Online tour video

Written transcript

Welcome to Parliament Buildings, home of the Northern Ireland Assembly. In this video, we'll take you on a tour of this iconic building and tell you all about its history and architecture, as well as its use today as the setting for the devolved legislature in Northern Ireland. We'll take you into the Great Hall, probably one of the most famous and recognisable spaces in the building.

We'll also visit the Assembly Chamber, where Assembly members, known as MLAs, meet to hold debates and make new laws. You will get an opportunity to see the Senate Chamber, and hear more about its history as the former upper house of the old Northern Ireland Parliament. We'll also tell you about its current use as an Assembly committee room and events space.

Work to erect Parliament Buildings began in 1924, and as you can imagine with a building this old, there are many interesting stories and lesser-known facts. For example, you'll hear about how this prominent structure, set high on a hill and built from white Portland stone, was camouflaged during World War II. We'll also tell you about the origins of the stunning central chandelier in the Great Hall, and whether or not a secret formula was used to produce the vibrant paintwork on the Great Hall ceiling.

This video is divided into separate segments, so you can choose to watch the entire tour from start to finish, or watch different chapters in your own time. The video is also available to watch with an Irish or British Sign Language interpreter, or you can opt to watch versions using English or Irish subtitles. We begin our tour today on the famous steps of Parliament Buildings.

This iconic building is home to the Northern Ireland Assembly, the legislative authority for Northern Ireland, which was established under the terms of the Belfast Agreement, or the Good Friday Agreement as it is also known, in 1998. Situated in the grounds of the stunning Stormont Estate, Parliament Buildings was originally built to accommodate the newly formed Government of Northern Ireland in 1921. It was opened on 16 November 1932 by the then Prince of Wales, who would later become King Edward VIII.

The building was designed in the Greek classical tradition by the famous Liverpool-based architect Arnold Thornley. The actual building work was undertaken by the construction company Stuart & Partners, with Sir Douglas Fox & Partners as consulting structural engineers. The original design was for three buildings on the site, the Parliament and two administration buildings, which would be joined to the Parliament Building by walkways.

However, rising costs during construction meant that the erection of the additional buildings was cancelled, and the plans for the Parliament Building amended to include two further floors. The name Parliament Buildings in the plural was retained, even though there would now only be one building on the site. The foundation stone was laid on 19 May 1928 by the Governor of Northern Ireland, Lord Abercorn.

Within the stone was placed a casket containing a copy of the London Times, a collection of Belfast newspapers, a copy of the Northern Ireland Parliament Official Report, or Hansard, and a coin collection. The foundations of the building are made from granite from the Mourne Mountains in County Down, and the exterior is made of Portland stone from the southern coast of England. Thornley's Greek architectural influences can be seen on the exterior of the building, with Greek motifs carved into the Portland stone.

The portico at the main entrance is of Greek temple design, with six ionic columns supporting a pediment. A statue of Britannia flanked by two lions stands above a raised attic. During the Second World War, Belfast was subjected to a number of air raids, and the RAF, who were using part of the building as a command centre, felt it necessary to mask the bright white Portland stone of the building.

The building was camouflaged with a combination of bitumen tar and cow manure. The theory behind the cow manure was that it would help to dilute the tar and make it easier to remove after the war. The camouflage worked, and despite being only four miles away from the heavily bombed city centre and the shipyard, Parliament buildings did not sustain any damage.

The camouflage removal was a different story however. It took seven years to clean the building at the end of the war, and those with a keen eye will spot slight traces of the camouflage which remain on the stonework to this day. The Stormont Estate, in which Parliament Buildings is situated, is a popular public park, with winding nature walks, picnic areas, and a children's playground named after the late Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Mo Mowlam.

