1

ABSTRACT

Architecture has always been an expression of point of view

.Throughout the history , architecture has been a media of representation
of thoughts and ideals . The forums , agora and Parthenon of ancient
Greece, dream of city of Germania by Hitler’s architect Albert Speer
and realization of socialist dream in city of Brasilia by Oscar
Niemeyer. These all are few instances of expression of ideals of better
world expressed through the medium of architecture.

Different perceptions, contradiction and controversies remain in definition

of democracy but the universal core idea remains the same that is
democracy is everything for people, by the people and of the people.
Being an architecture student, my thesis will be oriented more on the
creating an architecture for the people and look for symbolization and
representation of common ideals aspirations of people in architecture.
And the parliament has been taken as a place where architecture meets
democracy.

The parliament building embodies an image or commanding presence of

state and evokes the ideal of national identity pride and discourse of
power. Moreover it represents tradition, stability and authority. The main
objective lies in developing an appropriate state of architecture that
meets the people and further explore the democratic language of
parliament and public spaces with the creative use of light, spatial
qualities and balancing act between need for security and openness
along with public realm.

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 2

Contents 4.2. CASE STUDY OF NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, DHAKA ......................... 66

1.1. CONTEXT ....................................................................................... 3
4.3. CASE STUDY VIDHAN BHAWAN, CHANDIGARH ......................... 71
1.2. INTRODUCUTION .......................................................................... 4
4.4. CASE STUDY VIDHAN BHAWAN, BHOPAL .................................. 76
1.2. PROJECT DESCRIPTION ................................................................. 7
4.5. CASE STUDY PARLIAMENT LIBRARY, NEW DELHI ......................... 83
1.4. JUSTIFICATION .............................................................................. 8
4.6. CASE STUDY: SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT, EDINBURG ...................... 90
1.5. SCOPE, VALIDITY & LIMITATIONS ................................................. 9
4.7. CASE STUDY OF REICHSTAG, BERLIN .......................................... 96
1.6. OBJECTIVES /PURPOSE: ................................................................ 9
4.8. CASE STUDY OF SENEDD, CARDIFF .......................................... 100
1.7. OUTPUT ENVISAGED: .................................................................... 9
CHAPTER 5: SITE & CONTEXT STUDIES ................................................ 108
1.8. METHODOLOGY ......................................................................... 10
CHAPTER 6: CONCEPT & DESIGN DEVELOPMENT ................................ 112
1.9. ORGANISATION OF REPORT ...................................................... 10
6.1DESIGN PROCESS ........................................................................ 113
1.10 PROGRAM FORMULATION ........................................................ 11
6.2 DESIGN DEVELOPMENT OF MASTERPLAN.................................. 120
CHAPTER 2: THEORTICAL EXPLORATION................................................ 15
6.3.DESIGN DEVELOPMENT OF INDIVIDUAL COMPONENTS ........... 121
2.1 ARCHITECTURE & POLITICS .......................................................... 16
6..4 DESIGN DEVELOPMENT OF ELEVATIONS AND SECTIONS ........ 123
2.2 URBAN PUBLIC SPACE .................................................................. 19
6.5 OTHER CONSIDERATION: ........................................................... 124
CHAPTER 3: LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................ 22
BIBILOGRAPHY ...................................................................................... 126
3.1. ASSEMBLY SPACES ...................................................................... 23
3.2. FUNCTIONAL SPACES.................................................................. 34
3.3. SERVICE SPACES .......................................................................... 44
3.4. UNIVERSAL DESIGN ..................................................................... 47
CHAPTER 4: CASE STUDIES ..................................................................... 51
4.1. EXISTING PARLIAMENT IN SINGHADURBAR ............................... 52
4.2. GOVERNMENT PROPOSALS ON PARLIAMENT BUILDING .......... 57
4.3. CASE STUDY ICC COMPLEX, NEW BANESWOR ......................... 61

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 3

CHAPTER 1: PROPOSAL & OBJECTIVES

1.1. CONTEXT
Only after end of feudal Rana Regime and introduction of democratic
system in 1951AD, the country had first experience of Parliamentary
system. However there was no parliament building for assembly functions.
Before 1951, the assembly functions were used to be held in open spaces
or courtyard of palaces. The democratic system of governance couldn’t
last long and Panchayat autocracy was introduced which had “Rastriya
Panchayat” as a legislature. In 1970 AD, government felt the need of
legislature building to hold assemblies and thus design competition was
held for design of “Rastriya Panchayat building”. The design of Ar.
G.D.Bhatta was approved and works were carried out but never
completed due to various social, economic and political factors. Moreover,
after advent of multiparty democracy, the political scenario was changed
and the project was abandoned.

After restoration of multiparty democracy in 1991 AD, The old Rana

building was adaptively reused to hold assembly functions. Though
political scenario changed in Nepal but the assembly functions were
continued to be held in neoclassical Rana building, which was built as a
theatre for dance and drama in 1898. Despite all the functional setbacks,
the government still managed to conduct legislative affairs in same
building. But then after the recent political change in 2063, the old
parliament building could no longer be adapted and thus there was need
for new building to assembly function. Thus government came up with
temporary solution of holding assem bly functions in International
convention center while it’s secretariat and official spaces are still
scattered in Singh Durbar. Hence, there is indeed an urgent need of new
legislature parliament building with sound functional requirements

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 4

1.2. INTRODUCUTION Question of symbolism in architecture becomes even more relevant when it
“Architecture is a science arising out of many other sciences, and adorned comes to design of public building. Architecture needs to relate to the
with much and varied learning; by the help of which a judgment is formed of people and also symbolize the nation as a whole. To represent the nation
those works which are the result of the other arts “. - Marcus V. Pollio we should also know what exactly the nation is. How we define the nation
can be a point of departure of the design itself. The definitions of nation
Looking at words of Marcus.V.Pollio, we can understand architecture as a though seemingly clear but it has potential to create most dangerous
science depending upon various other sciences. Architecture has always misunderstandings.
been a concrete expression of ideas, culture, civilization, belief system,
and lifestyle and so on. So in a way architecture can be understood as According to Wikipedia nation has been defined as “A nation may refer
tool of translating abstract concepts into physical entity that exist in to a community of people who share a common language, culture,
reality. Thus to begin any work of architecture there has to be sufficient ethnicity, descent, and/or history. In this definition, a nation has no
study and learning on various related aspects and sciences, giving physical borders. But, it can also refer to people who share a common
architecture a multidimensional nature. territory and government (for example the inhabitants of a sovereign
state) irrespective of their ethnic make-up
Thus, before introducing the main idea of this thesis “Legislature Par-
liament: Architecture of Democracy”, It is very important to be familiar However ,French philosopher Ernest Renan have defines Nationhood as
with some concepts regarding thesis topic. Since the most of concepts and the desire of a people to live together , which is summarized by a famous
terms of political science, law and sociology are not so familiar to us from phrase “avoir fait de grandees choses ensemble, vouloir en faire encore”
architecture standpoint of view; it might be difficult to grasp the concept which means “having done great things together and wishing to do more”.
in full detail. Moreover, the detail study of these concepts is also beyond Renan’s definition has been most influential. His definition of Nation
the scope. The major focus of this thesis will be to adapt the universal as a spiritual group not a group determined by race, language,
concepts or core idea of political science, governance and related science ethnicity, religious affinities and geography. Moreover the definition of
and translate them into architecture. Thesis sought to look for definition of Renan fits in the context of Nepal where constitution is being drafted and
concepts and terms from architectural perspective and aims at presenting state is being restructured to include multilingual, multiethnic and
architecture as tool of expression of ideas of people. It is also necessary multireligious diversity within the nation. Specifically in our context ,
that identification of the problem and its understanding should be done interim constitution has defined nation as “ Having multiethnic,
with great care and caution as lot of pertaining sensitive issues still exists multilingual, multireligious, multicultural characteristics with common
in relation to nationhood and its people aspiration. aspiration and being committed to and united by a bond of allegiance
to national independence, integrity, national interest and
prosperity of Nepal, all the Nepali people collectively constitute the
nation”

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 5

but the universal acceptance of definition of democracy must have

following key elements in it:

 Guarantee of basic Human Rights

 Separation of power between institutions of states i.e.
 Government [Executive Power], Parliament [Legislative Power]
and Courts of Law [Judicative Power]
 Freedom of opinion, speech, press and mass media
 Religious liberty
Every nation has its own system of governance and every system in some
 General and equal right to vote (one person, one vote)
way has separation of power into executive ,legislature and judiciary.
 Good Governance (focus on public interest and absence of
How- ever the share of power might be different as per the systems. In
corruption)
our context , as per interim constitution our system of governance is
federal democratic re- public system. The core concepts of governance In depth study of all key elements is again beyond our scope and thus we
are principles of democracy. are more concenterated on principle of separation of power which gave
birth to the legislative body or parliament. separation of powers, trias
Democracy is by far the most challenging form of government -
politica principle, is a model for the governance of a state. The model
both for politicians and for the people. The term democracy comes
was first developed in ancient Greece and came into widespread use by
from the Greek language and means “rule by the (simple) people”.
the Roman Republic. Under this model, the state is divided into branches,
Yet the theory of modern democracy was not formulated until the
each with separate and independent powers and areas of responsibility
Age of Enlightment (17th/18th centuries), when philosophers defined
so that no one branch has more power than the other branches. The
the essential elements of democracy: separation of powers, basic
normal division of branches is into an executive, a legislature, and a
civil rights/ human rights, religious liberty and separation of church
judiciary. Executive executes the laws, legislature makes laws while
and state
judiciary enforces the law. Legislature being our area of interest and thus
“Democracy is government of people, by the people, for the people” is being dealt in greater detail.

- Abraham Lincoln

Oxford dictionary defines democracy as “a system of government by the

whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through
elected representatives.” Likewise it has been defined by many ways by
many scholars. Moreover lots of contradiction is also found within these
definitions but the core concept of democracy is same i.e. “sovereignty
vested upon majority of the people”. Democracy has been vague term

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 6

The legislature is a legislative body of a country or a state. It is after the establishment of Republic system, there has been strong
originated from the word “legislation” which means process of making opposition to use of word “parliament” as the model of legislature has
and enacting laws. According to Wikipedia “A legislature is a kind of been changed and will further undergo changes with arrival of new
deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. constitution via constituent assembly. Likewise, there has also a debate in
The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In model of system of governance and therefore the use of term
addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to “parliament” might be contradictory in this context. Hence the interim
raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and other money bills.” constitution 2007 AD being in action which describes legislative body
as “legislature parliament” and the term has been agreed by
Legislatures are known by many names, the most common being consensus.
parliament and congress, although these terms also have more specific
meanings. In a presidential system, according to the separation of powers ARCHITECTURE OF LEGISLATURE
doctrine, the legislature is considered an independent and coequal branch
of government along with both the judiciary and the executive. In Architecture of legislature, also known as parliamentary architecture is
parliamentary systems of government, the legislature is formally supreme about creating the spaces for legislation purpose. Legislature being a
and appoints a member from its house as the prime minister which acts as supreme organ of state and is related with the people from daily life
the executive. affairs to the important state affairs, thus demands variety of spaces and
built forms. The functionality of legislative buildings directly affects the
The word Parliament comes from Latin Parliamentum and French par- ler nation as a whole. Moreover the symbolic aspect is also overwhelming
(to speak), and it is descriptive of the method by which members reach and issue of representation of aspirations and ideals is also important. It
decisions in our Houses of Parliament - by talking to each other. possesses a national significance and thus will be a monumental symbol of
the nation. In addition to that, in democratic society, legislative buildings
Parliamentary Government is steeped in English history. In the 14th has to be democratic in nature which means it has to respond to public
century, the Knights of the Shires and town representatives were also from realm .balancing the issues of openness and transparency along with
time to time invited to attend the King’s Council in his Parliament. Soon the security threats is also another pertinent challenge . In short, the
Knights and burgesses began to meet separately in what became the architecture of legislature involves balancing act of functionality and
House of Commons, and the powerful Barons and church leaders became symbolic representation in built form.
the House of Lords. By the middle of the 14th century, it had been
established that taxation was illegal without the consent of the two Houses “Parliamentary buildings occupy a unique place in that they simultaneously
and the concurrence of the Houses was necessary for all statutory reflect and shape parts of the national culture in which they are found. Many
legislation. Control over finances, or supply, was a means whereby are instantly recognizable and are seen as symbols of national identity.
Parliament changed its role from petitioning the Mon- arch to make Images of the Palace of Westminster and the Congressional buildings in
changes to the laws to actually making new laws itself. Washington are frequently used as shorthand references to the UK and the
USA, as well as to the democratic and legislative processes that take place
In our context, we are more familiar with word “parliament “since Nepal within them. The buildings used to house any nation’s parliament are
has been following Westminster (British) model of legislature. However,

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 7

frequently seen as representations of aspects of the national identity as well

as working buildings” - Clement Macintyre
1.2. PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Various studies that look at the relationship between architecture of The legislature parliament building being a place for national decision-
parliamentary buildings and the character of political processes depict making which is a fomal institution for all legislative affairs . Legislative
the idea that national parliament buildings are among prominent symbols affairs includes following major tasks :
of government. Besides this, the issues of environment sensitivity, functional
efficiency and engineering feasibility is also vital in today’s context. 1. making laws , plans , policies
Translation of political system in architecture is a challenge but also
2. Adapting budget
opportunity lies in systematizing the system with spatial efficiency
3. Debate and discuss issues
“We shape our buildings thereafter they shape us” –Sir Winston Churchill
4. Special committee for special tasks
This intriguing observation comes from a speech Churchill made during the
rebuilding of the House of Commons, which had sustained heavy bombing 5. Formation of government ( in west minister model only)
damage during the Battle of Britain. Embedded in the observa- tion is a
profound architectural truth that applies to all buildings, public and Legislature parliament has a legislative assembly where people’s
private. In the beginning, buildings reflect the qualities of the people who representatives directly or indirectly elected or nominated to form a
design and construct them. Once built, the people who live and work in assembly . These people are generally called member of parliaments or
them take on the qualities of the buildings they inhabit. Thus legislators . Basically these legislators hold meetings where they interact
parliamentary architecture does have an impact on national life in longer with each other and do their work . Likewise the supporting staffs are also
run. It is creation of system that creates a system by itself for future provided to assist the work and spaces for study and research and
contemplation is also seems vital .

Basic project components are enlisted below. Some spaces and

components might be added after inferences from case studies and
literature review:

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 8

A. ASSEMBLY SPACES 1.4. JUSTIFICATION

 Lower house assembly In present context, Nepal is in crucial phase of history and decisions taken
 Upper house assembly in this period shall orient our future and redefine the nation as a whole.
Once the constitution assembly passes the constitution of country the
B. FUNCTIONAL SPACES system will be created and thus infra- structures will be needed stabilize
and run the system. The three organs of state: Executive, Legislature and
 Parliament secretariat
Judiciary will be equally supreme and will function accordingly with the
 Committee offices
power vested upon them by constitution. In past, infrastructures for
 Party offices executive and legislature were confined to premises of Singh durbar
 library Complex whereas Supreme Court (judiciary) is adjacent to the premises.
C. SERVICE SPACE Government has decided to bring all ministries and executive secretariats
within singha durbar complex and work is on a way to its completion.
 Cafeteria However, we don’t have a legislative or parliament building made for the
 Infirmary legislative purpose. The adapted old building for parliament has been
 Technical rooms un- able to hold assembly and out of requirements while supporting space
 Parking area for parliament have been scattered as a temporary wooden structures in
the complex. Moreover the ICC building which has been currently used as
constitution assembly building is a temporary solution and has functional
Public setbacks. So there is need of a new legislature parliament building to
spaces institutionalize the legislature and enhance functional efficiency. In
addition to it, the context also demands a symbolic monument that
library expresses the national aspirations and public realm. We are in the crucial
Canteen
phase of history which shall determine the system and that system shall
determine our future. Hence, the people’s aspiration of peace prosperity
and progress which has brought the change is in political scenario and has
Debating Technica
Infirmary to be address. The drafting of constitution is addressing those aspirations
chamber l rooms and converting it into “law of nation” and creating a system as a whole. In
this context, architecture can be tool of expression of people’s aspiration
and national symbol by creating the built forms that enables functional
efficiency and be a symbol of nation.
Committee Party
offices
secretariat offices

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 9

1.5. SCOPE, VALIDITY & LIMITATIONS 1.6. OBJECTIVES /PURPOSE:

“Any person who selects a goal in life which can be fully achieved, has Proposal aims on studying and designing a new legislature parliament
already defined his own limitations” – Cavett Robert. which is functionally sound, symbolically representative and aesthetically
pleasing. It also aims to identify the existing as well as possible
As thesis is all about demonstration of one’s ability and development to future problems with its analysis and finally arriving to a solution that
pursue analytical investigations related to the design of a building and addresses the core issues. Furthermore, objectives of this proposal are
it’s cultural, social, economic, material, climatic, scientific, technological explained below below along with their key words:
dimensions. The balance between research and design application
components is must along with proper identification of problems and  Nationality: representing itself as a symbol of national significance.
solution is to be achieved through architecture.  Functionality: creating easy circulation with proper functions and
spatial relationships.
“Legislature Parliament: Architecture of Democracy” has been chosen as  Flexibility: enforcing the ability to grow and change with need of
topic as it possess enormous potential for fulfillment of thesis criteria time.
where research meets design as a solution to the problem identified.
 Accountability: balancing between dichotomy of public and private
Legislature parliament is not just an office building of government but it is
spaces.
a place where representatives of people assemble together to express
 Sensibility: realizing the issues of public and it’s responsibility to the
ideas, discuss on them and come up with solutions. Thus the architecture of
people.
legislature demands variety of spaces with different functions which are
 Accessibility: enabling easy and barrier free access to differently
held together by spatial relationship between them. Everything has
able and old aged citizens.
limitations but it is essential to know limitations so as to anticipate the
possibilities and focus on them. Being a part of an academic curriculum it 1.7. OUTPUT ENVISAGED:
also has its own scope and limitations. Limitations should not always be Being a research based design , the design solution is sought to be based
taken as an obstacle but can also be taken as something that keeps things on findings of research and analysis. The completed project is expected
in track and preventing oneself from losing the real focus. Since the topic to develop deep understanding between architecture and its symbolic
being related with political science and sociology, lots of resources and significance along with functional requirements. The research is aimed to
studies available but detail study of those sciences are beyond scope. find out universally adapted ideas and principles of sciences related to
Only universal and contextual concepts have been taken. Details of legislature. Likewise, research is expected to find out idea of nation in our
structural components and construction details won’t be included context and its symbolic representation in architecture via study of
except when needed .In conclusion, the project being an academic “parliamentary architecture”. Moreover, design solution is expected to
purpose will aim to fulfill the criteria of thesis requirements and yearn fulfill Vitruvian criteria of “utilitas , venustas and firmitas” (utility,
for architectural possibilities within. aesthetics and stability).

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 10

1.8. METHODOLOGY 1.9. ORGANISATION OF REPORT

The following outlined methodology was followed for the thesis work.

