- Santa Caterina Market, Barcelona, Spain.
- New headquarters of Gas Natural in Barcelona, Spain.
- University Campus at Vigo, Spain
- Diagonal Mar Parc, Barcelona, Spain.
- University Campus at Ciutadella, Barcelona, Spain,
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra.
- Group of houses in Ijburg Island, Amsterdam, Holland.
- Rehabilitation of a street in Nou Barris, Barcelona
- Rehabilitation of Gran Via, Barcelona
- Group of houses in Figueres, Girona, Spain.
- Public Library at Palafolls, Barcelona, Spain.
- Retail Redevelopment, Leeds, UK.
- Private House in Barcelona, Spain.
- Kolonihaven Pavilion in Copenhague, Denmark.
sorry cant read the doc as we are paying members of the times. maybe summarize or do a bit of cut and past [or perhaps architectural record will tell us some breaking news item in 2-3 weeks...]
i did read a lot of the holyrood docs when you first posted. a real education if you want to learn how to c'.y.a' which really to me show a joint venture that was never really there in spirit at the begining. clearly miralles was interested in certain issues and i dont think understood the suffistication of his jv rmjm boys who very suttlely appeared to try to undercut them at every stage. where do you think this will end up?
before the body was cold they questioned her ability / understanding of the scheme to carry it on....afterall, the star was dead. not only loosing a very young spouse but standing up strong to the pin strip shirt boys..........
I still do not understand the appeal of Enric's work; they are some of the least inviting / friendly spaces I have ever seen (been in). Granted he drew some phenominal lines in his day, and the autocad plans in his monographs are sexy as hell, but where is the arch for people?
Not to worry Enric's legacy will be carried on by his "hot like fyah" wife/widow. They say most of the design work is hers anyhow. But that remains to be seen.
Enric completes his last commission posthumously.
Democracy has been reclaimed by the Celtic principalities of the United Kingdom. With Devolution, Scotland have their own Parliament and Wales now have an Assembly (if you count a hole in the ground). Of course these political institutions need buildings whose complex architecture needs careful articulation. None more so than in Hollyrood, Scotland.
Here the parliament building has just accepted its first occupants
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/3526906.stm
Designed by Enric Miralles for an initial construction cost estimate of £50 million excluding VAT and fees this escalated dramatically to about £400 million
Of course there was an enquiry...
http://www.holyroodinquiry.org/index.htm
Controversial Issues such as choice of site, timing, architect (non-Scottish), followed by escalating costs (from an unrealistic benchmark) have all played their part.
The official opening of the building by Her Majesty the Queen will be on Saturday 9 October 2004. One for the diary Paul!
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/
http://www.camvista.com/scotland/edinburgh/scotparl.php3
Shame Enric Miralles died in 2000 (aged 45) a few month after construction on the Scottish Parliament Building commenced. I think he would be pleased. A democratic gem, a gift from the taxpayer!
I think Enric would have produced many more stunning works of architecture if it hadn't been for his premature passing. Some preview images of the parliament building are here
There are still other buildings in construction phase which he was directly involved with during its design development such as the Torre de Gas, Parc Diagonal and the Mercat de Santa Caterina. It’s going to be interesting to see what the office work will be like once commissions under Benedetta Tagliabue start to emerge.
If we want to see similar work we might have to rely on Carmen Pinos, his former wife.
Miralles’ office might have plenty of clones but neither Benedetta nor the staff could ever duplicate Enric’s energy and personal ideas for future projects.
ah yes still going strong
- New Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh, Scotland
- School of Architecture of Venice, Venice, Italy
- Santa Caterina Market, Barcelona, Spain.
- New headquarters of Gas Natural in Barcelona, Spain.
- University Campus at Vigo, Spain
- Diagonal Mar Parc, Barcelona, Spain.
- University Campus at Ciutadella, Barcelona, Spain,
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra.
- Group of houses in Ijburg Island, Amsterdam, Holland.
- Rehabilitation of a street in Nou Barris, Barcelona
- Rehabilitation of Gran Via, Barcelona
- Group of houses in Figueres, Girona, Spain.
- Public Library at Palafolls, Barcelona, Spain.
- Retail Redevelopment, Leeds, UK.
- Private House in Barcelona, Spain.
- Kolonihaven Pavilion in Copenhague, Denmark.
http://www.mirallestagliabue.com/
now let blame be administered
The report will also state that Miralles was difficult to work with, insisting on designing even the least important features of the parliament.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,2761-1226659,00.html
sorry cant read the doc as we are paying members of the times. maybe summarize or do a bit of cut and past [or perhaps architectural record will tell us some breaking news item in 2-3 weeks...]
i did read a lot of the holyrood docs when you first posted. a real education if you want to learn how to c'.y.a' which really to me show a joint venture that was never really there in spirit at the begining. clearly miralles was interested in certain issues and i dont think understood the suffistication of his jv rmjm boys who very suttlely appeared to try to undercut them at every stage. where do you think this will end up?
before the body was cold they questioned her ability / understanding of the scheme to carry it on....afterall, the star was dead. not only loosing a very young spouse but standing up strong to the pin strip shirt boys..........
I still do not understand the appeal of Enric's work; they are some of the least inviting / friendly spaces I have ever seen (been in). Granted he drew some phenominal lines in his day, and the autocad plans in his monographs are sexy as hell, but where is the arch for people?
agree with anti, good as drawings maybe
Anti. Have you been to Hollyrood? It's architecture for the people alright. And now almost finished.
http://news.scotsman.com/politics.cfm?id=843412004
Not to worry Enric's legacy will be carried on by his "hot like fyah" wife/widow. They say most of the design work is hers anyhow. But that remains to be seen.
That office had talent!
It's open.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/printFriendly/0,,2-1506-1303066,00.html
we hope to see Her Majesty next month down the Diff for a pint of SA and a Clarke's Pie before she opens our new 'Opera House'.
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