Portcullis House
| Portcullis House | |
|---|---|
Portcullis House
|
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| General information | |
| Status | Complete |
| Address | Bridge Street London SW1A 2LW United Kingdom |
| Town or city | London |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 51°30′05″N 0°07′30″W / 51.5013°N 0.1249°WCoordinates: 51°30′05″N 0°07′30″W / 51.5013°N 0.1249°W |
| Current tenants | Parliament of the United Kingdom |
| Construction started | 1992 |
| Opened | February 2001 |
| Cost | £235m |
| Design and construction | |
| Architecture firm | Michael Hopkins and Partners |
| Structural engineer | Ove Arup & Partners |
| Website | |
| Website | |
Portcullis House (PCH) is an office building in Westminster, London, UK, that was commissioned in 1992 and opened in 2001 to provide offices for 213 members of parliament and their staff. Part of the Parliamentary Estate, the building augments limited space in the Palace of Westminster and surroundings.
The architects, Michael Hopkins and Partners, published their design in 1993 and the existing buildings on the site were demolished in 1994. At the same time, London Underground was building the Jubilee Line Extension, including a new interchange station at Westminster tube station which occupies the same area; the two were thus designed and built as a single unit. Construction began with works to the existing District line station at sub-basement level. The track had to be lowered slightly and underpinned to allow the extensive excavation to the Jubilee line many feet below. The building above ground began to rise in 1998 and opened in 2001. It is located at the corner of Bridge Street (at the western end of Westminster Bridge) and Victoria Embankment – overlooking the River Thames – and adjacent to the Norman Shaw South Building, which also overlooks the river.
The building is named after the chained portcullis used to symbolise the Houses of Parliament on letterheads and official documents. Portcullis House accommodates about one third of members of parliament; other Members and Parliamentary departments have offices in the two Norman Shaw Buildings, in the buildings at 1 Parliament Street and at 7 Millbank, and in the Palace of Westminster itself.
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