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_ Construction Systems
_ _ Roofs
_ _ Building Envelopes
_ _ Facades / Curtain Wall
_ _ Canopies
_ _ Towers
_ _ Atria
_ _ Other_ Curtainwalling
_ Raised Access Floors |
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All Photos: Adam Elder © 2004/2005 Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body
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The Scottish
Parliament, Edinburgh, UK
In October 2004, HM The Queen officially opened the Scottish
Parliament Building in Holyrood, Edinburgh, as the new home for Scotland’s newly
devolved parliament. After a gap of almost 300 years, the return of parliament to Scotland
required a special building that would house all of the 129 Members of the Scottish
Parliament (MSPs) and their support staff, and provide an inspiring environment in which
to debate and make the decisions to drive the country forward. Designed by architects EMBT
and RMJM, the Scottish Parliament buildings form a truly spectacular and unique home to
the staff and visitors to the new Scottish Parliament.
MERO (UK) PLC. won the contract to provide three construction packages. These encompassed
the roof, facade and superstructure to the MSP Entrance Foyer, the timber casement windows
to the MSP building, and the specialist glazing to the debating chamber including the full
structure and cladding to the public stairway that links the foyer to the debating
chamber. Scottish Parliament.
MERO designed the entire structure for the MSP entrance foyer’s roof and walls from
concept, which features twelve individual rooflights in the shape of upturned boats or
leaves. These rooflights are separated and surrounded by a welded stainless steel standing
seam roof to the outside, and stainless steel and oak shingle finishes to the inside that
hang down into the foyer to spread the natural light. Supported on precast concrete frame
columns within the structure at irregular intervals, curved CHS structural steel members
form the edge of each rooflight and provide the support structure to the stainless steel
and timber members supporting the rooflight glazing. All the glazing to the foyer
rooflights and walls feature a security enhancement that was specified throughout the
project.
The attention to detail throughout the entire project is exceedingly high, from the
stainless steel rooflight linings with their intricate perforations in the shape of the
Scottish coastline, the hand formed stainless steel and oak shingles to the foyer ceiling,
through to the swathes of European oak lining the inner faces of the floor to ceiling
glazing support structure.
The largest and most technically challenging package MERO was involved in on the project
was the specialist glazing package. MERO designed from concept the structural steelwork
supported, security enhanced, solar controlled glazing system, complete with ancillary
stainless steel interface cladding to the West Elevation of the debating chamber.
This towering wall of glass provides the main source of natural light into the debating
chamber, whilst providing the structural support to the west edge of the chamber’s
complex feature roof. The internal faces of the glazing system are clad in European oak,
as are the horizontal timber veneer glazing on the inner façade of the glazing system.
The Member of Scottish Parliament (MSP) building contains 354 opening casement windows
that MERO designed, manufactured and installed. These windows all feature security
enhancement to protect the members of parliament and their support staff inside the
offices in the event of an explosion outside.
Although much debate and opinions on the overall cost of the project have dominated the
media headlines throughout it’s build, the suite of buildings that have been created
for the Scottish Parliament are such a visual delight, that they will continue to capture
media attention worldwide for many years to come purely on their architectural merit.
[Download
this project as a PDF document] |
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