Parliament Building (Sierra)

  

Parliament Building
View of the main entrance of Parliament Building
Alternative names	Occidental Capitol
General information
Type	Government building
Architectural style	Beaux-Arts
Location	Downtown Porciúncula, Gold Coast, K.S.
Address	200 North Spring Street
Construction started	March 13, 1861
Completed	April 26, 1863
Inaugurated	October 16, 1863
Renovated	1961
Cost	KS $5.5 million
Client	Parliament of Sierra
Owner	Government of Sierra
Height	307.5 ft (93.73 m)
Technical details
Floor count	5, including ground floor
Floor area	11.5 acres (4.654 hec.)
Design and construction
Architect	Steward & Folly's

The Parliament Building is the seat and meeting place of both houses of the Parliament: the Senate and the House of Commons. The Parliament Building is located at the southeastern end of the National Mall in Downtown Porciúncula. Built between the years 1861-63, the Parliament Building was one of the new government buildings erected in Porciúncula following the Sierran government's decision to relocate to the city from San Francisco City in the 1860s.

Featuring a Beaux-Arts theme, the design was built to impress upon visitors and residents the dawn of a new nation and its ascension to the world. Since 1863, the building complex has been used exclusively by the Sierran Parliament and underwent one significant renovation in 1963. In 2008, the Parliament Building's underground system was redesigned to redirect public access from the ground level to a controlled entry point, away from the Parliament's main entrance for security measures. A visitor center was also built in response to the continual rise of tourist visits to the site and heightened security concerns of possible terrorist activity.

The Parliament Building's dome is the fifth-largest in the world, with it being 42 feet tall. The building's front side overlooks Parliament Plaza and the Occidental Reflecting Pool to the east and the rest of the National Mall. Its address is officially located at 200 North Spring Street and is a block away from Inteprovincial 4 to the north.

The Parliament Building Complex has several auxiliary buildings including the Library of Parliament Building, the Royal Botanic Gardens, and office buildings used by the senators and commoners. With the exception of both houses' floors and other restricted areas, Parliament Building is accessible to the public where daily scheduled tour guides are conducted. In addition, a special viewing room showing both the Senate and House floors on the fourth floor is accessible to the public during recess sessions. It is normally restricted to journalists and dignitaries during actual sessions.

The House of Commons Chambers on the East Wing of Parliament Building was partially damaged during the 2022 Porciúncula bombings. As of April 2022, the building is undergoing repairs related directly to the incident, as well as general renovations overall.

History

Prior to the use of the Parliament Building, the seat of government of Sierra was in San Francisco City, not in Porciúncula. The Parliament convened at the Old Parliament Building at Union Square where members complained of overcrowding and the distraction of noise from outside. The decision for the entire national government to relocate to Porciúncula where it was closer to the center of Sierra's new population prompted lawmakers to order the construction of a new building for Parliament to be housed in.

See also

• Parliament of the Kingdom of Sierra
  • Senate
  • House of Commons