Portcullis House

Q. What is it

A. In the early 1990s it was realised that MPs' workspaces within the Palace of Westminster were less than adequate, with many being housed in Portakabins and other temporary quarters - hardly the image that the 'Mother of Parliaments' would like to project to the world. So, in 1992 the commissioning of a new set of offices was approved by the House of Commons. Originally scheduled to open in 1999, Portcullis House was occupied in 2000 and opened officially by the Queen in 2001. It houses 210 MPs and over 400 staff.

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Q. Where is it

A. On the corner of Bridge Street and Victoria Embankment on the north side of Westminster Bridge in London. Located in a World Heritage Site over the road from the Palace of Westminster - without question one of the most recognisable buildings in the world - and in close proximity to Scotland Yard, Westminster Hall and Westminster Abbey, the architects Michael Hopkins and Partners - whose other works have included the Mound Stand at Lord's Cricket Ground and the Glyndbourne Opera House - had a tough job designing something that would fit in with its surroundings without being so bland as to be unnoticeable. This they have achieved with a good-looking, practical building, which provides a comfortable, secure and modern - but tasteful - environment for those who use it as well as being aesthetically pleasing to the rest of us.

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As part of their brief the architects had to redesign and rebuild Westminster Underground station and incorporate it into Portcullis House while keeping the District Line running throughout, which they did and have produced a station to rival any other anywhere in the world.

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Q. And why is Portcullis House in the news

A. It's back in the news again because during its first year of operation over 7,500 defects had been logged, from loose door handles to cracked glass. However, a National Audit Office survey has recently concluded that the �234 million building is value for money because of the standards it sets for design and architecture. This is borne out by the building's shortlisting for a couple of architectural awards.

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Q. Which

A. In 2001 it - along with the revamped Westminster Underground station, which a number of commentators felt was the more deserving of the two - was nominated for the Stirling Prize and the RIBA Journal Sustainability Award. The Stirling Prize is the richest and most prestigious architecture award in the UK. Named for the British architect Sir James Stirling, the prize is worth �20,000. The RIBA Journal Sustainability Award is for the building 'which demonstrates elegantly and durably the principles of sustainable architecture'. Portcullis House prides itself on its eco-credentials, and the literature claims that it 'uses only about one third as much fuel as a conventionally air conditioned building because heat is recycled from exhaust air and cooling is provided by groundwater from boreholes'.

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Unfortunately, it won neither prize.

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Q. Haven't there been a number of criticisms over the cost

A. Haven't there just. Not only was the final bill �28 million over budget, but, famously �30 million was spent on a bronze roof, �1 million on works of art, �150,000 on leasing some fig trees from Belgium (lease, note, not buy) and swanky German-designed easy chairs a snip at �440 apiece. Needless to say the official response to such criticisms from Portcullis House itself is a tad defensive.

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Under the heading 'Are all the controversial media stories true ' the Portcullis House website suggests that some of the stories in the 'mainstream news media' display certain 'factual inaccuracies', such as 'the reception desk cost considerably less than �75,000: this figure is the cost of a package which includes the security desk at the subway entrance, and the large security enclosure at the main entrance to Portcullis House as well'. Some of the reports also apparently contain 'inaccuracies', to whit 'there have never been plans to use so-called "feng shui experts"...and none of the armchairs have a "snooze control" facility...The fig trees are not dying: now that they've settled in they're thriving and producing new growth.' Note that they never say that the reports are WRONG. Spin, spin, spin...

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They do admit that some of the reporting was 'true', though they qualify these. So, while the trees did indeed cost �150,000, this 'includes their regular care and maintenance for five years, and requires the nurserymen to replace at no additional cost any trees which fail to thrive. The shade which they provide in the courtyard will reduce the cooling needed over the summer, contributing to the high standards of energy efficiency in the building and reducing expenditure on running costs.' Responding to the criticism that there are few clocks in the building, they concede the point but add that 'all the telephones, annunciator screens and computers display the time instead'.

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Q. Do the MPs like it, though

A. They seem to. One who definitely does is Liberal Democrat Archie Kirkwood, who told the Today programme on Radio 4 that 'This is an excellent working environment. It is done to a very high design quality and it is value for money and designed to last for 120 years.' Actually the architects had planned it to last at least 200, but whatever.

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Q. And where does the name come from

A. From the portcullis used as the emblem of the Houses of Parliament. Although it has only relatively recently been adopted for this purpose - it is in fact only since 1967 that the crowned portcullis has been used exclusively on House of Commons stationery - the association of the symbol with the Palace of Westminster goes back to the 16th century and its use in the redecoration after a major fire which took place in 1512.

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For a more in-depth look at the history of the portcullis as an emblem go to http://www.google.co.uk/search q=cache:Y9z_aETUidgC:www.parliament.uk/commons/lib/fs12.pdf+portcullis+factsheet+parliament+uk&hl=en

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Portcullis House has its own website at http://www.portcullis-house.com

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See also the answerbank article on spin doctors, the London Mayor's building and the Carbuncle Awards

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For more on Arts & Literature click here

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By Simon Smith

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