A. Inception The report is organized into six chapters supported by presentation

sheets and drawings/sketches. The first chapter contains the proposal
- Definition of problem
where the purpose , objectives , context, background , project description
- Requirement analysis and understanding and methodology are laid out . Second chapter includes theoretical
exploration where the fundamental area of research are included . third
- Formulation of initial brief. chapter will include the literature review of design standards and fourth
chapter will include the case studies of similar building situations. Fifth
B. General data and Literature Survey chapter is about site and context studies and finally in the last sixth
chapter includes the design evolution , concepts and development .
- Data collection / Literature studies

- Existing Building Survey

- Site Analysis

C. Case studies and Analysis

D. Formulation of Program

- Requirement finalization

- Concept design

- Design alternatives

- Final design proposal

- Drawings and presentation with models

E. Final submissions

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 11

1.10 PROGRAM FORMULATION

Project has following building components as requirements:

1. Lower house assembly

2. Upper house assembly
3. Parliament secretariat
4. Committee office
5. Party office
6. Library
7. Canteen
8. Parking area
9. Other service areas

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

SN. Category of user Seats/ Unit Total 12
(LOWER HOUSE) rooms area area
(sq.m) SN. Category of user Seats/ Unit Total
(UPPER HOUSE) rooms area area
1. Member of parliament 600 2.4 1440
(sq.m)
2. Diplomats/ officials 200 2 400
1. Member of parliament 250 2.4 600
3. Guests 200 2 400
2. Diplomats 75 1.8 135
4. journalist 150 1.8 270
3. Guests 75 1.5 112.5
5. public 150 1.8 270
4. Journalists 75 1.5 112.5
TOTAL 1350 2870
5. Public 75 1.5 112.5
6. Lounge for head of state 1 35 35
Total 550 1072.5
7 Lounge for deputy head of state 1 35 35
6. Lounge for head of state 1 35 35
8 Lounge for speaker 1 35 35
7 Lounge for deputy head of state 1 35 35
9. Lounge for vice speaker 1 35 35
8 Lounge for PM 1 35 35
10. Lounge for PM 1 35 35
9. Lounge for ministers 1 70 70
11 Lounge for deputy PM 1 35 35
10. Lounge for diplomats 1 80 80
12 Lounge for ministers 1 75 75
11 Lounge for parliament members 200 2.5 500
13 Lounge for diplomat 1 75 75
12 lounge for chairman 1 35 35
14 Lounge for MPs 600 2.5 1500
13 lounge for vice chairman 1 35 35
15. Lounge for public 1 75 75
14 Marshall office (office + lounge) 30 2 60
16 Marshall area (office +lounge) 50 2 100
15. Broadcasting room 1 10 10
17. Press conference 150 1.5 225
16 Interpreter room 10 2 20
19. Multiuse conference 120 1.5 180
17. Tv room 1 20 20
20. Information section 1 200 200
19. Maintainence room 1 20 20
21. Public relation section 1 200 200
20. Staff office 1 45 45
22. Interpreter room 10 2 20
21. Sound control room 1 20 20
23 Sound control room 1 20 20
22. Lights room 1 20 20
24. TV & broadcasting room 1 50 50
23 Ac room 1 20 20
25 Infirmary 1 100 100
24 Information section 1 100 100
26. Assembly supporting staff office 1 200 200
25 Press conference 100 1.5 150
27 ac room 1 20 20
2347.5
28 lights room 1 20 20
29 Pantry 1 20 20
6160

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

SN. Category of user rooms Unit Total 13
(PARLIAMENT SECRETARIAT) area area
(sq.m)
1. LH Speaker’s office 1 40 40 SN. Category of user rooms Unit Total
PA room + waiting 1 30 30 (PARLIAMENT SECRETARIAT) area area
Meeting hall 1 40 40 (sq.m)
Toilet 1 4 4
13. Medical section 225
2. LH vice speaker’s office 1 40 40
PA room + waiting 1 30 30 14. Technical section 225
Meeting hall 1 40 40
toilet 1 4 4 15. Maintainence section 225
3. UH chairperson’s office 1 104 104
16. Internal administration section 225
4. UH vice chairperson’s office 1 104 104
17 Bank & travel agency section 225
5. General secretary office 1 104 104
18. Parliament facility section 225
6. Secretary sections office 1 104 104
19. Main Meeting hall 75 90
7. Legal section Meeting area + store 15
Section officer 1 40 40 20 Reception 10 30
PA+ Waiting 1 35 35 waiting 20
Workspace 1 110 110 Total 3444
Meeting room 1 40 40
8. Account section 225

9. Computer section 225

10. Marshal section 225

11. Parliamentary facility section 225

12. Documentation section 225

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

SN. Category of user rooms Unit Total SN. Category of user rooms Unit Total 14
(party offices) area area SERVICE SPACES area area
(sq.m) (sq.m)
1. Party chairperson 1 30 30 1. Libray with lockers, periodcials 2000 2000
2 Personal assistant 1 15 15 section, reference section,
computer section
3. Chief whip 1 30 30 Documentation etc
4 Lounge for MPs 30 1.5 45 2. Cafeteria
5. Staff room 10 4.5 45 Seat for VIPs 300 1.5 450
Seats for staffs 100 1.5 150
6. Meeting hall 1 1.5 45
Kitchen +store 1 200 200
210 3. Other services 1500 1500
Boiler
Provision for 10 party offices: 10 210 2100
Panel boord
Air condition
Filtration pump
SN. Category of user rooms Unit Total Office
(Committee offices) area area 4300
(sq.m)
1. Finance committee
Chairman’s office 1 30 30 Total area = 6160+2347.5+3444+2100+3810+4300=22161sq.m
Chairman’s PA 1 15 15
Secretary 1 30 30 total floor area = 22161sq.m
PA’s secretary 1 15 15
Committee member 14 4 56 Circulation consideration= 1/3 x floor area = 7387sq.m
Staff room 4 4.5 18 Structural consideration= 10% of floor area= 2216.1sq.m
Meeting hall(15-30) 1 90 90
254 Total built up area= 22161+7387+2216.1=31764.1 sq.m

2. Provision for 15 committee 15 254 3810 FAR= 2.5

Total land required =794102.5 sq.m = 156 ropani.

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 15

CHAPTER 2: THEORTICAL EXPLORATION

As the thesis topic has been entitled as “Legislature Parliament:
Architecture of Democracy”. Hence the theoretical exploration has been
focused on exploration of ideas, concepts and theories that will attempt
to look for creation of democratic space. Architecture of Democracy can
also be understood as expression of democratic ideals in terms of
material matters through architecture. It can be a vague term but this
thesis will only focus on core idea and its expression in architecture. Since
Core concept of democracy being people centric thus the democratic
space is more about creating public spaces and other public buildings
that relates to people and creates public realm. Architecture of
legislature is its subset where relation between elected and electorate
becomes vital in architectural expression

This chapter deals with theoretical studies, analysis and synthesis of

related concepts that could be useful in drawing inferences to create
democratic spaces. Theoretical exploration has been focus on two main
areas i.e :

 Architecture and politics

 Public space concept

Architecture and politics brief explains about relationship between

architecture and politics and ideologies as well as different meanings
that architecture conveys in terms of political matters. While latter one,
deals purely with creating a urban public space that relates to people.

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 16

2.1 ARCHITECTURE & POLITICS

Politics Itself is a pure beauty that had played the momentous role to
bring the civilization to this instant. It is about power, of governance and
authority for the goodness of the mankind. But often the practice of
politics turns the player’s intentions into obsession. The insatiability of this Parliament Hill, Canberra
obsessive desire of power often breaks the rules of the game. Its breaks
the very basic rule of sanity and ethical imperative, thus erase the
memory of ground values of goodness. One breaking of the rule Parliament Hill, Canberra Legislative Assembly, Chandigarh
multiplies the breaking itself; chaotically. It is of no surprise that politicians
believe in an ideology and attempts to express it through material
matters and Architecture is not immune either. But it is indeed a
mesmerizing wonder how politicians often seize every inch of time and
space with the idiosyncrasy of accentuation and the dogmatic glorification
of a personality or an ideology beyond the limit of its own ground. This
greed explodes its boundary of its own state buildings and spill into the
public spaces. Starts from the forefront of the state palace with an Reichstag, Berlin
ostentatious effigy, advance through the road, the boulevards, to the National Assembly, Dhaka
open space into the so called public building and even inside the private Manifestation in Space
realm of a Home. It is important to note that though politics and
The relationships between political ideologies and urban or architectural
architecture are each justifiable according to its intrinsic set of criteria, the
design are significant, yet often unappreciated. There are two main ways
opposition between warring architectural views nowadays, is one which is
which ideology influences architecture. One is by law structures and
fought less on artistic grounds and more on political grounds. This
administrative directives. The second is direct, influences which range from
exploration is about how and why architecture is manifested to sing
political to architectural ideologies. This study examines the latter way.
political ideologies and power.
There are many points of view from which to examine the problems of
ideological aspects of architecture and space; for example, from
economical, Marxists, neo-Marxists, and gender perspectives. This study
tries to find a “nonaligned” perspective in purely architectural
vocabulary, a vantage for examination without ideological influences
.There are three main areas where one can find ideological manifestation
in space: Scale , formal shape and expression & face of the state.

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 17

SCALE IN CONTEXT

Scale is the most basic way of expressing the most fundamental meanings
like power or weakness. Through scale, buildings show the hierarchy of
importance in context.

 Size (In Volume and Space): Larger the size means Larger the Power
 Height: Taller the Object means higher the Authority
 Weight: More Weight (Heavy) means more Stability and Domination
 Compatibility with surrounding: More Contrast means more the
Detachment & Peculiarity
People’s Palace of Romania
FORMAL SHAPE AND EXPRESSION

Formal shape and formal language in buildings transform these

fundamental meanings of scale to a higher level of expression, like a
monumental neo-classical, totalitarian building trying to pass itself off as
a continuation of an ancient value.

Symbolic Representation: More Ornamentation means more it gets

idealized

Transparency and Visibility: More Opaque means more Mysterious

Government Building In India Complexity: More Abstract means less Clear

Spatial organization: Spatial organization is used to censor the existing

social structures; while using it if

Accessibility and Invitation: Definite access means more Segregation

Complexity: More complex means more Security

Flow: Formal flow means more Control

National Congress of Brasilia

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 18

THE FACE OF THE STATE

There are significant intersections between architecture, space and power

to mask the face of the state in history. This happens when a political or
an artistic ideology present themselves as the inevitable, thus abuses
architecture by associating one of her traditions with their political
ideologies or aims, with the intention of masking their purposes. The
influence of political power and ideologies on architecture is obvious yet
the interpretation of it is not always clear. One case shall be common for
all. The deceptive syllogism of -

“The more attractive the mask, the more appropriate the ideology.”

The best known abuse in architecture is by Nazis. Nazi architecture

existed in three very different expressions: neo-classical (the best known),
semi-modernism (sometimes called as style of dictatorships), and
heimatarchitektur. Each of them was an important and “official” utopia
and real industrial state. Nazi architecture manifested itself quite
properly by developing different styles for different goals. The huge
neo-classical spaces were designed for political manifestations, but one-
family houses, built in the heimatarchitektur style, were for average
people living average lifestyles. The heimatarchitektur style was very
indigenous and vernacular, using local forms and traditional materials. It
was strictly based on official catalogs and was formally and
architecturally reduced as well. Interestingly, the majority of Nazi projects
were designed for either crowds or for the family, and it seems that in
Nazi social philosophy there were no other structures.

Model of Proposed city of Germania as Hitler’s world capital

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 19

Washington, New Delhi, Berlin, and the Soviet Union, concomitantly use 2.2 URBAN PUBLIC SPACE
similar forms of classical architecture to represent their different political “Public spaces are a mirror of social values, customs and culture and are
ends. The replicas even stand in Nepal. A century reign of feudal Rana a reflection of the interaction between physical, social, political and
Regime brought the same style from far west without any connotation to economic realities. They symbolize the larger society or culture in which
ground realism. It is indeed a real example of extreme exploitation. The they exist. Public spaces acquire meaning for people through the
masculine Doric columns and rhetorical olive petal on the surfaces is an different functions activities and roles in people’s life. In these spaces
absolute satire to the context. The buildings stood as a mysterious solitary people are able to exchange information, communicate local news and
who claims the authority of power and dominance in space through its also provide a context for political behavior. Public spaces encourage
appearance, its huge size, texture and strange symbols that can be never social exchange, the formation and continuation of social groups and
understudied by the general Nepalese at the time. This vast anonymity enable the transmission and exchange of important public messages.
disconnected the people and the state in isolation. In this notion, the When public spaces and public life are missing in a community, residents
architecture can only be considered successful to the abuser’s intention if become isolated from each other and are less likely to offer mutual help
they did mean it to the feudal ideology of segregation as a means to get and support” (Carr and Francis 1992).
hold of power.
Public spaces have been developed by different societies since ancient
times. From roman forums and Greek agoras to the Chautaris and durbar
squares of Nepal, they all have been important public spaces for
centuries. Every community needs a symbol of its existence, a center on
which to focus life. Public spaces can be such a symbol and “pulse” of the
city. They form nodes or focal points, symbolizing shared identity and
culture. A city is made up of many urban spaces. Public spaces are among
the most important of these. These are tangible spaces with some
intangible qualities where friends and strangers alike can come together,
communicate, recreate, transact business, work, stroll, relax, sit, or just
enjoy the sights and sounds of each other. Over the ages, the nature of
public spaces and people’s preference for one kind over another has
changed.

Urban public spaces are living organisms, which respond to the varying
socio-economic conditions and cultural patterns of cities. The meanings of
public spaces have varied with time, culture and context. Aristotle

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 20

believed that an ideal square was one where nothing was bought or A space usually becomes meaningful when it truly meets people’s needs.
sold, instead ideas were exchanged and debates took place. On the other hand a monumental public space not catering to people’s
basic needs and contriving a meaning does not facilitate any connections.
Public spaces, their origin and how they have evolved over time are Ensuring basic needs and rights of users in a public space “creates the
influenced by physical, cultural and political factors. The physical factors fundamental level of civility that prepares the way for the expression of
are climate and topography. Cultural factors are – social public life: cultural meanings”. Meanings change as spaces and functions change. For
catering to the urge to meet, interact and socialize; functional public life: a space to have a deeper and long lasting meaning it needs to be “richly
catering to people’s everyday needs like buying groceries etc.; symbolic embedded in its context”. The site’s natural setting is its primary context.
public life: catering to the need of people to feel a sense of belonging The history of the site and the region forms a secondary context, which
and being a part of a larger group. Besides the above three, technology can lend a site deep meaning. According to the authors of Public Space
and economics are two other factors influencing public spaces. Technology the “most difficult, least developed, and potentially most rewarding
determines what can be accomplished by a society in terms of the would be the development of qualities and associative meanings that are
construction of a physical setting. In addition electronic devices like the special to our own time and place and the experience of our emerging
personal computer and the television are changing the way the middle- culture”. Also the democratic management of a space goes a long way in
classes live and work and the balance between private and public life. making people feel a sense of belonging, ownership and pride in a
Modern technology like computers, telephones and fax machines is space, and thus forging a connection with it. Meaningful elements and
allowing people to work at home in isolation. Likewise television provides events in public spaces should be introduced to retain users’ interest “and
entertainment for the family in the comfort and security of their home. commitment to the place, qualities that are the foundation of meaning
According to Carr, “it is impossible to understand public life and space
without recognizing their political nature. Hence public life is one of the
most democratic rights. “A public life has the potential of bringing diverse
groups together so that they learn from each other, perhaps the richest
quality of a multi-class, multicultural, heterogeneous society”

According to Carr, Francis, Rivlin, Stone, “three critical human dimensions

should guide the process of design and management of public space: the
users’ essential needs, their spatial rights, and the meanings they seek”.

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 21

PUBLIC SPACE IN NEPALESE CONTEXT

Newar towns have had public spaces for centuries as a durbar squares or
temple squares in larger scale while in smaller scale we have Bahals ,
chowks , public resthouses , sattals , dhungedhara and chautaris were
people could gather and interact . community life was highly priortized in
planning of old towns where the community public spaces serves as place
for interaction during evenings , drying of agricultural crops and place of
gathering during festivals . Likewise the durbar squares or town squares
were present in crossing of two main streets creating a public realm. The
series of different forms of temple with high plinth with Dabalis creating
the space that could be used for various performances and series of steps
that could be used by viewers. Since the ceremonial festival procession
routes passes through these squares, the squares became center for
cultural activities and recreation as well. Moreover, the squares were
used for agricultural activities and economic activities as well. The squares
were such places which were accessible to everyone and all people can
gather, interact and entertain themselves.

Interestingly, unlike palace complex of other parts of world in medieval

times which were grander in scale expressing the absolute power , the
Nepalese palace square adjoining public space also depicts the
democratic nature of civic life .The palace complex doesn’t is not grander
in scale than surrounding counterparts and only the richness of decorative
details distinguishes the status. Hence, architecture has been more focus to
relate with public level .

At present context, though public spaces like parks , malls have come up
in the town but still no other place has been able to supersede the durbar
squares. The durbar square is still the main public space for city dwellers.
One can still find souvenirs being sold to tourists, old and young people in
groups having chitchats and many other activities.

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 22

CHAPTER 3: LITERATURE REVIEW

This chapter deals with review of space standards and other technical
information which are essential guidelines to designing the proposed
spaces functionally. Relevant materials have been included and briefly
described under suitable subtitles. Although lot more of information were
collected, it is no practically possible to include everything in this report.
Hence the materials have been included on the basis of priority

Spaces and functions needed to be studied in details which are as

follows:

1. Assembly spaces
2. Functional spaces
3. Service spaces
4. Public spaces

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 23

3.1. ASSEMBLY SPACES

Assembly hall includes debating chamber and other supporting spaces. OPPOSITE ARRANGEMENTS
These spaces are very important as it is in these places where people’s Generally countries with parliamentary
representative debate, decide discuss and deliver legislations. While systems like united kingdom have this kind of
designing assembly hall, following considerations should be taken : seating arrangement . This type of
arrangement encourages face to face
3.1.1 SHAPE OF HALL debate . However this type of arrangement
also likely to bring unnecessary opposing
Different types of shapes are used to perform conventions, meeting nature among the parliamentarians.
or conferences. Generally, square , rectangular , fan shaped ,
hexagonal shaped , oval shaped , circular shaped plans are used.
For large assembly purpose, circular or oval plan is recommended USHAPED ARRANGEMENTS
mainly for assembly purpose . since the stage requirement is very This type of arrangement encourages face to
less and need of visibility of stage from every corner. In different face debate but less opposing in nature than
countries, shape of assembly hall is taken akin to type of that of opposite seating arrangement. It is
parliamentary politics practiced in that particular nation. For reformed type of opposite seating type which
is more interactive in nature. Commonwealth
example in west minster model of governance where there is strong countries like Australia have this kind of
opposition in debate between two major parties , the rectangular seating arrangements.
shapes and opposite seating layouts are preferred. Similarly in
consensus based inclusive democracy the circular or oval shape of
halls are preferred for more collaborative effort. From visibility and
CONCENTRIC ARRANGEMENT
greater accommodation point of view, circular shapes is most
appropriate .with circular shapes , there will be two alternates to the Seating arrangement is concentric and thus is
inner seating layouts namely semi oval or semi-circular, the more interactive with greater visibility.
appropriate shape can be chosen . Moreover this type of arrangement is found to
be more cordial and less opposing . Such types
Space requirements: of seating arrangements are found in
From various studies and their inferences , the area standards have Scandinavian countries where parliamentary
been ascertained and it has been found that : politics is mostly consensus based.
Area of 1.5 - 1.6 sq.m per user is adopted in the assembly hall.
Area of 0.05-1.2 sq.m per user is generally adopted in the general
seating gallery depending upon the type of user and requirement of
space .

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 24

3.1.2 DESIGN CRITERIA

 Stage height ranges from 800 to 1500 mm

 Eye level when seated is usually taken as 750 - 1120 mm above the
floor measured through the central line at each row.
 Vertical distance between the average viewer's eyes and top of
head is minimum 75mm.
 Maximum vertical angle of elevated view from nearest seats to
avoid physical discomfort is 30 degrees.
 The vertical angle down from steepest balcony to avoid vertigo
should not exceed 35 degrees.
 Maximum number of seats normally ranges from 16-25 depending
upon the location, number and size of side aisles.
 There should be one exit door 800 mm-1000 mm (min) per every
150 seats as emergency prerequisite.
 The slope of the aisles should be around 1: 8.
 The regular rows of seats in line the recommended vertical clearance
should be provided from one row to the next. Sightlines must be
continued over cross aisles and balconies.
 Deep overhanging balconies should be avoided., if balconies have
to be used then either a flying balcony, a recessed one or one
complying with standard proportions avoiding sound shadows should
be used.
 Seating arrangement, row spacing seating capacity should adhere
to standard norms.
 The dimensions of steps, landing and the limits to the steepness of
inclines are also specified in detail in the standards.
 The risers of steps in the aisles must be uniform unless they are
separated by a wide tread.
 No steps are allowed to cross the aisles; they must be illuminated at
all times with 5 Lux.
 To make the steps more distinctive, nosing should be in a contrasting
color and provided with step light.
 The ceiling requirements must satisfy acoustic requirements, lighting
requirements, air-conditioning requirements, stage requirements, fire
control requirements and aesthetical requirements.

