National Assembly for Wales (HD)

The election of the Welsh National Assembly
in 1999, was a turning point in the history of
Wales. Its home, Cardiffs former docklands,
is a striking addition to the local scene and
a statement of faith in the regeneration
process. The Assembly building embodies
democratic values of openness and
participation, while its progressive
environmental agenda establishes a new
standard for public buildings in Britain.

The setting is the Pierhead, once the centre
of the coal exporting trade. Nearby are the
Grade I listed Pierhead Building and the new
Wales Millennium Centre.

The idea of openness is exemplified by the
transparency of the building. Public spaces
are elevated on a slate-clad plinth and cut
away to allow daylight to penetrate the
administrative spaces at lower level.
A light-weight, gently undulating roof
shelters both internal and external spaces,
pierced by the protruding extension of the
Debating Chamber.

A large circular space at the heart of the
building, the Chamber is defined by the
dramatic roof which is drawn down from
the roof above to form the enclosure. The
Assembly also includes exhibition and
education spaces, a café, committee and
meeting rooms, press facilities, offices for
the principal officers of the Assembly and a
members lounge.

The servicing strategy responds to the
varying demands of the internal spaces
air-conditioning is supplied in the
debating chamber, while the public lobby
is naturally ventilated. Heat exchangers
capitalise on the potential of the ground as
a cooling mechanism, while the thermal
mass of the plinth tempers fluctuations in
the internal environment. In this way, the
design achieves significant energy savings
compared to traditional buildings.

Hard landscaping, together with a canopy of
trees, creates a close for the Assembly and
completes the jigsaw of new development in
this part of Cardiff Bay.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• National Assembly
• Wales
• Government Building
• Public
• Civic
• Cardiff
• Richard Rogers
• Architecture
• Energy Efficient

[chrisjoneschrisjones]

@CharlesDickens99 thats not what i said you said,read my point properly

[CharlesDickens99]

@chrisjoneschrisjones Being patriotic and English doesn't mean hating other countries. That's not what I said (how do you even know I am English?) It's just the EU may be counter productive to the survival of European liberty.

[chrisjoneschrisjones]

@CharlesDickens99 your very politicy naiive and stunted if u think people who support devolution for their own country have to hate the english or anyone else,your fattering yourself a bit there im afraid.unlike england,being patriotic for Wales doesnt mean we have to hate other nations

[CharlesDickens99]

People are pro-devolution because they hate the English.

They feel the English foistered the British Empire on them.

So they exchange it for the European Empire, which may in the long run turn out to be worse.

Yep, nice building apart, perhaps, from the timber chandelier.

[ultramagellan]

I like the way the two girls pause briefly in horror at 0:14 as they spot the building for the first time.

[petujaymz]

What gets me, it that those who are pro-devolution are almost always pro-Europe.

How the fuck can you reconcile the two? The two concepts are gonna clash at some stage; it's inevitable.

That aside... nice building. The airport style security was a surpise.

[Malbo22]

I love that building. It's so friendly and inviting. Me and my friends just go in there sometimes just to look around. It's nice that places like this can welcome literally anbody in sinply as a tourist attraction.

[ann03071874]

Yeah the HD is awesome...

[Kenny2k08]

Whoa the HD is really nice. Great video.