Senedd building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Senedd |
|
|---|---|
  |
|
| Alternative names | Welsh Parliament building |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Sustainable architecture, High-tech architecture |
| Location | Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom |
| Address | Welsh Parliament, Cardiff Bay, CARDIFF CF99 1SN |
| Coordinates | 51°27′50″N 3°09′44″W / 51.4639°N 3.1621°W |
| Construction started | 1 March 2001 |
| Completed | 7 February 2006 |
| Inaugurated | 1 March 2006 |
| Cost | GB£69.6 million |
| Owner | Senedd Cymru - Welsh Parliament |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 3 |
| Floor area | 5,308 square metres (57,000 sq ft) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architecture firm | Richard Rogers Partnership |
| Structural engineer | Arup |
| Services engineer | BDSP Partnership and MJN Colston |
| Main contractor | Skanska (phase 1) Taylor Woodrow (phase 2) |
The Senedd building (which means Senate or Parliament in Welsh) is located in Cardiff, Wales. It is the home of the debating chamber and three committee rooms for the Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament. This important building, covering 5,308-square-metre (57,100 sq ft), was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 1 March 2006, which is also St David's Day. The total cost to build it was £69.6 million. The Senedd building is part of a larger area called the Senedd estate, which also includes Tŷ Hywel and the Pierhead Building.
After a careful selection process, it was decided that the main debating chamber would be built on a new site in Cardiff Bay. A famous architect, Lord Rogers of Riverside, who had won the Pritzker Architecture Prize, designed the building. His design was chosen in an international competition. The Senedd was planned to be very sustainable, using new technologies and being energy efficient. It even received the highest environmental certification in Wales, an "Excellent" rating from BREEAM. The building was also nominated for the prestigious 2006 Stirling Prize.
The Senedd was built in two main stages. The first stage began in 2001, and the second ran from August 2003 until the building was finished in February 2006. There were some challenges during construction, including changes in contractors. The total cost ended up being higher than first expected, partly because of new security measures needed after the 11 September attacks.
Contents
Discover the Senedd's Design
The Senedd building is located in the historic Cardiff Docks area, about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) south of Cardiff Castle. This area was once the world's biggest coal-exporting port. By the 1980s, it became less active, but in the 1990s, it was transformed into Cardiff Bay.
The building faces out over Cardiff Bay. It has glass walls all around, giving it a very open feel, and a striking steel roof with a wooden ceiling. The Senedd has three floors. The first and second floors are open to the public, while the ground floor is for officials. The architects, Richard Rogers Partnership, wanted the building to be as open as possible. They said it should "make visible the inner workings of the Assembly and encouraging public participation."
The most important part of the building is the debating chamber, called the Siambr. There's a public viewing gallery where visitors can watch the debates. Other areas include the Neuadd, which is the main reception on the first floor, and the Oriel on the second floor. The three committee rooms and the Cwrt are on the ground floor.
Eco-Friendly Features
The Senedd was designed to be very sustainable and last for 100 years. It uses local Welsh materials and aims for minimal energy use and waste. It was built to be a great example of eco-friendly design.
About 36% of all materials and labor costs were spent in Wales. For example, about 1,000 tonnes of Welsh slate were used. The building's environmental features help save between 30% and 50% more energy compared to other buildings.
One cool feature is 27 pipes drilled 100 meters underground. In cold weather, water is pumped through these pipes and heated to 14 °C using geothermal energy. This warm water then heats the slate floor to keep the building at a steady temperature. In warm weather, the same system helps keep the building cool. A special boiler uses wood chips from recycled wood to heat the building, and rainwater collected from the roof is used to flush the toilets.
Inside the Senedd: Rooms and Art
Y Siambr (meaning The Chamber) is the 610 m2 (6,600 sq ft) debating room. All 60 Assembly Members (AMs) sit in a circle under a large dome. The Siambr can even be made bigger to fit 80 AMs in the future. Above the chamber is a public viewing gallery, separated by security glass, where 128 people can watch the debates. The desks for the AMs and the public gallery seats are made from Welsh oak. The circular layout helps AMs see each other, which is said to make debates less confrontational.
In front of the Presiding Officer's desk is a 1.3 metres (4.3 ft) ceremonial mace. This special mace was designed by a goldsmith from Melbourne, Australia, in 2002. It took 300 hours to make and is crafted from gold, silver, and brass. In 2006, it was worth about £10,500 and was given to the National Assembly during the opening ceremony.
All committee meetings happen in three special committee rooms. Each room can hold 24 people, and two of them can even expand to hold 34. The public can watch these meetings from viewing galleries in the Neuadd, which can hold 31 people.
Visitors enter the building through Y Neuadd (meaning "The Hall"). This area on the first floor has the public reception and information desk. The reception desk is made of slate and glass with a canopy above it. Stairs next to the desk lead up to the Oriel on the second floor.
Yr Oriel (meaning "The Gallery") is a public sitting and exhibition area. From here, you can look down into Y Siambr and the committee rooms. The glass floor around a large funnel lets visitors see two floors below into the Siambr. The stylish Swan chairs in the Neuadd and Oriel areas were designed by Arne Jacobsen in 1958.
Y Cwrt (meaning "The Courtyard") is on the ground floor. It has a tea room for members, a media briefing room, and access to the Siambr and committee rooms. This area is only for AMs, officials, and the press.