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 25

3.1.2. FLOOR LEVELS gives less satisfactory condition towards the rear and, by increasing
the angle, tends to produce excessive height and volume.
When the audience is seated on one level, the sound is strongly absorbed  The seating density, floor slope, steps and cross-aisles are
at a low grazing angle above and around the heads of the audience, in governed by legal requirements ensuring satisfactory means of
addition to the view becoming obstructed. To some extent this can be escape in event of fire. Most authorities limit the slope of aisles to
improved by raising the person speaking on a platform or stage. 1:10 but up to 1: 8 may be allowed in some areas. For disabled
Alternatively, the floor may be inclined and formed into a series of steps users, the slope should not exceed 1:12. Steeper slopes must normally
to elevate successive rows of seats. To assess the situation, sightlines can have regular steps extending full aisle width and equal risers to meet
be drawn from representative seating positions in each row both across code requirements.
the longitudinal section of the hall and from other side angles which might
experience obscuration. The main criteria employed in this graphical 3.1.3. VIEWING CRITERIA
analysis are: In addition to the requirements for good acoustics, the auditorium design
 Height of focal point on platform: Stage heights range from about must ensure that each seated person has a good view of any projection
800 to 1100mm (2ft 6in to 3ft 6in). The focus is usually taken as screens and other visual aids which may be used. The criteria for this
50mm (2in) above the furthest point of the acting area of the stage, purpose may be summarized this:
if this is to serve for multiple purposes. Allowance must be made for
any thrust stage. Temporary platforms may be 300mm (1ft 0in) high.
 Eye level when seated: This is usually taken as 1120mm (3ft 8in)
above the floor measured through the central line each row. The
actual eye point will depend on seat dimensions and anthropometric
variations amongst audience groups.
 Vertical distance between the average le viewer's eyes and top of
head. A minimum of 75mm (3in) in halls and preferably not less then
125mm (5in) in propose-designed auditoria is adopted for design
purposes.
 Maximum vertical angle of elevated view from nearest seats
to avoid physical discomfort is 30˚. The vertical angle down from
steepest balcony to avoid vertigo should not exceed 35˚ and
preferably be no greater than 30˚.
 Seating layout: For regular rows of seats in line the recommended
vertical clearance should be provided from one row to the next.
Where seats in successive rows are staggered out of line, this
clearance may be reduced to alternative rows However, in the latter
case, the width of view between heads should also he checked.
Sightlines must be continued over cross-aisles and balconies.
 The theoretical floor rake produced by sightlines is a parabola. This
gives every member of the audience similar conditions whilst
minimizing the total rise front to back. A straight rake of equal steps

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 26

Viewing angle for screen projection: This is defined as the angle

described at the center of the screen by the viewer's sight line and the
projection axis (B.S Code of Practice 412). For good- quality viewing, it is 3.1.4. ACOUSTIC CRITERIA
better to take the extreme edge of the image rather than the center in
Basic Concepts
order to minimize distortion towards the far edge. The maximum viewing
angle is usually taken at 45˚, giving an image distortion ratio between Every building acoustics consideration can be thought of as a system of
line and perceived image of 1.0:0.7. sources, paths, and receivers of sound. For the most part the effective
control of the acoustical environment in buildings involves at least a
Viewing distance: Assuming that the quality of projected material
conceptual understanding of the basic properties of sound, how it is
satisfies standards of image brightness (depending on projection
propagated throughout typical building spaces, and how it is influenced
equipment and screen characteristics) and legibility (mainly determined
by various building material and construction systems. Such understanding
by symbol and character size and proportions), the limits to viewing
is essential for those concerned with the complete building design
distance are generally related to the width of the projected image:
construction process that will influence the fundamental decisions
Maximum viewing distance 6 times image width concerning the building to be constructed. And as with the numerous other
disciplines involved in the overall building environment, thermal comfort,
Absolute minimum distance 1.4 times image width lighting, energy conservation, and so forth, the solutions to the acoustics
problems require no small amount of experienced judgment and just plain
(Preferably no nearer than 2 times image width) common sense. After all, people do not respond to just one aspect of their
environment. Acoustics, therefore, is rarely the most important aspect, but
The Optimum distance for seating is between three and five times the
is a significant part if that environment and its effective control will help
image width.
produce good buildings.
Vertical angle
Noise control is fundamentally important to the success of any building for
The vertical angle, measured from the horizontal at eye level to the top listening. It can make the difference between excellent sound and the
of the screen should not exceed 35˚ from the nearest seats. usual mediocrity.

During a lecture or sermon, any audible sound not made by the speaker
is noise; during a performance, any audible sound not created by a
performer is noise. There are, of course, many aspects to excellent
acoustical design. However, in any space intended for listening, strict
control of noise is fundamental.

Sources of noise include traffic, airplanes, machinery, plumbing, lights,

and people in other spaces. In a space for listening, the worst offender is

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 27

usually the heating, ventilating, and conditioning system (HVAC).The

(undamaged) human ear is so sensitive that we can detect sounds that
displace the eardrum by roughly the diameter of a hydrogen molecule.
This means that background noise determines the softest sound that a
Power and Clarity
performer or speaker can effectively utilize. Even in spaces that most
people would consider quiet, the background noise level can be twenty to The Power of speech in such halls depends upon the following
thirty decibels above the threshold of heating.
1. Distance from speaker

2. Directional relationship to speaker

3. Audience absorption of direct sound

4. Reinforcement by reflectors

5. Reinforcement by loudspeakers
Thus, one of the most important considerations while designing an
Assembly Hall is good acoustics. You can have the most effective space 6. Sound shadows
design, but if it fail to provide good acoustics it will not be good.
Reverberation time for speech orientated hall ranges from 1.6-2.1 On the other hand, the issue of clarity depends upon the following
seconds. Reverberation is directly proportional to volume of the room thus 1. Delayed reflections
for the same number of people, a hall for speech to achieve hearing 2. Echoes
comfort will have less than a hall with the same number of people but for 3. Near echoes
music. The reverberation time for music is greater than for speech.There 4. Reverberation
are different acoustic requirements for different types of Halls, since this 5. Intrusive noise
project deals with a hall used mainly for speech. The considerations have 6. Ambient noise
7. Duplication of sound by loudspeakers
been given below. The two main requirements are.

Loudness and Distribution

Sounds should be loud and uniformly distributed so that people in the

front as well in the back of the seating can receive the same amount of
sound. Adequate loudness and good distribution of sound depend on the
size, shape and surface finishes of the room and in some cases on

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 28

carefully designed sound-reinforcing equipment. In any listening situation

the better the sight line for vision, the better will be the hearing.

 In moderate-sized auditoriums, if the space is designed carefully with

well-chosen material, the enclosure itself provides the needed sound Balcony
reinforcement and good distribution.
 In the small conference or office, there may not be a problem of  For good distribution and adequate loudness a listener must be
loudness but there can be a problem of distribution because of the seated properly the auditorium so that he receives not only direct
concave walls or ceilings or the flutter of echoes between parallel- sound from the source but also reflected sound from the ceiling and
uninterrupted surfaces. walls. He must be able to see the ceiling and if he is seated deep
under a balcony and cannot receive this reflected sound from the
 In large sports arena an amplified sound is needed for hearing
speech or music. T enclosure is treated in such a way that it is as ceiling, he will hear poorly.
absorptive as possible to reduce troublesome echoes and unwanted  The problem that comes from using a deep balcony is shown in the
confusion. left fig.
 If the balcony is handled as shown in the right fig, people under the
balcony will hear well.
Seating Arrangement

In the fig, we can see the distribution of sound to an audience seated on

level ground outdoors (or in a large sound-absorbing room). The spherical
sound waves radiate outward from the speaker, and the intensity of
sound in these wave decreases inversely as the square of the distance,
However, as it grazes over the clothing and hair of the sound-absorptive
audience, additional losses occur which can amount to as much as 2 dB
per row. This means that people seated near the back of an audience not
only receive less sound energy because they are far away from the
sound source, but they are also deprived of sound energy by the people
in front of them. Thus, in outdoor, flat audience area the loudness and
distribution requirements are poorly met. If the audience is placed in a
very steep angle as in fig, there will be very little energy loss in the
freely advancing sound wave, and until the audience is quite far away
from the source, there is no great difficulty in hearing, at least when
actors speak with raised voice.

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 29

reflective and should never be treated with sound-absorbing

materials except in very special situations (e.g. large sports arena).

 Uniform distribution of reflected sound can be obtained if the ceiling

is designed properly. Fig. illustrates some possible refinements in
ceiling design, which provide more uniform distribution to an
audience.

 If the ceiling is made with concave sections, either barrel or dome-

shaped (fig.), there will inevitably be concentrations of sound in
certain areas of the seating. The only solution is to make them highly
diffusing or to make them highly absorptive.

Ceiling as a reflector

 If the sound from the original source is reflected from a hard ceiling
surface over the audience, it appears to come to the audience from
the virtual image position overhead, and thus, does not experience
the grazing incidence losses of the original sound from the source fig.
The action of the ceiling as a reflector, bringing sounds down on top
of the audience, is extremely important in all auditorium situations.
This sound mirror (the ceiling) is probably the most important surface
in the room for determining good distribution and adequate loudness.
The walls are important too, especially where long reverberation time
is wanted.

 Maximum height for sound-reflecting surfaces above the audience is

required for added loudness, clarity or definition of sound. The ceiling
of any room where hearing is important should be hard and sound

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 30

Sound Reinforcement Systems a. Central Loudspeaker System

In many situations, to obtain adequate loudness and good distribution of The central system is the most popular sound reinforcement system. In this
sound, it is necessary to augment the natural transmission of sound from system a loudspeaker (or cluster of loudspeakers) is located directly
source to listener by means of a sound system. In large sports arenas, in above the actual source of sound. Only one loudspeaker position is used
airport terminal buildings, and in other noisy locations, it is almost always in this system and it is capable of giving maximum realism. The listener
necessary to provide sound reinforcement. Even in rooms where most with his two ears is readily able to localize the direction of the source of
strong voiced speakers can be heard clearly, the weaker voices must be sound, and if the amplified signal comes from the same direction as the
amplified, and there is often the need to reproduce recorded material or original sound, he gets an impression merely of increased loudness or
movie sound. In all cases, however, the design of the sound reinforcement clarity but not of artificial "amplified" sound as shown in fig.
system must be carefully integrated with the design of the room and with
its acoustical characteristics. If a loudspeaker system is to be used only for speech purposes,
the system need not have any low-frequency loudspeakers and can be
There are two principal types of sound reinforcement systems: central and housed in a smaller space than a full-frequency-range system (used for
distributed. music). Usually, a speech system is cut off at approximately 300 HZ (i.e.
these loudspeakers do not amplify sounds below that frequency). The
grille in front of the loudspeaker must be completely transparent to sound
and must contain no large-scale elements. Microphones must be placed
near the sources of sound. If there are to be many sourced, as in a play,
there must be a sufficient number of microphones provided within the
acting area, concealed in the scenery. There is also the important problem
of feedback of sound energy from loudspeaker to microphone, and the
relative locations of microphones to loudspeakers must be carefully
considered to avoid the familiar squealing or howling of a the poorly
Fig: Distributed Loudspeaker system designed and operated system.

b. Distributed Loudspeaker System

In this system, a large number of loudspeakers are distributed uniformly

over the audience areas. With loudspeakers located overhead, this type
of system operates much like down lighting. Each listener receives sound
from only the closest loudspeakers. This type of system is used if the
ceiling height is inadequate to use a central system or where all listeners
cannot have "line of sight" on a central loudspeaker. It is also used in such
Fig: Poor loudspeaker placement can mean spaces as large convention rooms, where there must be a very flexible
ineffective sound reinforcement
Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha
 31

arrangement of the space for amplifying sources of sound in any position The most important characteristics of a good sound amplification system
in the hall. The distributed system is a flexible system, and while it does are that it sounds natural and that the sound appears to come from the
not give maximum realism in reinforcing live activities, it can be made to live source. This can be done only with a system carefully designed for the
provide high intelligibility in many difficult situations. Fig. In spaces with given space that has been properly installed and, most important of all,
very high ceilings or when other considerations will not permit mounting intelligently and sensitively operated.
the loudspeakers in the ceiling, loudspeakers in a distributed system can
be installed within the audience areas. They can be attached to the backs Acoustics in an Auditorium
of the seats in conference rooms, mounted in the desks in assembly rooms
For acoustical analysis of an auditorium the importance must be given to
or legislative chambers or installed in the backs of church pews.
the size of audiences and furnishings of the room. Seats, occupants and
In order to prevent feedback, a switching system is usually provided, so furnishing also add to the absorption of the room and thus affect the
that certain loudspeakers can be shut off when a source of sound is to be reverberation time. The absorption by the seats is computed per seat. The
placed immediately under one of the units in a space for flexible use. same method is used in calculating the absorption of audience.
Loudspeakers should never be located at two sides of the proscenium Auditoriums intended for conventions, concerts, plays, ballet, and every
opening for sound reinforcement fig. This always gives poor quality and other conceivable type of performance should not be designed to seat
unrealistic amplification, disassociating the speaker's voice from his or her more than 2,500 to 3,000 people.
visible location. The cross-fire from loudspeakers distributed along both
Following points are considered for good acoustics in an auditorium.
sides of a room, or in the four comers. Hearing conditions can almost
always be improved by shutting off such systems. This cross firing always  Reverberation time: If concert music is an important part of the
causes the listener to hear from many loudspeakers at the same time, with program of use, the maximum desirable reverberation time of the
multiple time delays reducing speech intelligibility. hall would be something like 2s at mid frequencies. The required
volume of the hall will then be uniquely determined by the
In some places like church loudspeakers are located in the bottoms of absorption provided by the audience and performers.
chandeliers or column loudspeakers can be located slightly above head
height, either on structural columns or along the side walls. This type of
system is especially effective in highly reverberant spaces where a
central cluster would only add loudness and confusion. When it is not
possible for all listeners to have direct lone-of sight on the central
loudspeaker cluster, nearby overhead loudspeakers can fill in. Even when
listeners in a large auditorium can see the central cluster, it is sometimes
better to cover a balcony area from auxiliary overhead units rather than
try to do the whole job from the central loudspeaker. This reduces the size
of the central unit and gives better control of distribution.

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 32

 For musical and speech events, a less reverberant environment is  Walls: Sidewall should be able to direct sound to the rare wall.
required as little as 1.4 s. This range of reverberation time can Care should be taken that side walls not be parallel but should
be achieved with large areas of retractable draperies. The be diverging or splayed as they results in proper diffusion of
reverberant time can only be decreased by adjustable devices sound and also avoids flitter echoes. Concave surface should be
but cannot be increased beyond the upper limit set by the volume avoided as they are the sources of echoes. This surface should be
and the sound absorbing audience. treated with highly absorptive material and broken to distribute
the sound uniformly.
 Seating: seating should be arranged in a manner that the  Stage: the stage floor should be raised to an extent, that it
audience is as near the stage as possible. For this diverging provides good sight lines from all the seats. The stage should
sidewalls are preferred. Elevated seating is effective in have approximately the same reverberation time as the
absorbing sound and the angle of elevation should not be less auditorium.
than 8˚. Carpeted aisles, carpeted floor and heavy upholstered
chair help in preventing objectionable reflection and suppress
noise by tapping of feet.
 Balcony: depth of balcony recess should not be more than two
times the height of opening. Reverberation time of balcony
recesses should be same as that of the main auditorium. Balcony
soffit should be made reflective. By tilting the concave surface of
the balcony front down-wards, the reflections can be utilized to
increase the sound level.
 Orchestra: An orchestra or a chorus cannot be performed in the
usual stage houses full of sound-absorbing scenery and
draperies. So the enclosure for the stage must be made of heavy,
sound-reflecting material (plywood, steel etc.) It cannot be light
painted canvas and it must be so arranged that it can be put in
place and taken down with a minimum of effort.
 Ceilings: ceiling in an auditorium should be reflective, thus highly
reflective materials should be used for ceiling purposes.
Depending upon the floor plan ratio, the ceiling height provided
should be one-third of the width of the room. The junction
between the ceiling and rear wall should be avoided: instead a
splay should be made in between the ceiling and the wall.
 Layout of floor plan: floor plans with the ratio of length to width
2:1 are preferred than with ratio of 1: 1. Circular and elliptical
floor plans give rise to non-uniform distribution of sound and
echoes. Acoustical condition in these plans can be improved by
the addition of convex diffusing surfaces, which greatly reduce
the focusing, and creeping effects.

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 33

INTERPRETATION BOOTHS a. The booth area and minimum dimensions All booths should be
placed in a separate area so they do not open directly onto a public
There are all kinds of simultaneous interpretation booths. For proper area. This segregation allows for smooth functioning. Minimum booth
functioning, they must be properly designed. For most International multi- dimensions (interior) are:
lingual conferences, the design norms must satisfy the ISO Standard 2063
on built-in simultaneous interpretation booths, to make them places where Width: 2.5 m , Depth: 2.4 m & Height: 2.3 m
the interpreters can do their best Job. There are two international
standards that contain the requirements for built-in simultaneous booths b. Communication with sound technician from each booth To deal with
and equipment. They are any spontaneous problems, a qualified technician must be present at all
times hence a sound control booth and console for the technician must be
 ISO 60914:1998- Conference Systems- Electrical and Audio provided.
Requirements (International Electro-technical Commission)
 ISO 2603:1998- Booths for Simultaneous Interpretation- General c. Visibility from the booth There should be unobstructed view of the
Characteristics and Equipment deals with the following guidelines assembly proceedings from the booth. Windows should be made of non-
in designing simultaneous interpretation booths. They are reflective glass (40 mm thick multiplex glass or permanently sealed
double glazing mounted on Aluminum panes) so that the view is clear.
The Conference Hall and the Location of Booths in the Hall
d. The workspace and fighting in the booth The table should run the
The booths need to be included in the design of any conference hall at entire length of the booth, should be sound absorbent not reflect light and
the initial planning stage. A basic check list dealing with usage, frequency should have shelves. Table lamps are essential while overhead fluorescent
of use, type of hall function, numbers of languages must be clearly known. tubes are not suitable.
The preferred location of booths in tile hall is, e. Sound proofing and acoustics in the booth Sound proofing in all
windows, doors, walls, ceiling to prevent interference between, booths,
I. At the rear of the room, facing the rostrum/screen: The distance from
interpreter and sound control and booths and control loom
the booths to the rostrum or screen should not be over 30 m (20-25 is
preferable) or it may be difficult to read. f. Climate control in the booth Provision for intake of' fresh air and some
form of air decompression before it enters the booth.
II. Along the side of the room: The minimum angle sideways at which a
screen can be read is 30-35 degrees. g. The interpreter's control panel It should comprise of channels,
microphones and other items (related to sound control/quality
mechanisms).

h. The sound system Mainly comprises of earphones.

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 34

3.2. FUNCTIONAL SPACES 1. Lighting

Functional spaces include Secretariat, committee offices, party 2. Air quality
offices and library spaces. Office spaces is one of the most 3. Office space planning
important aspects of parliament complex. As secretariat is integral
part of complex , offices and related aspect is very necessary to be
studied.

Proper Planning, design and management of work place is a key to

the success of any organization. Today, productivity is the key word
and it is widely accepted that the employees’ working environment
directly effects his level of comfort and thereby his performance
output. Irrespective of the strength of its relationship to performance,
worker satisfaction with the workplace is important to the well-being
of office workers and to the health of the organization. Satisfaction
with office space can have a positive influence on perceptions of the
job, the organization, and other life satisfactions. User’s satisfaction
depends on human factors such as :
 Natural light
 Privacy
 comfort

With the change in work and working processes there has been
gradual but dramatic shift in a way office space are designed.
Owing to extensive use of computer technology, there is need of
delivering maximum connectivity. In any office employees need to
work collaborately, so office design must promote interaction
between coworkers. The introduction of new technologies and an
increased concern for energy efficiency, growth, and change have
added and will add new dimensions to the set of intersecting
subsystems that constitute the work environment. In responding to
these new forces, office designers and management personnel have
increasingly focused on three issues of office design.

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 35

3.2.1. LIGHTING

Lighting is a factor with which most office workers express

satisfaction. However, lighting is also an area with some of the
greatest potential for cost savings in energy usage. Maximum
utilization of natural light and efficient artificial lighting not only
saves extra energy used for lighting, but also reduces cooling load in
a building. Workers prefer lighting schemes with multiple-source,
directional light as compared to uniform lighting. Higher levels of
satisfaction appear with the ambient and indirect up-lighting schemes
than with direct overhead illumination. Productivity and accuracy
increase with higher illumination levels. Low energy fluorescent lamps
are preferred compare to high-pressure sodium lighting. Natural light
is important to workers, independent of its contribution to task
visibility. The variation of natural light, its soft texture, the color, the
temperature, and its ambience are important factors to be
considered. Natural light is important to workers to be in contact with
the time of day, weather conditions, other aspects of the outside
world and distant views provide eye muscle relaxation and visual
relief. Because of the high positive value associated with natural light,
workers’ evaluations of the overall quality of their lighting are more
positive.

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 36

3.2.2. Indoor Air Quality: - Issues of visual and aural privacy and status of staffs are as the
When we talk about pollution, we are particularly concerned shortcomings of open-planning. Creative use of foliage plants can
about the outdoor environmental pollutions. When we are inside solve the problem of visual and aural privacy to some extent.
a building, we feel very safe. But, this may not always be true.
An indoor environment can be more hazardous than outdoor Efficiency of Office Buildings:
environment in the absence of proper light and ventilation. If
the supply of exterior air in inadequate, the percentage of Efficiency of office buildings is the ratio of the total rentable space to the
oxygen in the interior air declines. The perceived freshness of air total space in the building. Average efficiency of the office building is
is of concern to many office workers. Poor air quality can result 70%, and with well-organized planning the efficiency can go as high as
in health effects ranging from fatigue, head-aches, and irritation 85%. The remaining area is non rentable space which includes elevators,
of the eyes, ears and throat, to nausea, colds, bronchitis, and stairs, toilets, lobbies, corridors, ducts, janitor and closets. These facilities
long term respiratory diseases. Indoor air is generally polluted are usually planned in a compact unit called service core.
by the presence of volatile organic compounds and other
pollutant gases which results in Sick Building Syndrome.
Adequate natural light and ventilation and properly designed
indoor gardens can be the solution to solve these problems.

