It was about the only exciting thing that has ever occurred in Australia’s capital city; the building and opening of a new national Parliament building. The old Parliament house was always meant to be ‘temporary’. It opened in 1927, and was a fully functional place of legislative fun and games till the ‘new’ building opened its doors for business in 1988.
This week has seen many old politicians and journalists reminisce about which parliament house was better, the new or the old. Some say the old was full of character, fun, and a real sense that it was what a parliament is meant to be; a people’s house. Others say that the new one is much more functional, and allows those serving within its walls to feel that they are valued, and have a modern, spacious, well equipped workplace.
But parliament buildings all around the world cop flack through the very nature of their design. Whatever they are replacing is always that which we love the most and have affection for. Anything new doesn’t have the same feel, the same smell, the same atmosphere, and is always too young to have the same stories.
When I was visiting the UK in the summer of 2006, I was fortunate to visit the Welsh Parliament building in Cardiff, Wales, as well as the Scottish Parliament building in Edinburgh. Both have had their fair share of critics. When I was looking for the Scottish Parliament building, I remember asking a gentle old Scottish lady for directions. In telling me where it was, she was still gentle, but there was an edge to her voice, plus the line “oh I, it’s a horrible thing”. She laughed after she said that, but she obviously was none too impressed.
We say we don’t care about politics, but we do take a very keen interest in the building that houses our lawmakers. We want it to look impressive, be functional, and make a mature honest statement about who we are as a people. I have never been to the Australian parliament building, because it would mean going to Canberra, and on saying one wants to go to Canberra, the invariable question is always “why?” It unfortunately is not known for much else apart from being the nation’s capital, home of the Federal Parliament, and residence of the Prime Minister.
Ah well, Happy Birthday to the ‘new’ Paliament building. Just let me know when it stops being ‘new’.
‘We shape our buildings: thereafter they shape us.’
Winston Churchill
Enjoy your day.
