Parliament Buildings: The architecture of power, accountability and democracy in Europe

Free and open to all, the conference runs over two sets of two (short) days; the first session is taking place on 12-13 November 2020, and the second on 18-19 February, 2021.

““Parliament buildings and their spatial structures are the symbols and instruments of political life. They shape and reflect political practices, processes and culture, both within and without.  

We are proud to bring you a brilliant line up of architects and parliamentarians, art historians, architecture scholars, historians, geographers, anthropologists and political scientists. They will share their unique insights into specific parliament buildings across Europe, to jointly explore:

• How do buildings and space structure the work done in parliaments, how do they shape political decision making and informal communication?
• How can they be used to embody imaginations of democracy and the body politic?
• What can they tell us about the agency of, say, women or parliamentary staff in parliament? 
• How is their role changing in times of constant broadcasting, social media and a global pandemic? 

Visit the conference website for more information and to register

This conference is organised by Sophia Psarra, Professor of Architecture and Spatial Design at The Bartlett School of Architecture, in collaboration with the UCL European Institute. It is part of a wider project encompassing further research, a book and a film.

Collaborators:

• Professor Sophia Psarra, The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL
• Dr Claudia Sternberg, UCL European Institute
• Dr Uta Staiger, UCL European Institute
• Graham Riach, University of Oxford
• Dr Mariana Pestana, Architect and Curator

The project is supported by UCL’s Grand Challenges of Cultural Understanding.