3.2.3. Office space planning:

A major area of controversy in office planning and design
concerns the effectiveness of open-office systems. The use of the
open plan the concept of the office landscape evolved in
response to technological advances in office building design and
the need for greater flexibility and compatibility of office
systems. Today open planning is used for a number of reasons.
- Better flexibility in planning work stations.
- Better natural lighting and ventilation.
- Requires 20% fewer light fixtures
- Energy consumption is reduced by 40%.
- Construction cost is 50% less than conventional planning as it
eliminates partition cost.
- Better communication and flow of work.
- Higher efficiency: usable space as high as 80-90%

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 37

Office Planning Module:

Office layout is often based on a module derived with reference to

common furniture, equipment s and necessary clearances. For large
general offices, the planning unit or module is based upon one desk and
chair and is thus about 5 by 6 feet. Since this dimension is also
satisfactory for aisles between rows of desks the module can be used to
form a regular grid for the planning of large office areas. In the layout
of private offices the controlling factors are the minimum practical office
layout with the wall and window design. A planning module of 4 to 5 ft
works reasonably well for this purpose. With this module the smallest
office would be 8 to 10 ft wide, and a convenient range of office size is
provided in increment of one module.

5' 5 windows 20-25'

6' 4 windows 16-20'

3 windows 12-15'

Two
windows

8-10'

Fig: Planning module forPrivateFig:

office widths
Private office using
widthsausing
module
a of 4
Planning module for layout of
general
layoutoffice spaces
of general office to 5 ft with continuous windows
module of 4ft. to 5ft. with
spaces continuous windows

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 38

General Space Requirements: - Minimum width of elevator lobbies: 6 to 9 ft.

- Space per person: 8m2 to 13m2 (optimum 10m2) - Maximum distance from the employee desk to nearest exit: 150ft.
- Typical President's office or Chairman of the Board: 23.22 to - Maximum distance from desk to rest rooms and drinking fountains: 150ft.
37.16m2 (4 to 5 windows in length) - Corridors
- Typical Vice-President's Office: 13.93 to 23.22m2 (3 to 4 20%-25% of the total usable areas for executive offices, reception
windows in length) rooms, open clerical areas, conference rooms, libraries, file, mail and
- Typical Executive's Office: 9.29 to 13.93m2 (2 windows in length)
storage rooms, computer rooms.
- Partitioned Open Space: Clerical Supervisor or Manager 7.43 to
10.2 m2 Suggested corridor widths (minimum) are 1500 mm for principal office
- Open Space : Clerical or Secretary 5 to 10.2m2
corridor, 1800 mm for public corridor, 1100 mm to 1350 min for
- Conference Rooms:
1.39 m2per person: theater style secondary interior corridor.

2.32 to 2.78m2 per person: conference seating - Water Coolers/Drinking Fountains: 1 unit per 75 employees.
- Lighting requirements:
- Mail Room : o Corridors: 200 lux.
2400 to 2700 mm. wide with 762 mm counters on either side. o Conference and reception: 300 to 400 lux.
Length depends upon amount of usage o General office: 400 to 600 lux.

- Reception Area
11.61 to 18.58 m2Receptionist and 2 - 4 people

18.58 to 27.8 m2Receptionist and 6 - 8 people

- File Room :0.65 sq. m per file with a 900 mm to 1200 mm aisle
width
- Library: Allow 305 mm for bookshelf width
16.2 to 41.8m2 with seating for 4 - 6

- Clerical Pool Areas:7.43 to 9.29 m2per person

- Area per floor: 450m2 to 540m2 (No need of doubling the no of
lifts, escape routes and lavatories)
- Most commonly used column spacing: 25ft; min. 20ft.
- Floor to floor height: 12ft. (11ft. to 14ft.)
- Finished ceiling height: 8ft. to 8.5ft.
- Elevators: one per every 25000 ft.2.

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 39

2.7 DESIGN STANDARDS:

Space standards at feasibility stage: (Office spaces)

Absolute min. area per person

3.7 to 4.2 m2 (including aisles, filing
cabinets and desk space). But this is
too low for individual offices.

4.2 to 6 m2 min. floor area per

person. 11.3 m2 min. room capacity
Min. area for reasonable per person.
conditions.
Allow min. 1.8 m2 extra for visitors.

Additional spaces for visitors.

Average of 9.3 m2 to 11.6 m2 per
person excluding circulation, w.c.’s
etc.
Recommended allowance for
completely integrated office
with all activities under one
roof.
Min. 14 m2 per person.
Completely integrated office
plus eating and lounge
facilities.
Nearly 80% of gross internal floor
Proportion of total area to be area.
aimed at for office working
space.

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 40

Legal minimum number of water closets for men. Legal minimum number of water closets for women.

Number of Number of water Numbers regularly employed at

men closets Number of urinals any time Number of water closets

1-15 1 1-15
1
1
16-20 1 16-30
2
1
21-30 2 31-50
3
2
31-45 2
2
46-60 3 51-75
4
3
76-100
5
61-75 3 Over 100
5
3
76-90 4
Plus on additional closet for every
4
91-100 4 25 persons in excess of 100.
4
Over 100 4
Plus 1 closet for every 25 persons
(or fractions of 25) in excess of
100. Every fourth additional
closet may be replaced by a
urinal.

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 41

2.8 Fire Safety Regulations:

The requirements for means of escape are summarized as follows:

Maximum travel distance with escape, possible in one direction only-

12.2m except for on the ground and first floors when it may be 30.5m if
the following requirements are met:

 Opening in all offices 840mm X 535mm minimum.

 Lower level of opening light not more than 3800mm above
ground and 915mm above floor level.
 Ground beneath window free of obstruction for 1830mm from
building.
 Maximum travel distance with escape possible in alternative
direction- 46m, with no point in an office more than 12.2m to
nearest exit door unless second exit door provided.
 Maximum distance between two adjacent exits from a storey-
61m.

Fire fight stair- at least one fire-fighting stair is required in building with
floors over 18.3m above ground level which should:

 Be continuous throughout building.

 Have access at ground level direct to open air.
 Have openable windows at each landing level.
 Have permanent ventilation at the top enclosure of min 5% of
enclosed area.
 Have protected and ventilate lobby at each floor.

Fire exhaust fans become very important incase of atrium buildings. Fire
detection alarms and reserved water tanks for fire fighting are important
aspect of fire safe

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 42

Courtyard: expenditure of an additional one-half unit of energy for air conditioning

to offset the heat generated by the lights, thus compounding the energy
The courtyard is a very traditional, design element. It can also be used in usage.
the contemporary architecture. In official buildings, courtyard has a
distinct advantage, which is the ability to create a kind of captive b. Passive cooling: Most atrium buildings are thermally heavy (high
environment. With all the offices related to the courtyard, whether it is internal heat gains) and used during the hottest part of the day, making
linear or vertical, they can be easily accessed. The climate is controlled cooling a very important concern. Cooling requires a higher level of
and the ambience is pleasant, making working a pleasure and thereby energy expenditure per degree of temperature reduction than does
increasing efficiency. Although there are many reasons for the current heating per degree of temperature increase. There are potentially four
resurgence of courtyard buildings, none is more significant than the passive cooling techniques available for use in atrium buildings. They are:
inherent energy potential of this spatial type. A courtyard contributes to
passive heating, is useful in an overall ventilation and cooling strategy, 1. Control of solar heat gain through shading.
and always makes daylight more available to the spaces which surround
2. Use of thermal mass.
it. To design a courtyard building without making advantage of its
inherent energy value is truly to miss an opportunity to create a more 3. Radiative cooling, and
complete architecture. Thus, the courtyard is one of the generic strategies
available to architects and engineers in their quest to provide more 4. Convective cooling based on stack effect.
energy-efficient and environmentally suitable buildings. Other option to
c. Ventilation: Cross-ventilation and vertical, both natural and
the court yard is the atrium buildings. An atrium designed for energy
mechanically aided is important to maintain required indoor air quality
efficiency should make maximum use of passive energy flows alone or in
and convective cooling. The location and sizing of vents is the same for
concert with mechanical energy systems. The passive techniques are:
thermally driven and wind-induced convection. Exhaust vents should
a. Day-lighting: Effective transmission of natural light and balanced always be at the highest point in the atrium, on the leeward side. Raising
distribution is the key. The value of day-lighting is universal to good the roof of the atrium above the surrounding roofs gives a location for
architecture. The courtyard and atrium concept allows the innovative these vents and creates a hot air reservoir which is above the occupied
exploration of day-lighting by bringing natural light into the centers of zones. The cool-air intake should be as low as possible and
building, thus eliminating deep, dark spaces. The generated interior approximately one-third to one-half the area of the exhaust vent.
facades, in tandem with the exterior facades, serve to balance the
d. Microclimates: Historical notions about the atrium as garden or
distribution of daylight within the occupied zones. The use of day-lighting,
courtyard have influenced many contemporary design schemes.
a free energy source, can offset the cost of electricity, the most expensive
Controlling the microclimates at the occupied levels can produce cooling
energy source. This is particularly appropriate in official, commercial and
effects. Plants and trees absorb heat and light. Tree canopies produce
institutional buildings where high light levels are required during the
shade and hold cool air near the ground. Water features such as pools
daytime. Each unit of artificial lighting energy utilized requires the

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 43

and fountains produce evaporative and radiative cooling in their

proximity. These effects can be measured as temperature changes and
air movements although in actuality they minute. More significant are the
psychological effects, the associations between greenery and water and
cool gardens or courtyards.

e. Passive heating: The atrium can contribute to the heating function of

the building it serves through passive solar heating. In most commercial,
institutional and office buildings, heating is not as significant concern as
lighting and cooling because these buildings have a heavy thermal load
with large amounts of heat generated by occupants, artificial lighting and
office machines. Thus, heating consideration plays tertiary role in the
design of atria. An atrium must have south facing glazing in order to
contribute to passive solar heating. Skylights are not optimal for they
favor the high-angled summer sun. Besides, sunspace can be most
effective mode of passive solar heating in the design of atria.

Courtyard and Atrium are an important design element in a building,

considering its functional, aesthetical and energy values. The design must
also address the context. It needs to be evaluated in terms of maximizing
access and use, making it visible by giving it exterior expression,
providing recreational amenities in the form of seating, services,
exhibitions, landscaping, and artwork.

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 44

3.3. SERVICE SPACES

3.3.1CAFETERIA

Cafeterias needed for the parliament complex as number of people visit

the complex and also the number of people work there. Thus an eating
facility is must in the complex. Cafeterias mainly consists of kitchen area,
counter , dining area, toilets , store , dish washing area etc. major issues
to be dealt with are :

1. Functions and spaces

2. Furniture layout
3. Standards

1. FUNCTIONAL SPACES
 Functional layout should be simple and easy whilst
accommodating variety of seating layouts .
 There’s need of two separate entrances i.e, one for public use
and another for service use.
 Ambience can be created through decoration, lighting, creating
smaller more intimate spaces, level differences, etc.
 Functional spaces includes kitchen , bar , waiter’s space, storage
and eating areas.
 Kitchen and wash-up are preferably at the same level as dining
space.
 Good natural ventilation to the kitchen. Kitchen area is divided
into dry and wash-up areas.

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 45

2. FURNITURE LAYOUT
 Different shapes can be used for the dinner such as square
rectangle circle etc and number of diner can also vary .
 Tables can be arranged in different patterns such as rectangular
pattern, diagonal pattern ,etc but it diagonal pattern occupies
less space and seems more convenient.

STANDARDS

1. Minimum width of service aisle 0.9-1.35m.

2. Waiter station 1 per 20-30

seats.
3. Dining area per seat: 1.5-2.15m2.

4. Kitchen area per seat 0.4-0.6m2.

5. Net kitchen area 15-25%.

6. Ratio of service area to total area ¼-1/2

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 46

3.3.2. PARKING FACILITY  45 degree parking- good entry and exit , normal type of layout
and small space is used
Vehicle dimensions In parliament complex different kinds of vehicles  60 degree parking – this type is often used , good entry and exit
should be considered for proper design of roads and parking spaces . can be achieved in less area
vehicles , are available in different size and variety , so it is necessary to  90 degree parking- (parking space 2.5m) sharp turn needed and
know about various standard sizes of the vehicles . used for compact planning
SN. TYPES OF VEHICLE LENGTH(m) BREADTH(m) HEIGHT(m)  Parking spaces should be outlined by white or yellow colored
painted lines
1. Bicycle 1.7-1.9 0.6 2.05-2.1  Stop rails or buffers should be provided as shown in figure 6
2. Motorcycle 2.25 0.75 1.8  Guide rails can be provided
3. Car  Parking spaces can be sunken and planting can also be provided.
Mini 3.05 1.41 1.35
Vw golf 3.99 1.68 1.42
Audi 100 4.6 1.62 1.42
4. Van
Pickup van 4.37 1.64 1.9
VW (high roof) kombi 4.57 1.65 2.37
Long wheel base 5- 4.56 1.7 1.92 Types of Length Breadth Height Turning
door vehicles (m) (m) (m) radius
Turning and parking Width and quality of the road is governed by the Circle (m)
size of the vehicle , number of vehicles adequate clear area should be 1. Motorcycle 2.2 0.7 1 1
provided along the outer edge of the road for safety 2. Car
Standard 4.7 1.75 1.5 5.75
Parking can be a big issue if it is not properly designed . in the parking Small 3.6 1.6 1.5 5
area different factors have to be considered such as the demarcation of Large 5 1.9 1.5 6
the area for the vehicle to park or the parking limits . for this paints and
guide rails can be used . signs or barriers can be provided to guide
proper parking of the vehicles . parking can be done in various ways:
some of them are as follows:

 0 degree or parallel to road entry and exit to the parking area

difficult so this type of parking is suitable for narrow streets.
 30 degree parking –easy entry and exit and used where large
parking spaces can be provided

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 47

3.4. UNIVERSAL DESIGN

Universal design is an approach to architectural design that considers the
entire range of capacities and potentials of people and how they use
buildings and products throughout their lives. The approach goes
beyond technical standards that provide only minimal accessibility in
compliance with regulations and extends design to increase the capacities
of men, women and children of all ages and abilities. Universal design
refers to broad-spectrum ideas meant to produce buildings, products and
environments that are inherently accessible to both people without
disabilities and people with disabilities.

Universal design emerged from slightly earlier barrier-free concepts, the

broader accessibility movement, and adaptive and assistive technology
and also seeks to blend aesthetics into these core considerations. As life
expectancy rises and modern medicine increases the survival rate of those
with significant injuries, illnesses, and birth defects, there is a growing
interest in universal design. There are many industries in which universal
design is having strong market penetration but there are many others in
which it has not yet been adapted to any great extent. Universal design
is also being applied to the design of technology, instruction, services, and
other products and environments. Curb cuts or sidewalk ramps, essential
for people in wheelchairs but also used by all, are a common example.
Color-contrast dishware with steep sides that assists those with visual or
dexterity problems is another. There are also cabinets with pull-out
shelves, kitchen counters at several heights to accommodate different
tasks and postures, and, amidst many of the world's public transit systems,
low-floor buses that "kneel" (bring their front end to ground level to
eliminate gap) and/or are equipped with ramps rather than on-board
lifts.

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 48

Equitable use: The design does not disadvantage or stigmatize any

group of users.

Perceptible information: The design communicates necessary in-

formation effectively to the user, regardless of ambient conditions or the
user’s sensory abilities.

Tolerance for error: The design minimizes hazards and the adverse
consequences of accidental or unintended fatigue.

Flexibility in use: The design accommodates a wide range of individual

preferences and abilities.

Low physical effort: The design can be used efficiently and comfortably
and with a minimum of fatigue.

Size and space for approach and use: Appropriate size and space is
provided for approach, reach, manipulation, and use, regardless of the
user’s body size, posture, or mobility. Henry Dreyfuss Associates (1993)
provides a number of templates for ergonomic analysis of hand and
body for design of furniture and environmental settings.

Accessibility standards have simplified this overwhelming diversity down

GUIDELINES FOR UNIVERSAL DESIGN to three main groups of conditions shown below with the related
component of the environment. By understanding the physical implications
The following principles describe guidelines for universal design of these broad groups of disabling conditions designers can understand
developed by the Center for Universal Design (1995), whose web page the criteria in the building codes and standards.
listed in the additional references illustrates applications. The guidelines
offer criteria to use in design, or in evaluating designs: Sensory impairments: Design of information systems. This includes vision,
hearing and speech impairments including total and partial loss of
Simple and intuitive use: Use of the design is easy to understand, function and leads us to the design recommendation for redundancy of
regardless of the user’s experience, knowledge, language skills, or current communication media to insure that everyone can receive information and
concentration level. express themselves over communication systems. For example, reinforcing
both lighting and circulation cues, way finding can be enhanced. Or by

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 49

providing both audible and visual alarms, everyone will be able to know  Wheel-chair users and people with other physical differences, which
when an emergency occurs. can be a common as left- and right-handedness.
 People with visual and aural impairments.
Dexterity impairments: Design of operating controls and hardware. This  Persons who maintain and service our buildings, carrying heavy loads
includes people with limitations in the use of their hands and fingers and or other potential impediments to safe travel.
suggests the “closed fist rule,” testing selection of equipment controls and
 All people under conditions of emergency.
hardware by operating it with a closed fist. In addition, this addresses the
location of equipment and controls so that they are within the range of
reach of people who use wheelchairs and those who are of short stature.

Mobility impairments: Space and circulation systems. This includes

people who use walkers, crutches, canes and wheelchairs plus those who
have difficulty climbing stairs or going long distances. The T-turn and 5 ft.
(1.52 m) diameter turning area provide key plan evaluation criteria here.
These concepts and the accessible route of travel insure that all people
have accessible and safe passage from the perimeter of a site to and
through all areas of a facility

Universal design reviews undertaken at critical early and evolving phases

of the design process are opportunities to improve any design, eliminate
errors, improve its user friendliness and at the same time involve and thus
satisfy the special needs of owners and occupants of the resulting
building. Because no one person can anticipate all possible perceptions
and needs, a design should be given broad discussion and review, with This
input from many points of view. Designers must listen to and hear from requir
perceptive spokespeople who can articulate the needs and response es that the process of universal design be broadly representative, user
responsive and participatory. Because many lay persons cannot visualize
 People of all stages of life, from the point of view of the youngster
actual conditions from plans or drawings, universal designing reviews may
whose eye level is half that of adults to elders and others who have
require alternative media including three- dimensional models, virtual
difficulty with mobility, lighting distractions and disorientation at
reality simulations, and, in some cases, full scale mock up prototypes,
transition points in a building.
whereby all can experience, critically evaluate and offer ways to

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 50

improve a design in process. The more diverse the group, the better. It is
only in this way that designers can keep up with and come to understand
how our changing culture will be using our environments and products in
the 21st century.

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 51

CHAPTER 4: CASE STUDIES The following case studies have been done which are categorized in
This study aims to know about the parliament buildings and architectural terms of context and functional need:
features of it. The absence of similar designed building complex within
Nepal made it absolute necessity to study similar building located at 1. Local context.
other countries. However, for sake of understanding of contextual need 1.1 Existing parliament in singhadurbar
and issues , the case studies of existing adaptively reused parliament and 1.2. Government proposed Parliament
supporting structures has been studied . In addition to that, study of 1.3. International convention center
prosed “Rastriya Panchayat building” and recently proposed parliament 2. Regional context
building by government has also been included. 2.1 National Assembly , Dhaka
2.2 Legislative Assembly, Chandigarh
OBJECTIVES OF STUDY 2.3 Vidhan Bhawan , Bhopal
2.4 Parliament library, New Delhi
- To understand functional and spatial relationship in parliament 3. Global context
3.1 Reichstag , Berlin
- To understand parliament building’s response to the context.
3.2 Wales Assembly , Cardiff
- To study circulation and planning in parliament 3.3 Scottish parliament, Edinburg

- To study issues and challenges in design problem

SELECTION CRITERIA

The study of examples of the parliaments is done regarding different

criteria. The criteria are the location of the site , the form , the context
and design idea of the complex.

