Portcullis House is that strange building that is located above the Tube station of Westminster and in front of the Houses of the Parliament. Here are the MPs offices built between 1992 and 2000 with a huge budget, for instance, £30 millions of pounds were spent just on bronze coatings.
Portcullis House was designed and built by architects Michael Hopkins and Partners on a simple rectangular courtyard plan. It has seven floors and according to the British government site is an architectural masterpiece. Others are not very sure about this and the building has received much criticism.
At ground level, an open porch extends along the two street facades with the entrance to the subway station, a row of shops on Bridge Street and the main public entrance on Victoria Embankment. Every year £200,000 are spent to keep the plants of the luxurious restaurant. The restaurant also has very low prices and at any time there are always MPs who eat or drink. Obviously working.
The building has always had structural problems starting from the windows that soon crashed to the ground, it has problems with plumbing and also lack of space. Not everyone also believes that it has the ideal architectural style to be near the Houses of Parliament. Members of the public cannot visit it, unless they have an appointment with an MP or attend a meeting.
