The Scottish Parliament Building

The Scottish parliament building

The Scottish parliament building has caused a fair amount of controversy since its design by Eric Miralles was first announced.The choice of a non-Scots architect, the design itself, and the delays and spiralling costs of the building kept many journaists busy for several years.

Construction of the building started in the summer of 1999. After several increases in the building costs, and after a three year delay, it was finally ready for the first parliamentary debate in September 2004. The  building was formally opened on 9 October 2004.

Despite the mounting controversy while it was being completed, the building has received numerous architectural awards including  the Stirling Prize, the Edinburgh Architecture Association ‘Centenary Medal’ and the Scottish Design Awards ‘Best Publicly Funded Building’.

It’s certainly an unusual building, and worth a visit if you are in Edinburgh. Free tours can be arranged through Visit Scotland. These are the ‘think pods’ on the west side of the building. If you go, I’d love to know what you think of it!