Architect says alternative plan would save £1.8bn on cost of restoring Palace of Westminster
Gensler has unveiled an alternative temporary home for MPs and Lords – a floating Houses of Parliament on the Thames.
The £160m complex – said to be inspired by the hammer-beam roof of Wesminster Hall – would save over £1.8bn on the cost of revamping the Palace of Westminster, currently estimated to run to £4bn.
Parliamentarians have already considered a floating temporary home, but rejected this option due to navigation concerns on the River Thames, opting instead to relocate MPs and peers in separate buildings across Westminster.
Gensler said the 250m-long new-build structure was slender enough not to impact on river traffic and would save money compared to costly refurbishment work to accommodate MPs and peers elsewhere.
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