Parliament of Scotland (General Areas)
Edinburgh, Scotland
An interconnected lighting vocabulary is deployed in common areas and circulation zones throughout
the Parliament. Luminous slots, minimalist pendants, and cast-in-place luminaires are tailored to an array of situations,
joining the complex through related illumination strategies.
The Members of Scottish Parliament (MSP) office block was the key construction of the project’s first phase. Lighting for
the MSP block established a strategic and technical lighting logic applied to the evolving designs of later buildings.
To economize on maintenance and lamp costs, linear fluorescent lamps in only two standard lengths are specified throughout.
These are integrated in a variety of ways: inside luminous walls, within handrails, behind mirrors, and recessed in concrete.
Circulation areas throughout the Parliament share a motif of luminous vertical slots. In the central foyer, glowing glass bands
ascend alongside the grand staircase, composed to form a pleasing interplay with the handrails and to provide light where most
needed. The fixtures are standard fluorescent luminaires typically used in ceiling applications, here turned vertically and inset
in concrete.
Minimalist fixtures are adopted for areas featuring dynamic ceilings, downplaying lighting against the dramatic architecture.
The foyer’s skylights are strewn with simple glass pendants, adding sparkle to the space. In a cathedral-like underground café,
historic reproduction filament lamps on cords hang against a ceiling cast with bas-reliefs of Celtic crosses.