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 52

4.1. EXISTING PARLIAMENT IN SINGHADURBAR

SELECTION CRITERIA:
Existing parliament complex and practical application of parliamentary
affairs in local context

OBJECTIVES OF STUDY:
 To understand the existing flow and circulation
 To understand and study the practical application
 To understand and study the required spaces for area assessment
 To interact with the user of parliament complex

GENERAL INFORMATION

 Location : singha durbar, Kathmandu

 Total site area : 33 ropani
 Total built up area : 12 ropani
 Ground coverage : 36%
 Circulation : different components scattered

FUNCTIONAL SPACES

1. Parliament secretariat
2. Lower house
3. Upper house
4. Party offices
5. Library

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 53

1. PARLIAMENT SECRETARIAT:

Secretariat is the vital part of the parliamentary functions. In the

parliamentary affairs. The secretariat is main supporting organization
which is established under the constitution of the country in order to
perform parliamentary tasks, including the operation of legislative
procedure, orienting new legislators, providing advice , setting framework
for the debates, interpreting and transmitting the opinion of executive to
the members and so on. In our context secretariat provides all legislative,
administrative , legal and information services . secretariat is headed by
general secretary assisted by secretaries and related staff members . it
is also responsible for the different permanent and special committees . in
present context , 257 staff members work in the secretariat though 343
area available

Building description:

The secretariat comprises of two new RCC structures and few number of
one strorey structure constructed and few number of one storey wooden
structures was also present. RCC framed structure is four storey high and
has double corridor system with offices on the either side . all the new
construction in the area have typical planning but few changes have been
done in the interior part for the functional purpose. Provision of two
staircase is there in the secretariat building . There are 24 committes
which holds office in this complex. In addition to that there is small clinic
with provision of doctor and nurse , conference hall for 200-300 people
and small printing press

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 54

2. LOWER HOUSE :  Absence of supporting services for example, tv transmission, press

box etc.
The lower house building was originally built for purpose of staging  Week structural strength for mass gathering.
dance and dramas for ranas. Later it was converted into the lower  Lacks adequate lighting , acoustics ,heating and cooling system
house. It is a neoclassical building with stepped foundation and has the  Security a questionable due to not defined circulation
following features.  Same entrance for all type of users.
Decorative columns used in exterior
Combination of timber and mud brick wall
Suspended floor with voids for air circulation and prevention from
dampness
Consideration of thermal aspects ( thick mud wall)
Centrally highlighted pediment

The ground floor today is used for storage purposes the first floor holds
the main assembly proceedings . it has capacity of 350-400 parliament
members and extra number of VIP guests, public , journalists, government
officials, etc provided for the technical personnel for sound recording
and for reporting.
Middle portion of hall is for parliament members. The side space is for
VIP government official , public and press. Artificial lighting has been
provided . various entrance have been provided with security check .
lobby space is also used as lounge for members as well as for voting
purpose of parliament in case any problem occurs during law
formulation process. The lobby is between the office area and the hall.
Offices for prime minister, speaker , etc. have been provided in this floor
. services like drinking water , toilets have been provided .

 The building is 107 years old and as such has the following
drawbacks
 Congested and suffocating during the proceedings
 There was no provision of future growth
 The layout not appropriate for holding debates

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 55

3. UPPER HOUSE

It is two storied framed building with sloping roof, attached to the north 4. PARTY OFFICES
of lower house building , although this is new building and the assembly
functions have been adopted into this building . similar to the lower house This block holds around party offices of various parties which have
building , here too the ground floor is used for storage . ground floor representation in parliament. A party office has offices for different
consists of cafeteria and toilets while the upper floor holds the assembly leaders and members with meeting area as well. The exiting nature of
functions . it has capacity of 60 members . also seats for journalists, these building demands proper relocation through proper planning .
diplomats , public , technical personnel .
5. LIBRARY

The beginning of present day parliament library dates back to 1953

when it started as a record keeping section . in 1960 it was changed to
advisory assembly and later known as Rastriya Panchayat library until
1990, with the establishment of the parliament the libray was designated
as research and library section , opening doors of different acess to
research in library operation and information sharing library and
information sharing technology. The present library is accessible to all
members of parliament officials and officals from various other ministries
and researchers that took for different field of studies. Books documents
and important information have been computerized since 1991. In
general there are about 12000 books in Nepali, English , Hindi and
other languages . internet facility for 10 is also present . the library is
supported by a total of 3 permanent staff.

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 56

CONCLUSION:

The existing parliament complex within singhadurbar is actually an

adaptively reused building with some additional temporary wooden
structures to meet the needs. Thus there are functional and circulation
problems in the complex. Moreover after 2008 AD , the old rana building
that was use for assembly purpose wasn’t able to hold assembly of
constitution assembly and thus had to shifted to ICC,Baneswor. Since then
parliamentary assembly were held in Baneswor while secretariat service
being held at singhadurbar . this scenario had lead to functional problems
and in long run also has affected the working of nation.

INFERENCES:

 The old building could be adaptively reused with well thought of

planning.
 Additional structure should go in harmony with the setting without
disrupting the existing flow and circulation.
 The executive (national secretariat & PMO) is very dominant
architecturally inside singhadurbar complex while legislature
(parliament building) seems to lost its separate identity in the
complex.

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 57

4.2. GOVERNMENT PROPOSALS ON PARLIAMENT BUILDING

SELECTION CRITERIA:

Government proposed parliament has been briefly studied for

requirement assessment.

INTRODUCTION:

Government came up with plans to proposal to construct new parliament

building during in 1970s for the first time when design competition was
held for “ Rastriya Panchayat building “ which was won by Architect G D
Bhatta . All drawings including structural were completed however the
project could not be realized due to various factors. After the advent of
multiparty democracy , again the need of new parliament building was
realized and since then government has been revising the plans of GD
bhatta in their proposals to accommodate current needs.

SITE
Total land area for proposed parliament is 151 ropanis (about 7.75
hectares) and is to be located in the north east end of singha durbar ..
The main entrance has been proposed from the north anamnagar side.
However it is connected at points to the rest of the premises inorder to
have easy and quick acess to and from the ministries.
ACESS & CIRCULATION

The main entrance has been proposed at the middle of the northern side
of the plot. the road leading from it to the parliament building divides
both sides equally into beautifully landscaped lawns. there is a circular
fountain a bit farther which regulates the incoming and out going traffic .
parkings has been planned on either side of the fountain , the capacity of
which is about 350. service lanes are from the back side of the building
another parking lot for the officialservice and other vehicles have been
planned on the back side of the blocks.

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 58

COMPONENTS UPPER HOUSE BUILDING

Seven major blocks namely It is also a dome shaped building similar to lower house assembly but
smaller in size. it is situated symmetrically and opposite to the library hall.
1. maiin assembly hall it's floor area is approximately 15500sq.ft. Internal diameter of the plan
is 56'0" and ceiling to floor radius is 35 ft.
2. upper house building
in view of the present as well as future expansion possibility the seating
3. library block
arrangements for MPs have been proposed to be 94 seats. llikewise 220
4. committee offices block seats have been provided for general public, 50 for press and journalist ,
speacial dignitories 30, diplomats 25, governmental officials 25. guests
5. parliamentary party offices 45 and guests of Mps 45

6. secretariat building There are altogether three types of accesses to the main hall. all the
accesses are approached by a 12'0" wide corridor which encircles the
7. service units building all around . one type of acess is exclusively used for MPs . all the
main offices , press rooms and rest rooms are in the ground floor under
the gallery and are encircled by the same corridor.
SECRETARIAT BUILDING
PARLIAMENTARY PARTY OFFICES
it's design concept is compatiable to the existing secretariate building ,
but bigger in size and accomodates future needs. it is a four storyerd The outer facade and size of this building is exactly similar to the
building and its total plinth area is approximately 35000 sq. ft.. parliament committee building . it is situated symmetrically on one side of
the main corriodor connecting main assembly hall to the secretariat
LIBRARY building. proper working space for almost all national level political
parties has been worked out with extra sapce for future requirements.
It is exactly of the same outer design as that of upper house building and
having the same internal dimensions, ground floor of this building COMMITTEE OFFICE BLOCK
comprise of library and reading room hall, restaurant, press room and
speaker's office. Computer facilities, documentation rooms and deputy Present number of parliamentary comittees of both houses combined is
speaker’s office have been adjusted on the first floor. about sixteen. visualising increasing activities of the parliament day by
day and subsequent possibility of future increase in number of such
as this block is caters for both the houses , it has been linked to all the committees the new proposed building has been designed to accomodate
blocks through corridors . General accesses and service accesses have such committees. It is square shaped four-storeyed building with a sky
been kept separate to avoid intermingling open courtyard at the centre , 80'x80' size . the total plinth area of this
building is approximately 77260sq. ft

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 59

ASSEMBLY HALL

Main assembly hall is the most dominant among the other blocks and is
centrally located . the stricking feature of which is that while fulfilling all
the basic requirements and facilities of a modern assembly hall, it relates
to buddhist type stupa capped with a nepales style pagoda.

It's a circular dome with diameter of 90 ft. it's height is about 50 ft, the
well of the hall meant exclusively for seating of MPs has a capacity of .
386. it is so designed as to accomodate total members of both the houses
during joint session of parliament , which together amounts to 265 at
present plus future increase in number of MPs in order to allow clear
visiblity of the podium , the well grandally rises backward , after seating
rows.The Dias for head of the state has been kept higher and farther than
the Dias for speaker and deputy speaker . similarly stand for orator
member has been kept a bit lower and closer than the Dias of the
speaker . in front of the podium , in the well, space for parliament
secretariat has been planned. During session , movement of MPs to and
from their respective allocated seats has been made easier . ample space
for movement has been kept from behind the seating rows thus not
disturbing anyone.

Altogether there are 4 accesses to the house , out of which one is

exclusively designed for head of the state and the rest for MPs and
others. Access to the galleries has been kept separate and the complete
flow of all the visitors and that of MPs has been designed to avoid
intersections. all the visitors inclusive of dignitaries, VIPs diplomats, invited
guests, press and general public have been allocated seats on the gallery

SERVICE UNITS

These units comprise of generator and boiler house, water treatment

pplant , kitchen , stires , offices for marshalls, security guard rooms, cctv
control rooms, machine rooms , 24 hour fire preparedness units, medicare
units , double storeyed care parking service etc.

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 60

CONCLUSIONS:

Government proposed parliament building since the inception of proposal

back to 1970s has been attempted to create new Nepalese architecture
in modern context. Use of stupa capped with pagoda structure in the
assembly hall does expresses it architecturally. However with time, after
series of revision it has opted neoclassical addition around the assembly
hall to relate with context of neoclassical edifice of singhadurbar
complex. Series of government proposals also justifies the need of
parliament complex in Nepal.

INFERENCES:

 Parliament building should meet all the functional requirements of

present and should also be flexible enough to meet the future
needs of atleast around 50 years
 Need of national representation is ever present in case of
national building as such.

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 61

4.3. CASE STUDY ICC COMPLEX, NEW BANESWOR

SITE & SURROUNDING LOCATION

Located at New Baneshwor, BICC stands by the main 14m wide highway
in the south and is close to Tribhuwan International Airport in the east, and
near the Everest Hotel in the east. It is also easily accessible from all parts
of the valley.

SELECTION CRITERIA:
Existing assembly functions are held in main hall of this complex.

OBJECTIVES:
- to understand circulation and flow system
- to understand technical details of acoustics in halls
- to understand and study practical application of assembly hall

INTRODUCTION:
ICC is a center with three storied structure and open spaces designed to
serve the excellent business, professional and government leaders by
combing modern efficiency with traditional Nepalese hospitability. It is
the best-equipped venue in Nepal. It was constructed with aid given
gratis by the People’s Republic of China. It was built in 1993 A.D. ICC is
the ideal venue for international conventions, seminars, exhibitions and
concerts DESCRIPTION

There are three entrances on the surrounding wall of BICC. The main gate
is in the south and the two gates in the west side are for the use of logistic
personnel and the transportation vehicles in and out. On the back, there
are garages and offices for the use of management personnel. Main
building comprises of three parts: Auditorium in the middle, medium sized

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 62

hall, small meeting rooms and VIP chamber in the east and Multi-
functional Hall in the west. There are seven large, medium and small size
halls in the complex. The main auditorium with 1201 sq. m. area holds
1044 seats that are available for 80 countries representatives. The main
purpose of the Hall is to host international conference and can be used
for theatrical performances and movies as well. The auditorium is also
assisted by lounges and other facilities such as bank, post office, bar,
small shop, phone booth.

The multi-functional hall with an area of 480 sq. m. serves for medium Speaker’s dias in main hall
Entrance foyer
sized International conference, banquet and exhibitions. It is provided by
250 sets of moveable chairs and tables arrangement or 450 seats in
chair arrangement. There are two seminar halls each with a capacity of
100 and 200 removable seats.

The VIP chamber is comprised of five rooms where the national leaders
can receive foreign guests. The two sides of the main building in the first
floor are lounges and offices for the journalists. On the second floor is the
exhibition hall with an area of 308 sq.m . For all kinds of exhibition
purpose.
Sound control exteriors Multifunctional hall

VIP chambers/ lounge Landscape Sound control interiors Small auditorium

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 63

SERVICES

The parking lot that can hold more than 400 vehicles flanks the main
building. The affiliated construction include substation, freezing plant ,
boiler , underground fuel depot ,water treatment plant , water storage
pool, pump house , water tower , guard house .

The A/C rooms are at the backside of the stage at basement. All 15 air-
conditioning systems inside the main building consists of 17 large A/C
equipment and 52 sets of ventilation units to meet the requirement of
sending cool or warm air to kept the inside temperature at 24-26
Centigrade in summer and 20-22 Centigrade in the winter . The cooling
source is from the freezing plant, which comprises four centrifugal cold-
water generators. The A/C pipes are all insulated by glass wool with
aluminum foil.
Service blocks & water tank
All public offices, communal, pantry, toilets and store rooms are equipped
with warn air supply originating from hot water generated by two
boilers. .The underground fuel storage, which has an area of 2 x 15 cu.
m., is enough for five days consumption of the boilers. There are
soundproofing doors, double layered windows glass and silencers for the
A/C and freezing equipment rooms to prevent the noise transmission.

BICC takes advantage of city water supply with UV ray sterilization and
special medical treatment for purifying the water. It has four underground
water tanks with capacities of 2x250 T and 2x400t respectively, a water
tower with volume of 50 sq. m. and at the height of 30m., an
underground pump house with 11 sets of water pumps and capacity of
285.5 cu.m/day. The water towers and tanks are automatic monitored.
All hot water pipes are copper pipes or G.I. Pipes. The sewerage and
downspout system adopts current diversion.
Heating and cooling units in service block

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 64

MATERIAL AND TECHNOLOGY

The main hall of the BICC is equipped with simultaneous interpretation

system of six languages from which the representatives can freely choice.
Voting and impromptu speech systems are offered too. For voting, a
bottom at the side of the table needs to be pressed and the results of the
voting can be shown on the indicating panel in the rostrum, and at same
time, the result can be printed in another room. Language tuner and voting
system at the chairs of BICC Moveable tables and chairs provide the
seminar halls. The rooms are decorated with anti-fire treated silk and
wooden wall fabrics. The communal is roofed by porous steel roof truss
inlaid with sound absorption board of mineral wool. The walls and floor is
covered with reflective granite from Beijing. The main gate at the south
can be automatically operated. With reference to the geological and
seismic treatment, all structures are designed to bear an earthquake of
nine magnitudes in Richter scale. The convention center area is divided
into four fire-fighting sections as the entrance hall section, the multi-
function hall section and medium and small conference halls sections. Each
of this section is separated from the other by fire resistance gates, Chair with voting & impromptu Desk with vo
metallic fire resistance rolling doors and fire resistant walls. Office area Granite clad walls

It is also equipped by automatic fire alarm and control system. There are
ionic smoke sensors in each hall and main rooms, which is capable of
indicating the exact place of fire in time. Manual alarm bottoms are
installed at some of the exits. The water nozzles, fire hydrants and pumps
from the fire control panel are used for fire fighting. Two independent
power transmission lines do electricity supply. One is for normal use
whereas the other is standby line. Alternative supply of 250 Kw diesel
generators is available in case of emergency. The stage and audience
seats are equipped with automatic smoke ventilators, which are generally Sprinkler system with ac inlets
closed. They are opened automatically only by fire alarm system for
smoke ventilation. Fire hydrants at maximum intervals of 50m distance
are installed at roofs along with fire detective devices, which adopt 68
degree Celsius quarts glass ball sprinklers head.

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 65

CONCLUSIONS:

International convention center is only building in Nepal that can hold

conventions of international scale. Currently it is being used by
constitutional assembly for parliamentary assembly purpose.
Architecturally, the symmetric and monumental building capped with
pagoda resembling the tiered temples attempts to represent Nepalese
architecture in modern age. It has created itself as one of the landmark
building of the town.

INFERENCES:

 The assembly hall and auditoriums should be functional and

acoustics design should be taken great care.
 Need of intermediate and open space as spill out area
 Services and technical spaces needs to be well designed for
proper function

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 66

4.2. CASE STUDY OF NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, DHAKA

SELECTION CRITERIA:

 Similar building situation in regional context

 Architectural masterpiece by great architect

GENERAL INTRODUCTION:

Architect Louis I kahn

Location Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka

Total built up area 40.6 ropani

Site area 1710 ropani

Ground coverage 2.37%

Number of users 900

FUNCTIONAL SPACES
Circulation Circumambulatory path around assembly hall
1. Entrance hall (common for all)
SITE COMPONENTS 2. Assembly hall ( 354 seats)
3. Galleries (500 for other people)
The national assembly building is located within the sher-e-bangla nagar. 4. Press chamber ( 100 people)
It is located within the site covering 1710 ropani of land . it is not the 5. Meeting room
only building within the site. But shares it along with the following 6. Post office
government building and structures namely : 7. Library
8. Bank
1. Citadel of assembly 9. Administrative offices
2. President square 10. Minister’s lounge
3. Hostel for ministers 11. Dining and recreation
4. Hostel for secretaries 12. Ablution court ( for ceremonial washing of hands and face before
5. Hostels for the members of assembly prayer)
6. Dining hall for members of assembly 13. Prayer hall
7. Lake

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 67

ARCHITECTURAL EXPRESSION

Kahn’s key design philosophy optimizes the use of space while

representing Bangladeshi heritage and culture . External lines are deeply
recessed by porticos with huge openings of regular geometric shapes on
their exterior shaping the building’s overall visual impact

 Monumentality: The main characteristic of the national assembly

building is its monumentality. The mass of concrete lined with marble
strips, the outer wall punctuated by pure geometric openings and the
dominating circular and rectangular concrete masses impart a
supreme monumentality to the building quite suited to its noble
function.
 form and shape : octagonal shape with eight sectors eight octagonal
outerblock and ninth inner block which forms assembly itself.
 planning : Consists of nine individual blocks : the eight peripheral
blocks rise to a height of 110’ while central octagonal block rises to a
height of 155’. All nine blocks include different groups of functional
spaces and have different levels, interlinked horizontally and
vertically by corridors, lifts, stairs, light courts and circular areas.
 circulation : seven storied high ambulatory , with light coming from
the roof, surrounds the assembly hall like circumambulatory path
around the deity. Elaborate circulation system with series of different
types of stairs.
 Landscape and plaza : The building has a waterbody of artificial
lake touching it’s walls on all sides and the north and south plaza tie it
to the site. The edifice appears to rise out of water
 Approach : The approach is through grand plaza on the south and
through presidential square from the north with gardens of green
grass and eucalyptus trees. The northern approach has an
amphitheater where state functions are held. Further north across the
north plaza there is a road by the side of crescent lake

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 68

MATERIALS & CONSTRUCTION

It is made of Rough shuttered fair faded cement concrete inlaid with

bands of white marble which also masks the construction joints .Other
buildings like hostels etc are made of reinforced brick masonry bearing
wall constructionCement marble and aluminium hardwood for windows
and external internal planning . there is not a single column in the
building. It is like concrete mass carved and sculptured into a superbly
functional entity . the construction material used is concrete and cast
concrete forms both interior and exterior.

LIGHTING THE SPACES

Lighting has been achieved by combination of diffused natural light and

artificial light; light from the roof illuminates different spaces including the
circulation spaces.

CLIMATIC CONSIDERATION

The building is not only protected from sun and rain but circulation of air
is also ensured by the huge geometric openings at the outer façade in the
form of triangles , rectangles , full and segmented circles and flat arches.
It avoided conventional method of placing windows in the exterior and
disadvantage of monumental composition was removed by provision of
core walls with small gaps in between.

