The Welesh Assembly (The senedd)

1. Who designed the building ?

It was desgined by Richard Rogers.
2. When was it opened and by whom ?

The Senedd was opened in 2006 by the queen.

3. What materials were used ?

The upper part of the roof is an aluminium standing seem roof with the underside being a woven timber soffit. The roof is supported by structural steel columns. The frame is constructed mainly from steel, and the outer walls mainly from slate and glass. The plinth is made from reinforced concrete and slate. The Siambr desks and public gallery seating is made of Welsh oak

4. What is particulary special about the building ?

it is environmently-friendly, the design is always trying to reduce the consuming of water and electricity

The Houses of Parliament

The Building of the UK Parliament

        Despite that any democratic country in the world either monarchy or republican has its own regime that differs in the futures from others, they have the same essence but with varied forms. Mainly, the most powerful authority in any democratic government is the House of Parliament, and the UK's one is the most deep-rooted experiment among the world, which apparently made some countries that were previously part of the British Empire embrace a similar approach.

        The UK Parliament building that is located beside the river Thames in the center of London was constructed in the 19th century, and it is the most famous in the world. This is mostly due to its distinctive ancient architecture, in addition to the attractive popular clock tower that known by Big Ben. It is usually referred to as the Houses of Parliament, because it contains the two houses assemblies which are the House of Common and the House of Lords.

      The most effective is the House of Commons, which is made up of 650 publicly elected MPs that represent various constituencies around the United Kingdom. It is powerful part of the UK politics because its essential roles are to consider and propose new laws and regulations, and can investigate the government policies through questioning ministers about current affairs. The House of Commons administration is formed of the Speaker which is the chair of the house and it is a MP elected by the other MPs for this position. Basically, the speaker keeps order and allow MPs to give their opinions and comments about the issue, and make sure that MPs adhere to the house rules. Then the political parties opposing each others led by their presidents.


       The House of Lords is the second essential chamber of the UK Parliament. It is an independent body apart from the House of Commons and complement to its roles. On the contrary, the House of Lords consists of 760 members who are assigned by the Queen and they come from different professions and some do not have political experience. The chamber shares tasks with the House of Commons in making laws and scrutinize the government policies. Similarly, the House of Lords has a speaker chairs the daily businesses of the chamber and have the same job as commons house speaker.


       At the end, this majestic edifice has a vast influence on the progress of the different sectors in the country, especially on the economic, the education and the social aspects. It is always possible for public to go on tours to have a close look at the two important houses of the parliament, and know their historical development, and the story of the building construction.


For more information:

www.paliament.uk

The Big Ben

The House of Commons

The speaker's chair

The House of Lords