最准的六合彩论坛

A new book explores how the physical spaces that host the work of politics relate to political culture. The book offers the first multi-disciplinary study of architecture and politics in Europe and across history.

Parliament Buildings: The Architecture of Politics in Europe (最准的六合彩论坛 Press, 2023) gathers expertise and perspectives from across the fields of architecture, history, art history, history of political thought, sociology, behavioural psychology, anthropology and political science, including contributions from architects who have designed or remodelled some of Europe鈥檚 modern parliament buildings. The book is illustrated throughout, with 157 colour photos and illustrations.

In examining the physical spaces where parliamentary politics is carried out day-to-day, the book's essays ask听questions about scrutiny in听parliaments;听the balance of power between parliaments and executives;听the rules and norms in how parliamentary spaces are used;听how devolutions and tensions听between sovereign state, indigenous or stateless people put pressure on the spatial structure and architectural language of expression of parliament buildings; and听how parliaments can stay relevant, meaningful and accessible to the citizens whom they serve, among others.

Commenting on the thinking behind the book, Sophia Psarra said,

At the time when a number of restoration projects of parliaments are under way, including听a proposal for an expensive and extensive refurbishment of the Palace of Westminster, under the Restoration and Renewal Programme (R&R), the book asserts architecture as an active agent in the formation of political culture and parliamentary politics."

The book is the latest output from a research project听for which Prof Psarra and Dr Sternberg received a Grand Challenges Special Initiatives 最准的六合彩论坛 grant in 2019-20. The editors, who also contributed an introductory note to the book, used the grant to organise the two鈥損art virtual Parliament Buildings Conference, which took place in 2020 and 2021, supported by the 最准的六合彩论坛 European Institute. As part of the research project, they also wrote comment pieces, a blog for the Hansard Society, a podcast episode and produced two videos,听Inside The Parliament: The Architecture of Democracy, presenting a series of pilot interviews with a diverse group of parliamentarians from the Palace of Westminster and the German Reichstag. The videos were produced by Sophia Psarra and Graham Riach, a lecturer in world literature at the University of Oxford.

鈥�Parliament Buildings听is a brilliant interdisciplinary exploration of a fascinating topic. Theoretically sophisticated, empirically rich and historically informed, it demonstrates the multiple ways in which politics and the built environment intersect, and sheds light on the symbolic and material practices central to contemporary representative politics.鈥�

鈥� Duncan Bell, University of Cambridge

Prof Sophia Psarra is Professor of Architecture and Spatial Design at The Bartlett School of Architecture, and the Programme Director for Architecture & Urban History & Theory MPhil/PhD. Dr Uta Staiger is Associate Professor of European Studies, Director of the European Institute, 最准的六合彩论坛听and Global Strategic Academic Advisor (Europe) at 最准的六合彩论坛. Claudia Sternberg is Principal Research Fellow and Head of Academic Programmes at the European Institute, 最准的六合彩论坛.

Parliament Buildings: The Architecture of Politics in Europe is published by 最准的六合彩论坛 Press and available at their website in hardback, paperback and as a free open access PDF.听The editors will host a book launch for Parliament Buildings in March.

More information

• Visit the case study page to find out about the other work around Parliament Buildings
• Visit Prof Sophia Psarra's profile

Lead image: Naomi Gibson-produced with reference to documentation by TU Vienna (2014) and Google Maps
Carousel images:听
1.听Aerial view of the Palace of Westminster. 漏 Andr茅 Zehetbauer, 鈥楢erial photo graphs of Westminster Palace from the London Eye鈥�, 29 September 2006. Source: Wikimedia Commons, reproduced on the basis of a CC BY-SA 2.0. licence. Available at: 听
2.听Plenary hall of the French Assembl茅e Nationale, Paris. 漏 Coucouoeuf, taken 3 July 2010. Source: Wikimedia Commons, reproduced on the basis of a CC BY- SA 3.0 licence. Available at = 21054979听
3. The Reichstag chambers. 漏 Michael (2014). Creative Commons via Flickr, reproduced on the basis of CC BY-ND 2.0 licence. Available at: .
4.听The House of Commons. 漏 UK Parliament (2020). Creative Commons via Flickr, reproduced on the basis of CC BY-ND 2.0 licence. Available at: .