Enric Miralles: Creating The Scottish Parliament, and other stories by Benedetta Tagliabue and EMBT tells the untold story of how Enric Miralles, Holyrood’s lead architect, brought to life his vision for a Parliament ‘growing out of the land’ – and how his studio continues his legacy today through new public space projects that respond to communities, cultural and urban contexts.
This exhibition is on display from 31 July to 30 October in the Scottish Parliament's Main Hall and entry is free.
Barcelona-based architects EMBT, founded by Enric Miralles and Benedetta Tagliabue, were awarded the international competition to design the Scottish Parliament in 1998, in collaboration with Edinburgh-based architects RMJM. The project’s vision was to create a new Scottish Parliament building that embodied the values of Scotland – a space rooted in its landscape, traditions and people.
Many of the original designs featured in this exhibition will be shown in Scotland for the first time, including hand-drawn concept images, sketches, photo collages, site studies and competition boards. These documents reveal the rich and expressive architectural process that defined Enric’s approach for the project – a vision that was carried forward by the EMBT team under Benedetta’s leadership following his untimely death in 2000.
From the early inspiration behind the famous ‘upturned boats’ on the roof, to the ponds symbolising the lochs of the Scottish landscape, and the semi-circular debating chamber as the impressive centrepiece, the exhibition explores a range of the design concepts that reflect Miralles’ poetic vision and EMBT’s commitment to a site-responsive architecture.
The EMBT studio was founded on an ethos that architectural design should enrich the day-to-day lives and experiences of people. To showcase this philosophy, the exhibition also includes a selection of other works developed by EMBT, such as the Santa Caterina Market, Hafencity, Kálida Sant Pau, and Parco del Mare Rimini.
Come and learn about the building that changed Edinburgh's landscape forever.
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Location
Edinburgh, EH99 1SP
Days and times
Monday to Saturday (including public holidays) –
10am to 5pm (last entry 4.30pm)
Price