Parliament design finalists confident as public vote opens
Published:Wednesday | January 30, 2019 | 12:00 AM
The five finalists in the Houses of Parliament Design Competition are all upbeat heading into the final stages of the contest.
Speaking yesterday at the launch of the People’s Choice Exhibition at the National Gallery of Jamaica in Kingston, the finalists all oozed confidence that their designs would be chosen as the blueprint for Jamaica’s first dedicated Parliament building.
Form Design, the team of architects who named their design ‘Ubuntu’, said that while they are confident, they are not naive.
“Our hope is is that our building will be built because it is significant in terms of its symbolism. It tells the story of the Jamaican people – from the Tainos all the way to present day. It will depict all our heroes and important events,” team leader Damian Edmond told The Gleaner.
Emerson Hamilton of GSA Architects & Planners Ltd, creators of ‘The National Verandah’, said that his unit has given it their all.
“We know we have the best design for our Parliament building and for the people of Jamaica and Heroes Park, and we expect a favourable result when it is all said and done,” he said.
The design team for the ‘National Flower’, represented by Laura Facey Cooper and Dr Patricia Green, are also talking up their chances.
“We expect to win because we have worked very hard in fulfilling the brief that the Government of Jamaica has given us, but even more so in communicating the desires of the Jamaican people for a building and a space that’s iconic and representative of who we are and where we are going,” Green stated.
“I suspect that our building, as designed, is the most iconic structure, and as a result, it represents all of what we envisioned Jamaica to be. It is a clear representation of ‘Out of Many, One People’, not only in terms of the architecture but also, too, the landscape,” Evan Williams, Design Collaborative Architects & Town Planners leader, said of their entry.
Ravi Sittol team leader for the ‘Grand Verandah’ design (Atelier Vidal Architectural Firm), hailed the other four projects, but is hoping that the judges and the public will give the nod to his team’s entry, which he said would represent the country well.
“But we think ours is the best, as we have responded to the briefs quite professionally, with an eye for some flair and respect for our history and culture.”
The People’s Choice Exhibition gives the public a chance to vote for their favourite entry, which will also help to determine which design on display will win the top prize.
Chosen from 24 submissions by 178 persons, the five teams were each awarded $2 million for advancing to this stage of the competition. The ultimate winner will be awarded a further cash prize of $5 million. They will also get the opportunity to work alongside the contractor as part of the implementation team for the project.
The second-place entry will receive an additional $4 million, while the third place will receive an additional $2 million.
Construction of a new Parliament building forms part of the National Heroes Park Redevelopment and Government Campus Project, part of a master plan to redevelop downtown Kingston.
Select your Parliament
The People’s Choice Exhibition, which began yesterday and will run until February 28 at the National Gallery, showcases three-dimensional models, animated videos and detailed concept drawings in this the last stage before the judges make their final decision.
Students with valid IDs and children will have free entry to the gallery, while a standard $400 entry fee is in place for adults and $200 for seniors.
Voting will be facilitated locally and in the diaspora via a customised SMS platform where persons can text the design code of their preferred design to 1-876-399-4774 and also via the competition’s website www.ourjaparliament.com during the exhibition period.