The building also features a wavy ceiling made of Western Redcedar timber from Canada.
Art in the Senedd
.jpg)
Four special artworks were created for the Senedd, costing £300,000 in total. They are both beautiful and useful.
- The Heart of Wales is a circular, domed glass artwork in the center of the Siambr. It's 2 metres (6.6 ft) wide, made of blue and gold glass, and lit from below.
- Martin Richman designed 270 fabric panels that help with sound.
- American sculptor Danny Lane created Assembly Field, a wind hedge with five rows of 32 glass plates. It helps protect people from strong winds coming off Cardiff Bay.
- Richard Harris created The Meeting Place on the Plinth, a 45-tonne sculpture made from 39 slate slabs from Cwt y Bugail Quarry in north Wales. It's an informal seating area outside the building. Harris wanted it to be a quiet, inviting space for people to sit.
What Does Senedd Mean?
The Welsh word senedd means 'senate' or 'parliament'. The word comes from the Latin word senex, which means 'old man' or 'elder'. This is similar to the Roman Senate (Latin: Senatus Romanus), which was a council of elders.
Building the Senedd: A Quick Look
Wales became fully part of England in 1536. Over time, Wales gained more powers, and in 1964, the Secretary of State for Wales was created. In 1997, Wales voted to have its own National Assembly. The Government of Wales Act 1998 officially created it.
Many places were considered for the new Assembly building. In Cardiff, sites like the Cathays Park Building and Cardiff City Hall were looked at. Eventually, a site in Cardiff Bay, called Capital Waterside, was chosen. This site included the Pierhead Building, Crickhowell House, and Site 1E, where the Senedd would be built.
An international competition was held to pick the building's design. Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Competitions managed it. Lord Callaghan of Cardiff, a former Prime Minister, led the panel that chose the design. The goal was to create a building that would "capture the imagination of the Welsh people" and cost no more than £12 million.
Fifty-five architects showed interest, and six were chosen to submit designs. The design by Richard Rogers Partnership (RRP) was chosen. Richard Rogers said his idea was for "steps [to] rise out of the water...where people...[would] look down on the Assembly Members."
Construction began on 1 March 2001. However, there were some disagreements and delays. The project was stopped for a review by Rhodri Morgan, the First Secretary (now First Minister). After the review, it was decided to continue with the original RRP design.
The first contractor, Skanska Ltd, began work. But after six months, their contract was ended due to disagreements over costs. The National Assembly then appointed new project managers.
In August 2003, Taylor Woodrow took over as the main contractor for the second phase. They worked with RRP as a subcontractor. The goal was to build a "landmark building" on time and within budget.
On 25 November 2004, a "topping out" ceremony took place. This marked the installation of the world's largest free-rotating wind-driven cowl. This cowl sits 6 metres (20 ft) above the roof and turns with the wind to help ventilate the debating chamber.
The Senedd building was completed on 7 February 2006. The official opening by Queen Elizabeth II, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales, and the Duchess of Cornwall happened on 1 March 2006, St. David's Day. The Parliament of New South Wales even presented a ceremonial mace to the National Assembly to celebrate the opening.
In 2008, Taylor Woodrow Construction was fined £200,000 after an accident during construction in 2004, which led to the death of a foreman. The court found that safety measures were not enough.
Senedd Estate: More Than One Building
The Senedd building is part of the Senedd Estate in Cardiff Bay. This estate also includes Tŷ Hywel (meaning Howell House) and the historic Grade 1 listed Pierhead Building. Tŷ Hywel is where staff, AMs, and ministers work. It's named after Hywel Dda, a famous Welsh king.
On 26 June 2008, Siambr Hywel was opened. This is the National Assembly's youth debating chamber and education center. It uses the same debating room that the National Assembly used from 1999 to 2006 while the Senedd was being built. Two covered bridges connect the Senedd to Tŷ Hywel.
The Pierhead Building, opened in 1897, was originally the headquarters of the Bute Dock Company. It was reopened in May 2001 as 'The Assembly at the Pierhead', a visitor and education center. On 1 March 2010, it became a Welsh history museum and exhibition.
Awards and Recognition
The Senedd building has received many awards and nominations for its design and construction:
- Nominated for the 2006 Stirling Prize by the Royal Institute of British Architects.
- Nominated for the 2006 Prime Minister's Better Public Building Award.
- Listed as Architects' Journal's top 50 favorite buildings.
- Awarded "Excellent" certification by BREEAM, the highest ever in Wales.
- Won Major Project of the Year in the 2006 Building Services Awards.
- Awarded the 2006 Gold Medal winner from the National Eisteddfod of Wales.
- Won the Slate Award in the 2006 Natural Stone Awards.
- Awarded the 2006 Structural Steel Design Award.
- Won the 2006 Excellence on the Waterfront from the Waterfront Center.
- Received a Civic Trust Award in 2008.
- Awarded a Chicago Athenaeum 2007 International Architecture Awards.
One person involved in the project also won an award:
- Jeremy Williams of Taylor Woodrow Construction won the Construction Manager of the Year Award in 2006 for his work on the Senedd.
Images for kids
-
Cathays Park Building
-
Coal Exchange, Cardiff Bay
-
The former Glamorgan County Hall
-
Cardiff City Hall
-
Margam Castle
-
Cyfarthfa Castle
-
County Hall, Mold
-
The Guildhall
-
Callaghan Square
-
Site 1E
.jpg)
