Portcullis House

Portcullis House stands beside the Thames in Westminster, a modern office block for MPs and their staff. It occupies the corner where Bridge Street meets Victoria Embankment, directly above Westminster tube station. The building was designed by Michael Hopkins and Partners and completed in 2001. Its name comes from the chained portcullis symbol used by Parliament. One third of all MPs have desks here, while the rest work in nearby Norman Shaw South or the Palace itself. The building’s design mixes security with style. A thick concrete slab shields the Jubilee Line tunnels below, and steel beams hang the corners from the roof. Granite from Devon and Birchover Gritstone columns give the exterior a solid, dignified look. Inside, oak finishes and bowed windows make each floor resemble the interior of a ship. The ground floor courtyard has metallic sails overhead and shallow pools with trees. Visitors can attend public committee sessions on the first floor. Committee rooms bear the names of politicians such as Betty Boothroyd and Margaret Thatcher. MPs receive instant updates on Commons and Lords business through wall-mounted monitors and division bells. Staff use the e-library and a waiter-service restaurant, while underground passages link to the Palace and other parliamentary buildings.