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 69

CONCLUSION:

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 70

National assembly building is one of the masterpiece of master architect INFERENCES:

Louis I Kahn. The principled design with monumental appearance,
symmetry, geometric clarity and enormous scale along with interplay of  Has successfully given a contemporary image to the capitol of
lights on interiors with mass and voids .It is one of the mega structure in Bangladesh .
the region and architectural masterpiece that has and will inspire  It incorporated different functions within one complex.
generation of architects.  By virtue of it’s unique and great architecture , it has created an
overall awareness of innovation composition and design in the
National assembly building is still functioning well despite some climatic country.
problems. Though architect has made climatic consideration some  Since all the materials for construction were imported there has
problems still exists . Moreover due to use of concrete as material, The been cost overrun in maintenance .
maintenance cost is high and due to monumental scale there are acoustic  Extensive use of concrete in the assembly has resulted fungus
problems inside . growth due to hot , humid climate..
 Maintaining constant illumination by achieving a balance between
the artificial and natural has been a problem.
 Echoes and reverberation have been cited problematic in the
chamber due to shape of space and lack of sound absorbing
materials.
 Intricate vertical and horizontal arrangements including the
complex circulation has been confusing to some

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 71

4.3. CASE STUDY VIDHAN BHAWAN, CHANDIGARH

SELECTION CRITERIA:

 Similar building situation in regional context

 Expression of aspiration of Modern India in architecture

OBJECTIVES OF STUDY:
 To understand the flow, circulation and functional spaces
 To understand and study the design ideas in manifestation of
national aspirations

GENERAL INTRODUCTION:

 Architect : Le Corbusier
 Location : Chandigarh
 Site area : 100 hectares
 Master plan: asymmetric symbolic
 Circulation : circumambulatory path around the assembly hall

SITE:

The capitol complex is situated at the foothills of the shivalik hills. the
master plan is assymetrical in nature. It’s main components are the
secretariat , the assembly hall and the high court , the governer’s palace
and other monuments. Later the governer’s palace was converted to
museum of knowledge . pedestrian and the vehicular movement are
segregated by arranging the site in two levels i.e , the pedestrian plaza
and the roads and the parking areas, pools are provided in the complex
for the cooling and recreational purpose . ramps are provided for the
people of different buildings which also enhance the beauty of the
building and good view can be experienced while walking

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 72

PLANNING:

All the legislative proceedings are conducted here. The hall has the
square plan and is located opposite the high court across 400m wide
capitol plaza. The building has square planning but the main hall has
circular planning. The offices are spread on the three sides of the building
.The entrance portico is at fourth side facing the high court.

FORM:

The assembly chamber is in the form of the hyperbolic shell and is

surrounded by a ceremonial space. The circulation space in the building is
of a triple height columned hall and is for the informal meetings and the
discussion.

On the roof we can see three distinct interrelated parts , they are a
hyperbolic shell , a pyramid and a lift tower . the hyperbolic shell is
designed for illuminating the assembly hall and the pyramid for the
council chamber. The hyperbolic form is derived from the cooling tower of
the Sabarmati power plant in Ahmedabad. The interesting form of the
hyperbolic shell indicates the importance of the assembly in the
democratic country.

MATERIALS:

In the complex the buildings are constructed mainly with the reinforced
concrete which can be regarded as the style of master architect le
Corbusier. The buildings are constructed with framed structure system.
Different treatment had been done in the building for their aesthetic and
functional purpose

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 73

DESIGN CONCEPTS: designed not only as a circulation area for various building users but also
as a space for delegates to hold informal meetings and discussion.The
Master plan conceived as analogous to human body with clearly defined forum was designed not only as a circulation area for various building
head (the capitol complex). The rest of city divided into 4 zones i.e., users , but also as a space for delegates to hold informal meetings and
political, industrial, commercial and educational discussion.
Le Corbusier acknowledged India’s spiritual and artistic tradition without Silhouette against mountains and the sky
lapsing into superficial imitation or ornamentalisation of India’s culture, its
root, myth and meanings then transforming the substructures into modern Architect has attempted to relate / combine public iconography with an
symbolic forms. abstraction permitting several layers of reading and a formal presence
and the Real impact of complex lies in rather in the relation of building
Conceptually the building was designed as horizontal rectilinear structure masses to one another and to distant mountains.
square in plan with a monumental front portico. On the urban level, the
portico sets the dialogue with the corresponding entrance to the justice
palace on axis with the assembly across the main plaza.

Separate patterns of use:

Separate entrance for principal user’s i.e Legislators, Office workers and
Public visitors. “Symbolically assembly represents a coming together of all
citizens in practice , however building seems an elaborately contrived
means of keeping them separated. “ - Evenson

Architecture within architecture

Design of assembly came out of desire to establish a set of relationship

across space between symbolic elements Architecture not restricted to an
entrance nor to a façade but to the functions of the program and to a
very last space within the building itself.

The two legislative chambers i.e curvilinear assembly hall & pyramidal
governors council enclosed within as free standing structure within
rectilinear shell.

Legislative chamber lie with an enclosed interior space , the forum, which
is bounded by three sides by 4 storey office blocks. The forum was

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 74

equipment’s in the top portion. The forum is meant to be a dark artificially

lit hall leading to the bright and colorful assembly chambers.
Breaking through the roof lines
Naturally ventilated
Upper portion of the assembly chamber (contained with hyperboloid) and
the pyramidal skylight of the governor’s council were allowed to extend There is no central heating or air conditioning in any of the buildings.
beyond the roofline .The breaking of the silhouette of the building and Cross ventilation is created by the portico with its inverted shell “ the
adding the structural elements to the roofline which then play against the parasol” An overhanging protective roof held up on slender supports
jagged forms of surrounding mountains. Additionally a small maintenance providing shade and protection from rain and sun. The pools of water
tower with Access Bridge was added in order to service the skylight atop and landscaping help to cool the interior. The upper part of the
the assembly chamber hyperboloid does contain some ventilating equipment. Despite these
efforts, the building is ill ventilated . the concrete absorbs and retains
Unity in concrete: heat. Leaving the offices and court room hot in summer and cold in the
winter. Climatic consideration in terms of hot breezes and monsoons also
One single material employed i.e RCC.Concrete chosen because it was
not considered
cost effective as labor was cheap in India and establishes bold forms
sensitive to the light and shade gives the building quality of ancient
building. Small bas-reliefs of animal , abstract designs and the modular
figure are found in the concrete columns of the portico and other wall
surface.

Symbolic forms:

The portico of the building was meant to reassemble a section of

aqueducts resting on its support while the hyperboloid assembly chair
reflects the shape of industrial cooling tower.3 office facades kept
simpler in order to contrast with the rest of the building

Protecting the building from harsh sunlight:

Vertical concrete fins (brise-soliel) are used to shade the interior of the 3
office buildings. In contrast the two assembly chambers are lit with
skylights (side lighting vs. top lighting)The roof of the hyperboloid is
penetrated by 3 openings which are meant to let direct light in on
particular days (equinox, solstice)There is also some artificial lighting

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 75

CONCLUSIONS:

The legislative assembly of Chandigarh was designed as main building of

the city of Chandigarh. Master architect le Corbusier was commissioned
for design to meet the vision of then Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal
Nehru who focused on creating modern city with modern architecture
without any trace of past. Thus architect has taken modern form into use in
case of assembly building as well. The climatic consideration has been
prime focus and similarly symbolic references are made to relate with
democracy and people.

INFERENCES:

 Unlike general perception of need of national iconic

representation, the parliament building can take also take
representation of aspiration as its main focus.
 Climatic consideration in working areas can lead to successful
design however the concrete sun shading devices hasn’t worked
as it has been anticipated due to retention of heat by concrete.
 Symbolic references with use of light and interplay of mass and
void can also be another design perspective

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 76

The Arera Hill is flanked by a large lake on one side and greenery on
the other. Other government buildings are down the hill on the lakeside
4.4. CASE STUDY VIDHAN BHAWAN, BHOPAL whereas government residences are behind the green zone. The buildings
SELECTION CRITERIA: site is cleared but there is an old template in a distance.

 Similar building situation in regional context

 Distillation of ancient architectural heritage in contemporary usage.

OBJECTIVES OF STUDY:

 To understand and study the flow, planning and circulation of

similar building situation.
 To understand and study the design evolution and concepts
involved.

GENERAL INFORMATION:

 Architect: Charles Correa

 Location: Arera hill. Bhopal
 Total site area: 85000sq.m
 Total ground floor area: 11000sq.m
 Total built up area: 32000sq.m
FUNCTIONAL SPACES
 Ground coverage: 13%
 No of users: 366

SITE LOCATION:

The site chosen for the building is indeed a monumental one. It is in the
center of the Capital Complex, at the highest point on Arera Hill,
overlooking the city of Bhopal. It is obvious that the shape of the building
needs to reflect this unique location, with a form that is "Readable" from
many different vantage points. Such clarity is difficult to achieve on this
site with square or rectangular forms since the angle of the main access
road is not constant, but swings considerably in relation to the building.
Thus was gradually developed the circular form.

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 77

1 Upper house 2%

2. Lower house 6.5%

3. Combined hall 4%

4. Library 7%

5. Speaker of the house office 2%

6. Chief secretary & staff offices 9.5%

7. Chief minister office 1%

8. Ministers and PA offices 13 %

9 Services and utilities 6.5%

10.Circulation area 48.5%

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 78

DESIGN CONCEPTS: building, the philosophy of using two buildings one in one is termed by the
architect as ‘building within building’. A similar philosophy ‘garden within
The building although designed on contemporary base uses traditional garden’ is also applied. A few courtyards are provided inside the
architecture as well. Use of local material also makes it an outstanding building for sitting. Because these sitting spaces are open to air, they can
blend of contemporary and traditional architecture. The building features be termed as floored gardens. Also, the building is surrounded by garden
various philosophical features from traditional, mythological to on all sides hence the architect terms these spaces as ‘garden within
contemporary. ‘Navagraha Concept’ is one of them. It divides the whole garden’.
building into nine blocks on the basis of nine planets according to
Hindu mythology. The same way, plan of Vidhan Sabha is divided
into nine blocks and each block is defined by use and purpose.

The shape of building being circular incorporates another philosophy. The

architect has given a hierarchy to the shape starting from shape of
earth, then shape of parliament and as the legislative assembly comes
below; it is also given a circular shape. The resemblance of shapes in
hierarchy would easily relate the building to a democratic structure. The
plan of building being circular is derived from conceptual and
mythological theories. According to Hindu mythology, the earth is
considered to be resting on ‘Sheshnag’; the same is symbolized in
Vidhan Bhavan. If we have a look at plan of the building and imagine
it to be elevation, then the building would symbolize earth and pond
attached to it would symbolize ‘Sheshnag’. This would give a feeling
of earth resting on ‘Sheshnag’.

As already mentioned, the building is a blend of traditional and

contemporary philosophies. The traditional and mythological philosophies
like ‘Navagraha Concept’ and ‘Earth on Sheshnag’ are incorporated
brilliantly in the building. But, even after the strong application of
mythological philosophies, the contemporary philosophies do not lose their
existence. One of these is ‘building within building’. The Vidhan Bhavan
itself is an independent and functioning unit but due to open spaces,
the building instead of a whole looks as if divided into blocks. So to
make these blocks bind in form of a building a boundary is provided
at its circumference. This makes the building look like placed into another

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 79

PHILOSOPHY AND HISTORIC REFERENCES: shown signifying submergence. Overall, the use of Narmada’s statue
in the building reminds every one of the gifts endowed to the state
 Blue ribbon from Gwalior fort : The exterior of Gwalior fort is and how the river has helped Madhya Pradesh in its progress.
marked with lines made of blue ink. This is used in Vidhan Sabha  Drainage system of Mandu Mandu has always been a place of
Bhavan to associate it with skyline and give an outline to the pride for Madhya Pradesh. The fort of Mandu is known very much
building. The Gwalior fort being witness of victories and celebrations for its architecture and excellent drainage system. The same
share these characteristics with Vidhan Sabha Bhavan drainage system is used in Vidhan Bhavan because of its beautiful
 dome from sanchi stupa Sanchi Stupa, a very famous and known pattern and brilliant efficiency. The use of drainage system in
structure has a hemi-spherical dome at top. This dome represents the building would relate the building with higher efficiency and beauty
earth surface. The Stupa is symbol of Lord Buddha which resides on in every aspect.
the top of dome. Hence, in a way it represents heaven or god above
earth covering it. The dome is used in Vidhan Sabha Bhavan to
represent god covering earth or heaven above earth.
 courtyard pattern from Islamnagar The forts of Islamnagar have
arched gateways leading to three palaces; Chaman mahal, Rani
mahal & Gond mahal. Rani mahal has square garden, Chaman
mahal has charbagh with pools, fountains and hamams. The same
hamam pattern is used in courtyard of Vidhan Bhavan which is
connected by four pathways.
 Ghats at shipra river from ujjain Ghats at Shipra River which
crosses past Ujjain have a very interesting flow pattern. The same
flow pattern is used in steps of public courtyard which goes up and
down from end to end. This associates the public courtyard to Shipra
River and the entering public feels as if walking along the river.
 bhil painting Bhil paintings are made by the tribes of Madhya
Pradesh. Using these in the Vidhan Bhavan would associate the
building to the people of the state. Also the general public entering
the building would feel closeness with the building and the paintings
would give a traditional touch to the building.
 Narmada River Narmada River has always served Madhya
Pradesh for its water needs. It can be considered the lifeline or
mother goddess of the state. In the building, a statue of Narmada is
standing in the pond of Madhya Pradesh’s shape. The hairs of statue
are untied which signifies flow and progression. A crocodile is also

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 80

DESIGNING AND PLANNING

The program for the State Legislative Assembly specifies four main
functions:

 the Vidhan Sabha (Lower House),

 the Vidhan Parishad (Upper House),
 the Combined Hall and the Library.

It also contains a host of other facilities: offices for 70 State Ministers

(together with their supporting office staff), Committee meeting rooms,
office suites for the Speaker of the house and his staff, offices for the
Opposition Parties, for the Chief Secretary of the Government, for the
Chief Minister and Cabinet Room, as well as Cafeterias and Common
Rooms for the Members of the Legislative Assembly, the Administration
and the Security Staff, etc. These requirements have to be organized so
as to provide independent access to three separate categories of users:
the Legislators, the VIPs, and the General Public- who, for reasons of the
security, need to have an independent path.

The building is located on a hill in the center of Bhopal. Since the main
access road is not axial, but swings towards the site in a rather casual
manner, the plan of the building developed as a circle, so that it could
have an autonomous unity and presence, regardless of the direction from
which one approached it. This circular form was reinforced by other
cultural and historical references as well- i.e., the Parliament Building in
New Delhi, and the earliest Buddhist Stupa nearby at Sanchi.

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 81

The Vidhan Bhavan is divided into nine compartments of squares each

enclosing in it a pattern of gardens within gardens. The five Central
squares form hall and courtyards which are not only assemblage points
but also house the various offices of the Vidhan Bhavan Secretariat and
support services which a legislature need. The four corner squares are
occupied by structures given over to specialized function. I.e. the Vidhan
Sabha or Lower House, the Vidhan Parishad or upper House, the
combined hall for joint session of both houses and any other non-
Legislative function which might be organized by the Vidhan Bhavan and
a cabinet room and the offices of the Chief Minister and other Ministers.
Entry to the building is through three main gates or 'dwars', one for
people at large through the kund, one for member of the legislature and
minister and one for the Speaker of the House. There is also a smaller
entrance for the Chief Minister and Ministers attending cabinet meeting.

The whole building is circular in shape of 140m diameter, located at a

height of 573.25m from sea level. It is centrally air-conditioned and
divided into six sectors. Building consist of a hall for legislative council in
addition to the legislative assembly situated in sector 1, having seating
capacity of 90 members. It has facility of official galleries, media
galleries and visitor’s galleries. It is 20 m. high, square in plan having roof
of space truss. It has facility of natural light. Its furniture is made of sadar
wood.

The assembly hall formerly had capacity for seating 366 members, which
after separation of Chattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh was reduced to
250. Next to the assembly hall are chambers of speaker, deputy speaker
and secretary of Vidhan Sabha. A central hall; 11m high and 10000ft2
in areas is located in sector 4 at center of the building with roof resting
over four pillars. The hall is center point of the building and is a connector
of all four directions and has excellent settings for natural light. Bank,
post office, railway reservation counter and ayurvedic clinic are in vicinity
to the central hall.

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 82

MATERIALS CONCLUSION

Façade-White and colored Indian marble, granite, Red sand stone and Vidhan Bhawan of Bhopal is another architectural landmark by architect
local red stone Charles Correa. Architect has been successful enough to represent
Madhya Pradesh with philosophical and historical references. Application
Walls - Bricks, of ancient Vedic architecture in terms of modern context was a great
challenge and design has indeed surpass that challenge and created
Cladding - Dholpur sandstone
itself as a new edifice that identifies with Madhya Pradesh.
Paints - Polyurethane paints
INFERENCES:
Borders - Hand made ceramic tiles
 Various historical references of various places could be used and
Plastering - Cement plaster for combined in one form in design concepts for representation.
 Ancient architectural tradition can also be used in modern approach
Acoustics and insulation - Gypsum and cement particle boards to create distinct architectural style
Roof – RCC, transparent polycarbonate sheets

Skylight – Fiber glass

CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY

Foundation of the whole complex is made from reinforced concrete

cement. The structural system used is framed structure and structural
elements are: Cast in situ RCC frame structure, Slabs, beam, column ,
Domes, Shell roofs, Flat slabs

Cast in situ reinforced concrete construction is used for construction. All

material testing done on site. Concrete pouring, form work, reinforcement
fabrication done at site manually.

All the other works like plumbing, electrical, HVAC executed at site with
manual labour.

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 83

4.5. CASE STUDY PARLIAMENT LIBRARY, NEW DELHI

SELECTION CRITERIA: SITE AND SURROUNDINGS:

Similar building situation in regional context The Parliament Library of India is located at the heart of Lutyens’ urban
design for New Delhi, to the northwest of Baker’s Parliament House.
Within the imposing context of imperial edifices, an implicit expectation
OBJECTIVES OF STUDY :
was to embody a message of cultural identity and vigour and to
 To understand design process of similar building represent the democratic ideals of an independent India. Responding
 To foresee challenges and issues of regional context to the Parliament’s giant colonnade, the Library features a meticulously
 To understand ways to represent ideals of national identity and ordered cluster of circular forms, organized cross-axially, and
democracy via design configuring an incomplete square.

INTRODUCTION:
 Architect : Raj Rewal associates
 Location : New Delhi
 Site area : 39916sq.m
 Ground floor area : 13.380sq.m
 Total area coverage : 60460sq.m

The building contains basic library functions, parliamentary services and

related facilities over four floors, two of them below ground. All public
spaces on the upper floors are covered by structural lattices of different
patterns, surmounted by shallow bubble domes that create a sculptural BRIEF DESCRIPTION :
landscape on the roof. Inspirations from ancient temples and palaces The complex has four levels, two above and two below ground. The
have been distilled into a contemporary vocabulary that is shaped and upper floors contain public functions and atrium spaces; the basement
textured by the memory of places and the geometry of latticework. floors are mainly for library stacks, archives and services, including
underground parking for 212 cars. Each of the major functions has its
own legibility, and can be identified by a domical roof.
• Outer ring (clockwise, starting with VIP Entrance) – Bureau of
Parliamentary Studies (BPST), Scholars’ Library, Auditorium,
Reception/Cafeteria above, Digital Library/Museum, Press Centre
• Inner ring (clockwise, around the Focal Centre): MP’s Reading
Room, Research and Archives (two spaces), Committee Room/Banquet
Hall above

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 84

DESIGN CONCEPTS
1. Response to user requirements:
The complex has three main components:
Library functions – a main reading room equipped with modern
facilities; audio-visual and digital library; microfilm reader room;
reference, research and computer divisions; conservation laboratory for
restoring old and rare documents; bindery unit and archival room with
temperature below freezing point
Parliamentary functions – the Bureau of Parliamentary Studies
and Training (BPST), Library Committee Room, Parliament Museum and
Archives; a Media Centre equipped with telecommunication facilities,
press and public relations and press briefing room
Meeting halls – lecture and conference rooms; a 1,100-seat auditorium
as well as a small auditorium with multi-media facilities

3. Response to physical constraints

The site posed difficulties in terms of volumetric constraints imposed by
Baker’s Parliament building: the height restriction, and the relation to an
introvert circular form. The problem was solved wisely. To use the
architect’s metaphor, the Library speaks to the Parliament ‘as a guru
gives advice to the king’. The building features a cluster of circular
and semicircular forms organized cross-axially, configuring an
incomplete square’. Both the Parliament and Library buildings have
triangular sites; in contrast to the former’s circular occupation of the
triangle, the latter takes up the challenge to square it. The measures
differ slightly; the square outline of the Library can be inscribed in the
circle of the Parliament.The central hall of the Parliament is virtually
linked to the core of the Library on an axis. The VIP entrance of the
Library is on this axis, aligned with one of the three main approaches
to the Parliament. Apart from this entrance on the southeast facade, the
Library is accessed from three more locations. Scholars enter from
the southwest, the public from the northwest. The MP’s entrance was
initially planned from the southwest, next to the VIP entrance, but this

