Senedd Cymru - Welsh Parliament

In April 1998, Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners won an international design competition to design a building to house the National Assembly for Wales (now Senedd Cymru - Welsh Parliament). The brief set out a functional specification for the building, expressing a clear desire for an open and democratic building, appropriate for the 21st century. In response to the initial design brief, RSHP created a piece of architecture that was not only innovative and memorable but a building that would engage with Cardiff Bay, Wales and beyond.

Located in a spectacular setting overlooking Cardiff Bay, the building is a transparent vessel, providing visibility to the inner workings of Parliament and encouraging the public to engage with it. The embodiment of democratic values — openness, transparency and participation — is the driving factor in the design of the new Senedd.

The public realm provides a Welsh slate landscape — a ‘sea’ that appears to rise out of the bay, providing a plinth for a new public forum which in turn is sheltered under a protective canopy of timber.

The Senedd and landscape are certified as BREEAM rated Excellent.

Using contextually appropriate Welsh slate enhanced the project’s sustainability credentials: local labour was used for mining the slate before transporting it the short distance to the site. The oak used in the landscape design was also locally sourced; where other timber materials were used these were ethically sourced and Forest Stewardship Council certified. Rainwater collected in the building’s roof irrigates the landscape, and serves for general maintenance on the development.