World Architecture Day 2016: Professor Thomas Herzog visits the Senedd

By Lucy Hodson, Information Specialist, Assembly Library The iconic Senedd building is famous as both the home of Welsh democracy and for being a beacon of sustainability. It has won a number of architectural prizes and has also received the highest ever rating awarded in Wales under the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM). Earlier this year the Senedd was visited by Professor Thomas Herzog, the world-renowned German architect known for his interest in contemporary technologies and the supply of energy from environmentally friendly sources. He has received a number of honours throughout his career for his work, including the PLEA 2013 Award for excellence in the field of passive and low energy architecture and the 2009 Global Award for Sustainable Architecture. [caption id="attachment_2692" align="alignnone" width="2000"] L-R  Matthew Jones (Sustainability Manager), Thomas Herzog (Architect, Thomas Herzog Architects), Ester Comma Bassas (Architect, Welsh School of Architecture), Werner Lang (Architect, University of Munich), Richard Gwyn Jones (Visitor Tour Manager)[/caption] Professor Herzog was given a tour of the Senedd by our Sustainability Manager Matthew Jones. After the visit he shared his thoughts: “During the past decades I was rarely so moved and taken by a piece of modern architecture as the National Assembly for Wales in Cardiff Bay. A weather-protected place that uses the prominent surrounding panorama of the city at the port as a space-defining backdrop. An elevated public space-enlivened and used by citizens and politicians-stands in contrast to the plenary hall with its geometry, spatial order and exposure to light, Although the assembly room is the place of public inspection, it nevertheless ensures the appropriate distance, and is –in its effect determined by the central, concentrated exposure to natural light from above. The building is a lesson-even in terms of a self-confident, citizen-oriented democracy - and is brilliant with its clear spatial concept and its attention to technical detail. The Senedd demonstrates how meaningful architecture can be for our modern life, an architecture that communicates though transparency in a differentiated grading between opening and concentration. A stroke of luck for the country and its people.” To celebrate World Architecture Day on 3 October the Senedd is hosting a special architectural tour which will showcase the building in all its glory. This new tour will explore in detail the concept and design of one of Richard Rogers’ most iconic buildings. You’ll discover the Senedd’s incredible features which make it one of the most sustainable buildings in Wales. The guide will take you to usually unseen parts of the Senedd to add to this ‘one-off’ experience. As part of the visit, a free Senedd book will be given to all who attend, a real prize for those who are interested in architecture and the building. If you’d like to attend one of our specially tailored tours, contact us on 0300 200 6565 or email contact@assembly.wales For more information including opening times and how to get to us please visit the Assembly website. More information about the Senedd including its history, concept drawings and environmental features.