Portcullis House, Government office building in Westminster, United Kingdom
Portcullis House is a seven-story office building featuring Gothic Revival architecture with broad arches, detailed stonework, and a central glass-roofed courtyard. The structure contains restaurants, a cafeteria, an e-library, and multiple meeting rooms for parliamentary functions.
Construction started in 1998 in response to a 1980s assessment that found Parliament needed additional office space in the area. The project addressed the growing demand for workplaces as parliamentary operations expanded.
The building functions as the daily workplace where members of Parliament and their teams carry out legislative work and meet with constituents. Its design supports collaboration and conversation among politicians from different parties.
Access is restricted since this is a secure government building, though visitors can sometimes join guided tours with advance booking. An underground passage connects directly to the Palace of Westminster for convenient movement between the two structures.
The building features chimneys that serve as part of a natural ventilation system and sits on a thick concrete slab designed for underground protection. This combination of climate control and structural security is rarely seen in modern parliamentary architecture.
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