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 85

was later moved to the southwest corner next to the car parking for Inspirations and influences: Critics analyzing the building have written
security reasons. The complex is surrounded by high walls, so there are most eloquently on the models that the Library draws on. Setting aside
only limited views of the circular forms from the adjacent roads. deferential gestures to the surrounding classical buildings. The plan
typology, where the central core is set among courtyards, owes a debt
to the Jain temple Adinatha in Ranakpur and the Datia Palace in
Madhya Pradesh. The former especially sets an example with its use of
natural light filtered through the open spaces between a central block
and the surrounding mass. The most obvious influence is the cosmological
diagram of the Mandala; other references (Adinatha, Datia and Taj
Mahal) share in fact the same point of departure. The atriums and
staircases are likened in many ways to the octagonal underground
shafts of the medieval step-wells of Adalaj in Gujarat. The stone
4. purely formal aspects: balustrades around their galleries are reminiscent of the austere railings
of the Buddhist stupas of Sanchi
Formal relation with Parliament and other historic buildings: Despite
shared formalities and a shared central axis, the Library reverses the 5. Symbolic references
order of the Parliament; in contrast to Baker’s dense round form, the Light is the defining theme of the project, ‘symbolically representing the
new complex embodies interplay of open and closed volumes, with a spirit of wisdom, enlightenment and democracy’. Eyes are drawn
roofline composed of low-profile bubble domes. From the roof garden upward, the architect observes,
of the Parliament, a dramatic landscape of domical forms ‘Fostering the sense of enlightenment with a secular light’. The courtyards
complements the silhouettes of high masonry domes nearby. Viewed are meant to represent the various tenets of democracy. The court with
from this level, the Parliament and other stately buildings appear less the amphitheatre is symbolic of the liberty of thought and expression. The
domineering and much more accessible. court with the Ahilyabai statue has a large tree symbolic of justice. The
Reconciliation of orthogonal and circular plans: The difficulty raised court with the pool enjoys the water element, traditionally symbolizing
by the different geometries of the lower and the upper structures is equality of status and opportunity.
resolved by making the square forms diagonally along the perimeters. The profusion of such symbolism is engrained in Indian culture, both
This formal articulation helps reduce roof spans, break up the mass of ancient and contemporary. The round form of the Parliament, for
the exterior, and maximize exposure to the outside so as to bring more instance, is widely recognized as a symbol of national unity, while the
daylight and natural ventilation into the volumes. positioning of its assembly hall as a central element represents the
Harmony of parts and the whole: A complex sense of unity is attained, people’s power. Likewise, the composition of the Library in multiple
with parts contributing to the harmony of the whole. Circular forms are focal points is found to be inherently pluralistic. With its low-lying,
connected by a continuous, curvilinear entablature carried by slender horizontally spaced complex, the Library is said to have ‘replaced
columns detached from the mass on the outer periphery (steel columns imperial grandeur with the ethos of a democratic republic’. The visual
clad with sandstone). connection of the building with the neighboring state buildings via the
roof garden is emblematic too, given the symbolism of the garden as

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 86

among the first spaces devoted to knowledge, learning, meeting and sizes, geometries and structural configurations.
exchange of ideas.
The open corner of the plan has given rise to multiple interpretations. There are five types of structural lattice, each designed to carry a
Giordano Tirani sees ‘deliberate intention to evoke incompleteness in the cluster of shallow bubble domes made of lightweight concrete. Spanning
western angle of the building’ for instance, while for Arun Rewal it is a five metres each (less in the auditorium), these domes are precast shell
means to allow research and archives to encroach on the outside. Why structures in fibro-cement, termed ‘fibre-reinforced concrete’ (FRC) in the
the absolute composition is abandoned at one corner is open to engineering reports. The lattices carrying the bubble domes function as
argument. Besides the obvious withdrawing of the building from the subsidiary structures, supported on circular ring beams along the
existing trees, one may observe the expansion of the Scholars’ Library at edges of each space. The glass dome on the Focal Centre has no
the ground level, so that it unites with the inner core functions, and the subsidiary lattice structure as such; instead, a delicate open frame
resulting visual confrontation of the Scholars’ Library with the auditorium. structure rests directly on the octagonal ring beam that runs along the
edges of the space. There are twelve domical roofs in total, in six
ARCHITECT’S DESIGN INTENTIONS variations including

 To address its urban context and relate harmoniously to the MATERIALS

adjacent Parliament building. Columns are mostly concrete, except for the detached steel columns
around the building’s periphery. The basic infill materials are brick and
 To invest the building with an appropriate message, expressive of a
glass brick.Structural lattices are essentially made of tubular
cultural identity and vigour.
elements, with a combination of steel tubes, solid and hollow steel
 To make the new building wholly subservient to the Parliament which
castings. Volumetric space lattices on larger spaces have high tensile
had been designed to demonstrate the imperial power of the British,
bars in addition. The ring beams that carry the lattices are made of
and was loaded with the memories of the colonial past
12.5-millimetre-thick carbon steel pipes of457 millimetres outer
diameter. Connected to the lattices by steel plates, these beams rise
STRUCTURAL SYSTEM
above the roof level on columns, allowing clerestory walls between the
The sub-structure of the Library makes use of innovative
roof structure and the ring beam. The clerestories are generally filled
foundation systems based on diaphragm walls that go to a depth
with glass brick, though the central dome has glazed windows and doors
of 14 metres below ground. The upper structure is a composite
providing access to the roof garden
system with two distinct parts. The structure of standard floors is a
 Walls and columns: Red/pink and white sandstone is used
reinforced concrete frame system with coffered concrete slabs,
extensively for wall and column cladding as well as for mullions
supported by circular reinforced concrete columns. Based on a grid of
and patterned sunbreaks (jaali). Rough-cut sandstone surfaces are
1.2 metres, the spans go up to 10 metres in the lower floors, but vary
juxtaposed with finely chiseled bond stones, sills and lintels. Repellent.
between 15 and 35 metres in the large column-free spaces and atrium
 Interior walls and ceilings: Hand carved sandstone panels five
voids in the upper floors. Except for the Focal Centre, which is covered
centimeters thick conceal acoustical materials where necessary (for
by a single glass dome, these spaces are covered by lattices of varying
example in the walls and suspended ceilings of the foyer spaces of

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 87

the auditorium). The auditorium is finished with thin plates of marble placement of bubble domes in various locations was a most
on the walls, and wood on the ceiling. The corridors have suspended challenging activity.
metallic ceilings.  Glass dome in Focal Centre: The petals of the glass dome were
 Bubble domes: The domes are finished externally either in polished assembled at the rooftop, since no crane could reach that location.
sandstone or in granite roof tiles. Interior surfaces are finished with The welding and connection to steel casting elements were
acoustic panelling in terracotta or wood, in the form of tiles or accomplished using advanced engineering techniques. This dome was
battens. Types of wood used in the ceilings include Burma teak, a cause of great concern to engineers, because of the heat loads for
Sheesham teak and cedar. the air-conditioning system and because the required expertise was
 The glass dome: The glazing over the Focal Centre consists of not readily available in India. Raj Rewal rejected a proposal to
four layers of glass, combined in two pairs with an air gap in insert aluminium shading devices over the dome. In order to reduce
between: i) 13 millimeter heat-reflective laminated safety glass heat gain to acceptable levels, reflective glass in two layers was
(comprising 5 millimeter heat-reflective glass and 8 millimeter clear added on structural glass panels, also in two layers.
float glass); ii) 6 millimeter laminated safety glass (comprising two  Stone cladding of columns: All steel and RC columns were
layers of 3 millimeter clear float glass). encased in sandstone. The production of these composite columns of
 Floor finishing and pavements: Marble is the prime material sandstone and concrete was a technological feat. A huge number of
indoors, each space having varied floor patterns inscribed with reinforced concrete columns (2,436 columns ranging from 40 to 75
different colors of marble. centimetres in diameter) were clad with five-centimetre-thick red
CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY sandstone. As the stone had to be carved to a circular profile, with
 Foundations: The diaphragm walls of the foundation were lowered the inner surface rough and the outer surface finished, the contractor
and anchored to the bedrock by prestressed inclined rock anchors had to develop a lathe machine that could process column segments
that enclose the periphery and retain the earth outside. Basements swiftly and efficiently. After the sandstone was carved on these
were also anchored with rock anchors to counter the uplift thrust due custom-made lathes, it was attached to the concrete columns through
to high water- table. a series of circular stainless steel rings. The stone-clad steel structural
 Steel lattices and bubble domes: Stainless steel pipes in a double- columns on the periphery of the building were reinforced with steel
curved shape were made by a specially designed press located at rods.
the site. Steel castings were made for all the nodes of the ring beam  Stone cladding of walls: Here the architect is said to have ‘re-
and the lattice structures (a total of 348 different castings). To obtain invented the traditional techniques of masonry construction by
high- performance and durable FRC domes, Larsen and Toubro inserting a bond stone between alternating bands of cladding’.This
designed an innovative pan mixer for precise weighing of the simple technique enables the stone to become an integral part of the
ingredients. Concrete was poured by tower cranes; sprinklers brick infill, increasing its compressive strength and eliminating the
ensured non-stop curing. For each bubble dome, different joints need for expensive stainless steel dowels. Stone mullions and window
(fixed, sliding and free) were provided. After curing, the bubble lattice jaalis were done manually.
domes were moved by a tower crane from the yard to the roof and
installed directly on the steel tube substructure. The precasting and

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 88

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 89

.
CONCLUSION:

Conceived within the Indian tradition, built in a contemporary idiom’, the

Parliament Library relates quietly to its context - the heart of Sir
Edward Lutyens’ urban design of Delhi. Its external facade, clad in red
sandstone, goes in perfect harmony with the setting. Internally, the
defining theme is light, admitted through three courtyards and twelve
domes. The domes are of various sizes and are constructed of
lightweight fiber cement, bright steel lattice and tensile cables, structural
glass and glass bricks. A roof garden provides a gathering space for
scholars and parliamentarians in the winter, and a thermal barrier in the
summer.

INFERENCES:

 Ancient architecture tradition could be distilled into contemporary

ways.
 Well-designed building can harmonise as well as mould the nature of
setting of neighborhood.
 Unique design solution can be attained by consideration of various
factors side by side.

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 90

4.6. CASE STUDY: SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT, EDINBURG

SELECTION CRITERIA

 Similar building situation in European context.

 Abstract complexity and philosophical approach in design

OBJECTIVES

 To understand flow, circulation and spatial relationship

 To understand philosophical approach in architecture

INTRODUCTION

Architects Enrich Miralles & Benedetta Tagliabue along with their Scottish
partner RMJM Scotland won a competition to design a new building for
Scottish parliament at holy rood. The team presented a series of charts
showing where the design of Parliament: as a leaf and branch, with a
strong symbolic meaning. This drew the attention of the jury and led to
winning the proposal, although no one term to understand.

SITE:

The site, of the some 4 acres, with a perimeter of approximately 480m,

located 1 km to the east of Edinburgh city Centre, within the UNESCO
World Heritage site. It encompasses the former corporate headquarters
of Scottish and new castle palace and also the former Queensberry house
hospital.The building occupies an area of 1.45 hectares, which is added
1.86 acres of gardens. The building consists of a set of scattered units
that form a whole.

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 91

CONCEPT

The design has a very strong symbolic basis: one thinks a building that
reflects the land on which it arises. The study based its proposal on three
points: the Scottish landscape, its people and its culture. That's why it is
situated like a small town, with streets and buildings of varying scale, and
allowed to go through different feelings while it runs.

"we don’t want to forget that the scottish parliament will be in edinburg,
but will belong to scotland . The parliament should be able to reflect the
land it represents. The building should arise from the sloping base of
arthurs seat and arrive into the city almost surging out of the rock "-
Enrich miralles

Miirralles sought to design a parliament building that could represent and

present identity. This intractably difficult question was tackled by
displacing the question of identity into the language of Scotland.

Non heirarchial organic collection of low lying buildings intended to allow

views of and blend in with the surrounding rugged scenery and
symbolises the connection between nature and the scottish people. The
peotic approach with rampant complexity , iconography and layering of
meaning and metaphor .

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 92

FUNCTIONAL SPACES

1. PUBLIC ENTRANCE

2. PLAZA

3. POND

4 PRESS TOWERS

5. DEBATING CHAMBER

6. TOWER ONE

7. TOWER TWO

8. TOWER THREE

9. TOWER FOUR

10. TOWER FIVE CANNOGATE BUILDING

11. MAIN STAIRCASE

12. MSP’s ENTRANCE

13. LOBBY

14. GARDEN

15. QUEENSBERRY ENTRANCE

16. MSP BUILDING

17. TURF ROOF

18. CAR PARK & VEHICULAR ENTRANCE

19. LANDSCAPE PARK

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 93

The entrance building: Is located to the east. Contains information

services (counters), restaurant and shops. The counter is made of wood
and banana Scottish oak.

Assembly building: Here are located the committee rooms and support
services, which resolve most issues. The appearance of this building
resembles a Scottish boats moored to the dock. The roofs with overhangs
of double curvature, materialized with steel elements, creating an
atmosphere in the church roof.

Torres assembly: There are four towers in total and around the chamber
of deputies. Towers 1 and 2 house parliamentary committees and staff
offices. In the towers 3 and 4 provide ministries are located, his staff and
the chair of Parliament. Their roofs are shaped like boats.

Tower of media: It is located on the corner of Horse Wynd, the

Canongate building and debating chamber. A building of 4 floors. The
front conforms to boot-shaped pieces made of stone and oak.

Canongate buildings: It is earmarked to finance and management

offices. The outer wall is precast concrete elements.

The building of parliamentarians: 6-storey linear building located in the

West. Inside offices are located-cells manufactured with a vaulted ceiling.
Each module has 15 m2 and weighs 18 tons. The facade is defined by
114 windows bay window (cantilever and provided with a seat). The
form of these is based on the profile of a famous painting by Raeburn.
The movement is located to the east, and overlooks a courtyard garden.
The structure is concrete.

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 94

STRUCTURE

Each space has a different structure. The entrance building, endings are
characterized by their high quality concrete and have three domes dotted
with crosses (taking the image of the Scottish flag. The columns invade
apparently arbitrarily. In the debating chamber, The roof consists of three
large wooden trusses with 120 knots, and fabricated stainless steel
connectors in Aberdeen especially for the building. The elements
comprising the structure are laminated European oak compression
elements and stainless steel for the elements in tension. The assembly
buildings have been designed in prestressed concrete to get lights for
more than 14 m The Canongate building have within a metallic structure.
Finally, theMSPs building has MPs in the office sector, prefabricated cells
with a vaulted ceiling and the concrete structure movement.

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 95

MATERIALS CONCLUSION:

It is used largely for banana timber Scottish European oak and banana, Scottish parliament has been example of philosophical approach in
as well as concrete and stone. Although each sector has materials that design process where the architect tried to identify Scotland with use of
characterize them: Scottish material. The shape and form being perceived by upturn boats
present in seashores of Scotland. Unique design solution has been
In the towers of the assembly, using reinforced concrete frames, covered obtained in terms of style and expression.
Kemnay granite, from Aberdeenshire. There are decorative panels made
of oak and black and gray granite. The roofs are covered with stainless
steel. On the west side,the representative office,there are windows of
stainless steel. Some of the windows have exterior design with a lattice of INFERENCES:.
oak.
 The use of local material or setting of the site can also represent the
In the debating chamber, all based coatings are made from European nation.
oak and banana. The western side of the camera has 1000 m2 of  Public space is vital in parliament of democratic society where there
laminated glass panels. Each panel has a sheet of banana strips placed in must be direct relation between electoral and electorate
horizontal layers between two glass and shaping the forms that mimic
human forms. The furniture was held in banana and oak

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 96

4.7. CASE STUDY OF REICHSTAG, BERLIN

SELECTION CRITERIA:

 Similar building situation in global context

 Intervention in existing building to create open publicly accessible
structure.

OBJECTIVES OF STUDY:

 To understand relation between public space and parliament

 To study representation of democratic ideals via architecture

INTRODUCTION

The Reichstag is a landmark that reflects Germany's history. Built in the

19th century for the purpose of seating Germany's parliament, it suffered
the course of time, being mutilated by war and insensitive rebuilding.
Having been hated and almost forgotten for four decades, the Reichstag
lost its status of separation and instead became a place where
reunification would be conceived, after the removal of its immediate
neighbor – The Berlin Wall.

CONTEXT

Following the decision to relocate the federal capital from Bonn to Berlin,
were initiated various projects for the construction of new buildings to
house the headquarters of the main institutions of the country's work was
more emblematic of the complete remodeling inside story building, the
Reichstag (Parliament German) as well as the restoration of its facade
and the construction of a dome with a new modern design, markedly
different from the original.

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 97

It is one of the main symbols of the new Berlin, capable of communicating Nearby, on the north side were erected three buildings complementary,
in a single glance, that communion between past and present that makes completing what is known as the parliamentary complex.
the German capital today to a laboratory for architecture and a true
and proper exposure to opencast the dome Reichstag is the result of the ARCHITECT’S INTENTIONS
ingenuity of Norman Foster, winner in 1993, the international convened
Norman Foster’s approach to the Reichstag’s redesign was sensitive;
with the aim of rebuilding the structure demolished in 1954.
however pushing the boundaries for a trend setting public building was
While the dome had been completely destroyed, the walls of the always the core of his plan. His concept revolved around four key issues.
Reichstag had remained standing but heavily damaged. Intervention by These are his interpretations of them:
the architect, responsible for providing new functionality to the entire
Parliament: To understand the institute and it’s inner workings.
structure, has been based on a number of points that can be summarized
thus: transparency, respect for history and protection of the environment History: How new should meet old? How scars can record its troubled
past and how once revealed could be preserved as a living museum for
CONCEPT
future generations.
Transparency The principle has been inspiring, in fact, do more publicly
Economics: How much will it cost? How can we reduce the running cost
accessible government action; of here, the choice of creating a single
and ensure value for money in the long term?
entry for the public and politicians, and predispose, on the first floor, a
wall Glass, with direct view to the halls of parliament. Ecology: Environmental control, invest in alternative sources of energy to
reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
Respect for history: Along with the relationship with the existing building,
Foster has chosen to retain some traces of the past, that emerged during The following were additional intentions identified:
the demolition work and leave visible the relationship between new and
old, respecting the installation of the original structure.  To lighten the spirit of the old heavy Reichstag building
 To reveal and preserve inscriptions and graffiti on the walls, as they
Iconic new dome Completely different from the previous shift is in the new play a key role in depicting the history of the building.
dome, a futuristic structure of glass and steel, inside which two tranches  To reveal and preserve inscriptions and graffiti on the walls, as they
helical lead to an observation area, right in line with the Plenary Hall. play a key role in depicting the history of the building.
 To make the building accessible to the public.
SPACES
 To transform the Reichstag into an energy efficient building, thereby
The building has a main hall, 30 meters high, transparent and functional. demonstrating the potential for a completely sustainable, basically
From the Republic Square can see the west gate of the building. This is the non-polluting public building, by adopting new forms of energy
entrance for visitors, that if they're not registered, they come directly to supply.
the terrace offering a panoramic view over the surrounding buildings and
access to the dome.

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 98

REDESIGN

 Transformation process: began with removal of the insensitive 1960s

intervention while attention was paid to preserving the buildings 19th
century structure and inscription.
 Avoidance in use of fossil fuels and reliance on use of natural and
alternative sources of energy for lighting ventilation and heating.
 New service installation rely on refined vegetable oil, a renewable
biofuel from plants that when burned in a cogenerator produce
electricity.
 Daylight , solar power and natural ventilation facilitate lighting , hot
water supply and control the warmth in winter and cooling in summer.
 Main feature of the design is the dome , which is known as the cupola.
Cupola plays a key role in the building’s day lighting and energy
efficiency strategies. The cupola which is constructed using modern
technology and material , is symbolic of lightening and signifies the
renewal of the old Reichstag
 Lighting is used to enhance the building’s nighttime image. High
intensity lamps light up the cupola. On special occasion and german
holidays . additional lighting is used to create stricking appearances .
 Entire roof of the building is demarcated as public space. Restaurants
and viewing terraces form part of this space, which leads to the
cupola where a spiral walkway leads to the highest viewing platform.
 The external facades were restored to their original finish.New
elements were added to these facades in the form of
aluminium fenestration and glass balustrades. These subtly depict
how the new meets old and how the ‘lightweight’ of the new comes
through the ‘heaviness’ of the old.
 Dome Supported by 12 columns of reinforced concrete, the structure
has a diameter of 40 meters, a height of 23.5 meters and a total
weight of 1,200 tons. The trunk of cone, which makes "light sculpture"
has a lower base of 2.5 meters, while the top measured 16 meters.
This endowed, in addition, a mobile screen that moves to prevent the
penetration of heat and direct sunlight

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 99

CONLUSIONS

The Reichstag proved to be a highly successful project on its

completion. The building’s popularity as a tourist attraction has increased
tremendously. Not only are the tourists impressed by its redesign, but the
German Parliament as well, and are extremely grateful for their new
healthy working environment.

It’s architecture of power has been transformed by an architecture of

freedom, thereby symbolizing Germany’s vision of a democratic society.
The Reichstag’s redesign has a lot of potential, and is now precedent for
reuse of existing buildings in future.

