Parliament - renovation & repair

Discussion in 'Off-Topic Discussion' started by Fat Controller, Jan 16, 2017.

  1. Fat Controller

    Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

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    OK, I know that this is a Daily Fail article, but there are some things that I find interesting - UK Parliament could be shut for GOOD unless MPs agree to move out during renovation | Daily Mail Online

    Firstly, £3.5 billion - - really? I understand that this is a lot more involved than a rewire and a repaint, but that is one hell of a lot of dough. There is somewhere in the region of 1200 rooms, so at that price it works out about £3m per room!

    The stonework looks to be in one hell of a mess - loads of erosion has taken place and the stone is in really bad shape. But, short of carving replica blocks to replace the knackered ones, what can they do? @Zigs - you are the best placed that I can think of who might know?

    Also, if they do go putting in new, replica stone, does that not reduce the historical value/interest of the building?
     
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    • clueless1

      clueless1 member... yep, that's what I am:)

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      We should just give it to English Heritage or the National Trust. They'll have turnstiles and LED spotlights in there and a kids play room and glass cases over anything in no time. It will be brilliant.
       
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        Last edited: Jan 16, 2017
      • HarryS

        HarryS Eternally Optimistic Gardener

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        I am sure Lego could make a new Houses of Parliament for a quarter of that price !
        Just needs scaling up a tad :biggrin:

        Greenpeace-lego-protest.jpg
         
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        • ARMANDII

          ARMANDII Low Flying Administrator Staff Member

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          That's just for the MP's Bar, FC:dunno::snorky:. A lot of the external and internal stone work is being done by Stone Masons who are either replacing or repairing the carvings. They will use the excuse that the Parliament buildings, inside and out, are Iconic and showpieces for the World so only the very best materials must be used.....and it's nothing to do with the comfort and luxurious trappings for the MP's:dunno: A major part of the work will be unseen as it involves the miles of pipes [water, sewage, gas, etc], electrical and data cables to be ripped out and replaced in the basements. There will also be improved flood prevention work for the future, more security resources and the like. So I believe the work is needed, but the bill is extremely hefty and no doubt the Media will be casting a eye on it, looking for corruption, OTT luxury facilities, while the work is being carried out
          What is, to me, unsettling is that they can find £3.5 Billion [or more if the Budget is overrun which is usually the case:wallbanging:] without much difficulty while they will argue over every penny spent on the NHS, Railways, Roads, while cutting back on all services and, of course, denying that they are doing so.:heehee:
           
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            Last edited by a moderator: Jan 16, 2017
          • shiney

            shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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            They could always get the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company to build them one made of glass. We had a fascinating walk around the place. It's their Head Office. :dbgrtmb:

            [​IMG]

            [​IMG]

            [​IMG]
             
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            • Loofah

              Loofah Admin Staff Member

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              Staggering amount! I'd only just calmed down after the last time I saw this on the news too...

              Build a new set of offices for a fraction of the cost and hand the palace to national trust
               
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              • Jiffy

                Jiffy The Match is on Fire

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                One has to keep up with the neighbours, The Queen ;):mute:
                 
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                • pete

                  pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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                  Who to say the National Trust want the place, I get the feeling it's in a pretty poor state of repair.

                  It is a massive building, and I'm assuming the 3.5 B is over x amount of years.

                  Not saying I totally agree with the money being spent but it is a land mark building which is known around the world and everyone knows it as a symbol of Britain.

                  I'm sure if it was to be allowed to crumble and fall in the Thames there would be the opposite being said.
                   
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                  • ARMANDII

                    ARMANDII Low Flying Administrator Staff Member

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                    You're asking our MP's to be transparent:hate-shocked::scratch::doh:...........that won't work:snorky:
                     
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                    • Phil A

                      Phil A Guest

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                      Usual approach is to conserve as much as possible of the original, if it's decayed too far then replace it with new stone carvings that can be identified as 21st century and not copies of the original work.

                      Wells Cathedral for example has new carvings where the medieval work has decayed, including Mickey Mouse, the Road Runner and a Marijuanna plant :kooky:
                       
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                      • ARMANDII

                        ARMANDII Low Flying Administrator Staff Member

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                        All Iconic cultural symbols, Ziggy:dunno::heehee:
                         
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                        • Phil A

                          Phil A Guest

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                          Stonemasons were given a free hand and thats what they chose to carve :snorky:

                          They also carved "cider man" bloke with his hand round his throat, with a split nose, looking very ill.

                          The pips in the apples release cyano genetic glycosides that poison your body if you keep drinking it :yikes:
                           
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                          • clueless1

                            clueless1 member... yep, that's what I am:)

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                            Does that mean the goddess of my religion is actually bad? I thought the apple tree produced the fruit of sunshine, which when juiced and fermented gave the holy life giving sun juice.
                             
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                            • Phil A

                              Phil A Guest

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                              You can drink deep of the Goddess's juice, but if you crush her ovaries she'll kill you with death :yikes:
                               
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                              • ARMANDII

                                ARMANDII Low Flying Administrator Staff Member

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                                At the Old Hall where the Global Advertising Company resided and who I worked for, we have an Artist come in to do portraits of the Hall and it's rooms......and a very good job he did too. He also left some very realistic paintings of Spiders in different rooms as his signature!!
                                 
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