DESIGN INFERENCES

 External facades should be restored to their original finish. This

demonstrates sensitivity and respect toward the building.
 Modern materials and elements can be added to the facades to
subtly depict the new coming through the old.
 Any additions to the building should preferably contrast the original
design in terms of form and aesthetics. This illustrates architectures
transformation over time, as well as a complementary gesture
towards the old building.
 The buildings original footprint should be reinstated, specifically if
previous interventions disrupted the original fabric.
 Any historical aspects of the building should be retained and
preserved for future generations to observe. This conforms to being
sensitive and having respect for the building and it’s past.

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 100

4.8. CASE STUDY OF SENEDD, CARDIFF

SELECTION CRITERIA

Similar building situation in global context

OBJECTIVES OF STUDY

 To study public space within parliament building

 To study design approach

INTRODUCTION

Senedd, a main public building of national assembly is described as an

inspirational and icon for wales. Richard Rogers and partners designed
the complex with an approach to create an open space and inviting
public space along with secured private areas for government ministers’
.Openness and transparency is the main idea behind the design while
sculpted roof is most striking feature. It's built up area is 4000m2

SITE

The existing site was originally part of the bristol channel foreshore some
200m south of the bank that prevents the tidal flooding. Later on these
were drained by a system of orthogonal drainage before cardiff first
dock the bute ship canal( later known as Bute West dock ) Bute East Dock
was built in 1852 . By 1855, the future assembly site has been raised
roughly to it's present level as the part of dock land construction which
were gradually infilled in 1970s and 1980s.

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 101

CONTEXT

International design competition searching for a new building that was to

be open and democratic , something that was appropriate for the new
millennium. The jury looked at the design from six architects and choose
Richard Rogers Partnership's concept.

The design was described as symbol of wales looking with confidence to

its future and as a new form of democracy of which the whole of wales
could be proud of . The jury also stipulated that the building needed to
be sustainable, use welsh materials when possible and last at least 100
years.

DESIGN CONCEPT

Architect's desire for an open building as the main idea behind the
design. The building was not to be an insular , closed edifice . Rather it
would be a transparent envelope, looking outwards to cardiff bay and
beyond making visible the inner workings of the assembly and
encouraging public participation in the democratic process. The public
spaces were elevated in order to let light into the administrative areas,
which connected the "electorate and the elected", The undulations in the
lightweight roof define the purposes of the building .The roof line is
broken by a wind cowl that naturally ventilates the debating chamber
below. This cantilevered rippling roof makes the national assembly
building which is of much smaller scale than the buildings around it, seem
to hold on its own.

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 102

FORMATION OF THE ROOF

ROOF STRUCTURE

3D Animation sequence used to create the roof out of simple geometric

forms where five of these undulations of the roof are the same. the sixth
one , which supports the bell and lantern structure , is a little bit different .
each interior module measures . 12m by 41.5m and the two end modules
are 12m by 44m

The two main arches of the roof structure are inclined at nearly 45
degrees with an arching ratio of roughly 1:8 to allow the structure to act
as an offset tied arch in the transverse direction. The columns at the
bottom of the arches help to withstand vertical thrust whereas angled
struts that are attached to the arches by offset ties help fight against
horizontal thrust. the cantilever of the roof, a distance of up to 15m , is
also supported by these angled struts. the size of the building is small
enough that the longitudinal members that form undulating roof can just
span form arch to arch. the longitudinal members are all straight simply
supported beams.

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 103

STRUCTURE

A series of pre stressed rods give the roof lateral stability. The braced
roof structure performs as a diaphragm to shift lateral loads to stability
members. the loads from the facade of the building are supported by " a
series of props at the top of the facade mullions" that connect to the
stability structure. the structure of the roof and facade and it's structure
are independent of each other as they are separated by 2.5m

CONSTRUCTION INFORMATION

Roof (top) : Aluminum standing seem roof

Roof (underside) : untreated red cedar soffit

Structural columns : steel ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN

Frame : primarily steel Natural ventilation is the default mode. The cooling and heating are
supplied by earth heat exchangers and rotating wind cowl ventilates the
Outer wall : mainly state and glass
debating chamber via the funnel hung from the roof. The natural lighting
plinth : rcc & dark welsh state is provided even in the chamber glazing beneath the cowl that admits
daylight which is reflected down by an inverted conical mirror. The
The concrete used for the structure of the building was cast in-situ and for rainwater is stored in a basement tank for recycling.
environmental and architectural reasons, parts of it were left exposed. It
was designed to resist blast, as it is a governmental building. The concrete
also helps to control the temperature inside of building because of its
thermal mass. A lightweight foamed concrete fills to save the upheaval
and expense of future ground re-leveling was devised by the structural
engineers so that the maintenance cost of the concrete could be reduced.

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 104

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 105

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 106

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 107

Conclusion:

Richard Rogers has been able to create unique piece of architecture with
which relates with people and nature of wales. Deviation from traditional
style of architecture but use of local material gives the sense of identity
furthermore extensive use of glass symbolizes the openness in democratic
society. the way architect have created access to upper floor for the
people and lower floors for MPs also symbolizes the people’s supremacy
and likewise the assembly hall which can be viewed from upper level also
creates the sense that we are being watched to the fellow elected.
Moreover the addition of sustainability feature also makes it more
successful.

Inferences

 The use of certain elements like steps or certain material like glass
can create a sense and symbolize the ideals.
 The use of local material or setting of the site can also represent the
nation.
 Public space is vital in parliament of democratic society where there
must be direct relation between electoral and electorate.

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 108

CHAPTER 5: SITE & CONTEXT STUDIES

SITE INFORMATION

 Total area: 112720sq.m (220 ropani approx.)

 Location: Kamerotaar
o Site surroundings : elevated landform
amidst open areas giving a landmark potential to the
site separating it from residential area in north west and
commercial development in south
o North : residential area of thimi
o South : 6 lane highway
o East : residential area of thimi
o West : historic town of Bhaktapur
 Ownership: Kamerotaar land pooling project
 Topography: elevation ranges from 1300 to 1324m
with sloppy landscape and a plateau like space
 Vegetation : number of trees and bushes on site
 Hydrology : small ditches of water
SITE JUSTIFICATION:  Geology : white clay found abundantly
 Shape : The site is irregular in shape
With case study inferences, it become clear that site selection plays
pivotal role in design of the building. Being a building of national  Visibility : The raised landforms gives clear visibility
importance the site has to have landmark potential with good accessibility  Access : 6 lane highway & Purano thimi road Several
and if possible could represent the national landscape. Site of Kamerotar arterial under construction works
somehow addresses above needs. It has landmark potential with its  Circulation: The site is accessible from every corner.
elevated landform and accessed by 6 lane highway. Its proximity to  Dimensions: 248.5m long on south & 538.7m long on north
historic towns of madhyapur thimi and Bhaktapur gives it potential to be  Status: currently unused
new city centre. In addition to that , site rises from flat land to elevated  Services : basic services like electricity , water supply ,
landform giving the view of mountains which in someway also represent
telecommunication , drainage are present
Nepalese national landscape i.e terai, hill and Himalayas.l

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 109

SWOT ANALYSIS

STRENGTH

 Accessibility –two main roads and other arterial roads

 Elevated landform giving visual clarity
 Landmark potential & 6 Lane highway
South west panorama from the site
WEAKNESS

 Infrastructure installation is underway

 Steep slope land becomes useless
 Distance from core city area

OPPORTUNITIES
South east panorama from the site
 Potentials for future expansion
 Area being a new development

THREAT

 Some areas do have threat of landslides

 If not managed well the development can affect the nearby
historic town
South east panorama of the site

North east panorama of the site

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 110

SITE INFERENCES

Layout : orientation with east west axis

`Openings : large openings 40-80% to allow light

Spacing : open space for breezing peneteration

Rainfall : protection of heavy rainfall needed

Vegetation: trees and vegetation needed to be maintain

BYE LAWS: View from northern part of site

According to the byelaws of Madhyapur Thimi Municipality , the site lies
in the new residential zone. The site is surrounded by recently developing
commercial zone in south, and residential zone in north. Following are the
regulations for the project as per the bye-laws.

R.O.W. + Set back: 10 + 1 m from the center of the road

F.A.R.: 2.5

Ground Coverage: 50%

.The ceiling height should not be less than 9’-6”.

Openings in wall should be 3m away from the boundary line.

View from southern part of site

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 111

SOUTH WEST

NORTH EAST

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 112

CHAPTER 6: CONCEPT & DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

“. . . A parliament building is a public building which should say something

very powerful about democracy. It has to express the role it has to play and
tell people that this is your city, this is your state and you must participate in
it.” – Charles Correa

Above quotation well describes the two major issue that comes across in
design of parliament or legislative building i.e. expression of democracy
and national representation through architecture. First and foremost the
parliament itself being a strong symbol of democracy it has to speak of
democracy and instead of being a closed monumental edifice it has to be
relate with the people and at the same time it has bear some identity of
the place . Moreover being a functional entity the project also needs to
various functional requirements to be fulfilled for working of the building .
likewise it is obvious that the slopy landscape of the site will somehow
greatly impact the design direction. Hence to tackle with all the problems
and to come up with solution , I needed a process with a methodology
which will lead me to solution step by step solving all the possible
issues on the way.

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 113

6.1 DESIGN PROCESS 6.1.1 Identification of key issues:

Due to complexity of various intertwined issues and challenges along with
functional requirements and volume of work the project demands, only The major issues are listed below:
one key concept couldn’t meet the solution. I needed first find out issues  Nationality : representation of nation or national essence
and put them in hierarchical order and solve them step by step. Thus  Workability : functional circulation and work environment
design approach has been devised in following steps :
 Accountability: balancing transparency & security
6.1.1 Identification of key issues  Accessibility : universal or barrier free accessibility
6.1.2 Design intentions  Sensitivity : sensitivity towards the setting and the site
6.1.3 Inferences from historic precedents  Vitality : strength and stability of structure
6.1.4 Perception of form
6.1.5 Site synergy and physical constraints
6.1.2 Design intentions:
6.1.6 Response to user requirements
6.1.7. Symbolic references After determining the major issues, I came up with setting some ground
rules to orient myself in the process and I have laid out few design
First and foremost the key issues are ascertained which is followed by intentions which are:
drawing of inferences from historic precedents which includes the study
of palaces and traditional cityscape of Nepal to look for clue for point  Issue of Expression of national image will be dealt not by
of departure in and then user requirements and functional requirements imitation of traditional or vernacular style but by it’s essence
are fixed with spatial diagrams and thereafter master plan graphics is which may be from planning , zoning or imagery
obtained by perception and which will go in development with respect  Design approach will be modern so as to reflect the time in which
to site synergy and symbolic references are taken for architectural Nepalis society Is at present .Architecture should speak of time
expression.  Symbolic references will be used to present the ideals of
democracy.
 Natural slope of site will not be altered as far as possible and
design intends to go with the flow of site synergy

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 114

6.1.3. Inferences from historic precedents:

Normally places of medieval times were mostly closed grand edifices or

heavily fortified structures. Unlike them, palaces of Nepalese architecture
relate to the people in terms of scale and there are public squares in
every palace. Ironically it’s only after 20th century when totalitarian
regime were replaced by democratic system, West started opting for
public buildings that relates with people instead of monumental
overpowering classical structures. Though democratic system of west are
new to us however our architecture of medieval times does speak of
democratic society that existed there where the ruler and ruled people
are related through architecture. Hence this becomes the point of
departure for my design where ideals democracy and national essence
comes together.

The sectional zoning idea derived from relationship between Public

Square and temple while idea of elevation will look for relating with the
image of Nepali city. Likewise , zoning in plan will be obtained from
spatial relationship of durbar squares.

image of nepali cityscape ( mountain , temple & city)

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 115

GARDEN (PRIVATE) GARDEN or DEITY

(PRIVATE)
PALACE

PUBLIC SQUARE PALACE COURT

(SEMI PUBLIC)

SQUARE
(PUBLIC)

The above mentioned spatial relationship will be used in zoning of masterplan

where the urban public space will be in front of parliament complex which
PALACE GARDEN intends to establish relation between elected and electorate and meanwhile
PUBLIC

GARDEN LANDSCAPE

PARLIAMENT COMPLEX

PALACE COMPLEX
PUBLIC LANDSCAPE

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 116

6.1.4. Perception of form

Perception process was applied to derrive the masterplan graphics and for that
purpose I needed something that represent the nation to perceieved with and
hence I took the image of national flag and perceieve it with series of diagrams
which later on was further developed into sketches to create masterplan
graphics.

In this process, the waving flag has been abstracted into geometrical shapes
where the two circles becomes dominant in foreground while other elements gets
reduced in background and some also gets reduced to lines. After series of
sketches a graphics was finalised which was then transferred to site and series
of sketches were done considering site synergy.

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 117

6.1.5. Site synergy and physical constraints

As site itself is very complex with elevation ranging from 1300m to 1324m , the
contour lines also orientates the design in particular flow and thus the intial
sketches had to be rotated and further sketches were created considering site
synergies such as view , vegetation , wind direction, acess etc

Due to difficult landforms the site had to be studied in model and thus study
model was made to understand the site in totality . following conclusions were
drawn:

 Minimum alteration is to be done to natural landform of the site.

 The building components needs to be placed along the contour lines
and gradual slope areas could be used as acess areas

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 118

6.1.6. Response to user requirements

In this phase of design the user requirements are ascertained to make

building more functional. Spatial relationships are understood via bubble
diagrams.

The main functional relationship is expressed in above diagram where the

assembly hall is in direct relation with public space while service and
functional spaces is in different sphere . this diagram is the basic
functional bubble diagram of project. The functional diagram of
individual building components area given below

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 119

6.1.7. Symbolic references

Symbolic references have been used so as to express democratic ideals

.the sense of openness and transparency has been achieved. Likewise
series of steps leading to the top symbolically denotes the path of
progression the nation is following . likewise the connection of public
space with roof of assembly hall by series of steps symbolic indicates
the people’s power and gives a message that people’s representative
are being watched by the people every time.

Likewise the flagpole made of 3 slender columns indicating the

aspiration of peace progress and prosperity of Nepalese people and
similarly the 3 level tired temple like structure represents the Nepalese
democracy and it’s 3 stages.

Three major axis is maintained in the design where one links the public
space with roof of assembly and then to library and café block while
another axis that runs from apex of lower house to upper house and
then to flagpole. And another axis leads from public space to series of
stairs giving the view of mountains and oblique approach of “temple of
democracy”. This axial relationship can be seen in sectional drawings
and perspective views.

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 120

6.2 DESIGN DEVELOPMENT OF MASTERPLAN

SKETCH FROM PERCEPTION

POINT OF DEPARTURE ZONING & CIRCULATION

PRELIMINARY MASTER PLAN MASTER PLAN

MASS STUDY VIA MODEL

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha
 121

6.3. DESIGN DEVELOPMENT OF INDIVIDUAL COMPONENTS

 Circulation : circumambulatory around the assembly

 Layout : concentric assembly hall
 Approach: frontal giving symmetric view
 Accessibility : roof accessible to people directly
Symbolizing people’s superiority
 Location : lower level and it connects elevated land
with public space level

LOWER HOUSE

 Circulation : circumambulatory around the assembly

 Layout : U shaped assembly hall
 Approach: oblique approach with perspective view
 Accessibility : roof is indirectly accessible
 Location : lies in upper level

UPPER HOUSE

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 122

 Form : rotating forms

 Circulation : courtyard
 Approach: oblique approach with perspective view
 Accessibility : accessible to everyone at different
level s
 Location : lies in upper level
SECRETERIAT BLOCK

 Form : two functional components slide to form

singular form
 Circulation : axial corridor
 Approach: oblique approach with perspective view
 Accessibility : accessible to everyone at different
level s
 Location : lies in intermediate level of hill

PARTY & COMMITTEE

BLOCK

 Form : interpeneterating forms café and library

 Circulation : axial corridor
 Approach: oblique approach with perspective view
 Accessibility : accessible to everyone
 Location : lies in upper level
LIBRARY & CAFÉ BLOCK

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 123

6..4 DESIGN DEVELOPMENT OF ELEVATIONS AND SECTIONS

CITYSCAPE
ELEVATION

PARLIAMENT

PUBLIC SPACE

SECTIONAL DRAWING

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 124

6.5 OTHER CONSIDERATION:

Concept for services :
b. Fire Hazard safety
A . lighting system
The danger of fire cannot be undermined in any building , in any place. In
An energy management system has been proposed to minimize wasteful the design of building , fire hazard precaution is proposed to be taken
use of lights and make maximum use of natural light. This system can save by installation of fire hydrant system on each floor. A glass pane covered
up to 70% of lighting energy costs. In addition to that this sytem can hose cabin box is proposed to be provided on every floor midlanding ,
enhance employee convenience and comfort.and comfort. on the lift wall with rubber nylone hose 15m every floor, with connection
to the fire hydrant water supply line . a fire alarm system is also
Energy management system provided on each floor near the hydrant system , for immediate
emergency management .emergency exist has been provided on every
The system operates on the basis of presence detection coupled with block.
daylight sensing systems. Lights switched on automatically when they are
needed and off when they are not. This system may be programmed to c. Proposed HVAC
switch luminaries in groups over nominated work zone.
the proposed HVAC system is of invertor type multi split system which has
Some of the major features of this system are : the following features:

Advanace presence detection system by passive infrared technology a. Low energy consumption
b. Low noise
Photocell holds light off in bright ambient conditions when area becomes c. Environment friendly
occupied . d. Aesthetically good
Regulating photocell adjusts luminaries output to maintain constant light e. Low maintenance
levels. d. earthquake alarm system
Off delay in minutes following the last observed movement after which a self-dc powdered earthquake alarm is proposed in different places of
lights switched off the office premise and assembly areas.
Building security level is enhanced d. structural analysis
The proposed lighting system is the combination of general glares free Nepal lies in seisemically sensitive zone and thus all architectural design
lighting and spot lighting using perfect glare control light fixtures and building activities are conducted with strict adherence to prevailing
considering the effect of daylighting. seismic principles as set by the national building code of Nepal.

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 125

The structural design of proposed building is based referring on

earthquake design parameters with return period of 50-100 years
underwhich the structure shall remain to behave in the linear range with
possible limited nonlinear deformation to individual elements of the
system , which means a limited decrease in stiffness and dissipation of
seismic energy with no nlinear deformations. The building structure layout
and its main design principle are in consideration of seismic safety to
withstand the intensity of earthquake of 1936 or equivalent.

The basis of good seismic design is in minimizing irregularities in the

building volume creating as close as possible to totally symmetrical
footprint. In consideration of achieving the optimum degree of safety
against earthquake , the layout of the building structural element is
conducted in symmetric and regular intervals.

The main structural system of the proposed building is reinforce concrete

structure with infill masonry walls, which can be treated as reinforced
concrete moment resisting frame (column and beam) . the foundation is
solid raft at the base. The foundation mat area has to be determined
based on assumption of 100KN/sq.m with the total depth sufficient to
resist the diagonal shear and moment caused by the earthquake forces.
The structural columns are assumed to be 450x450 and 600x600 mm
with floor height of about 3.6m(offices) and 4.3m (assembly). The
structural beam are kept 450x600mm according to grid consideration of
achieving “strong column and weak beam” concept. The floor slabs are
flat concrete slabs throught the storey, which behaves as a rigid
diaphragm. Waffle slab cement mortar. The infill walls are proposed to
be built with reinforcement in appropriate interval to avoid tensile cracks
in the event of seismic action . expansion joints have been provided in the
interval of 30m

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 126

BIBILOGRAPHY

 Parliament library and information services of Nepal

 International association of conference interpreters (AIIC)
designing and building booths for simulataneous interpretation,
guidelines for architects
 Charles Correa, Architect in India , Hasan Uddin Khan
 Architectural acoustics –David M. Egan
 Architect’s data-Neufert Ernst
 People and places- design guidelines for urban open spaces,
francis , Carolyn and Marcus , Clare Cooper , John Wiley and
sons
 Global architecture-le Corbusier, the new capitol of Punjab,
india – Takasama Yoshizaka
 Thesis report : Swasti bhattrai ,2005, IOE, pulchowk campus
 Thesis report: Bineta Kansakar 2010, IOE, Pulchowk campus
 Architect’s record of Sher-E –Bangla Nagar Capitol Complex,
Dhaka
 Architect’s record of Bidhan Bhawan, Bhopal , India
 National Assembly for Wales, Jamie Roudebush
 www.wikiarquitectura.com
 www.greatbuildingsonline.com
 www.archnet.com
 www.filedigg.com
 BBC documentary- Albert Speer-hitler’s architect
 BBC documentary- Adventures of Architecture-Dan Cruickshank
 Documentary-architecture and politics
 Traditional architecture of Kathmandu valley, Wolfgang Korn

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha

 127

Legislature parliament : Architecture of Democracy, kamerotaar Saurav Shrestha