The estate, which comprises 407 acres, is also home to the sculpture 'Reconciliation', by the artist Josefina de Vasconcellos, which was unveiled in 2000. The imposing and iconic 12-foot bronze statue of the Unionist leader Edward Carson, who led the anti-Home Rule movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, looks out upon the surrounding estate. The 13-foot Irish granite plinth upon which he stands is decorated with bronze plaques which depict episodes in his life, including the signing of the Ulster Covenant, of which he was the first signatory.

This ornate and richly decorated space is the first place visitors see upon entering the building. If you're a regular viewer of news and current affairs programmes, it's a space you may instantly recognise, as it often provides the backdrop to press conferences and visits by high-profile political leaders and representatives. It's also used for celebrations, to mark St Patrick's Day, Commonwealth Day and the Speaker's annual Christmas Carol service, as well as large public and international events.

The Great Hall was designed to mirror the layout of the Westminster Parliament, with the Senate Chamber on one side, the equivalent of the House of Lords, and the Assembly Chamber on the opposite side, the equivalent of the House of Commons. Much of the interior of Parliament Buildings is made from Italian travertine and the Great Hall is no exception. The travertine was shipped directly from Italy and Italian stonemasons also carved and engraved the intricate classical Greek mouldings and motifs shown throughout the Great Hall.

The symmetry of the building is demonstrated throughout, with the pillars and carvings on one side of the Great Hall mirrored on the other side. The floor is made from swathes of cream, gold and walnut Italian travertine, which is laid out in geometric patterns. Those with an eye for detail will spot that the floor reflects the pattern and design on the ceiling above.

The rich and vibrant paintwork on the ceiling was produced by Heaton, Tabb and Company of London, who also painted some of the ships built by the famous Harland & Wolff Company. They subjected the paint to a special waxing process to prevent dust from adhering to it, and there's a story that its creator took this secret formula to his grave. While we can't verify this, we know that the ceiling did not require the same level of restoration as the rest of the Great Hall, which was severely smoke-damaged by a major fire in 1995.

The ceiling has not been repainted or modified since then, so perhaps there was a secret ingredient after all? We'll tell you more about the fire later in the tour. Five stunning chandeliers grace the Great Hall ceiling. Made from cast iron and weighing a third of a tonne, the central chandelier is German in origin and dates back to around 1828.

It's gilded with 24-carat gold and features solid 24-carat gold decorative eagles. The chandelier, with a twin, was hanging in the state apartments of Windsor Castle from the middle of the 19th century. It was given on long-term loan to Parliament Buildings in 1932.

Originally, the smaller chandeliers on either side were made from wood, plaster and gold paint. Unfortunately, they were badly damaged during the 1995 fire and couldn't be restored. The replicas hanging in the Great Hall today are made from aluminium.

One of the most striking features of the Great Hall is the grand staircase, which is again made from the same Italian travertine showcased throughout most of the building. The eye-catching and intricately decorated balustrades on either side of the staircase are made from bronze. At the top of the stairs is a statue of Lord Craigavon, the first Prime Minister of Northern Ireland from 1921 to 1940.

Weighing 2 tonnes, the statue is made from bronze and sits on a plinth of granite mined from the local Mourne Mountains. The statue stands at an imposing 6 foot 7 inches tall, and again, while we can't verify this, it is purportedly life-size. The statue was created by the sculptor L.S. Merrifield, who also designed and crafted the famous statue of Edward Carson, which is situated at the front of the building.

This statue of Lord Craigavon was sculpted in 1938 and unveiled in Parliament Buildings in 1945. Lord Craigavon and his wife are buried in a Portland stone sarcophagus at the east of the building. The Senate Chamber was originally the Upper House of the Old Northern Ireland Parliament, which was prorogued in 1972.

The current Northern Ireland Assembly does not have an Upper House, and today the Chamber is used for Assembly Committee meetings and special events. The room very much reflects the design and style of the House of Lords at Westminster, including the red Morocco leather upholstery and velvet curtains. It was set out in the Westminster adversarial style, with Government Senators to the right of the Speaker and Opposition Senators to the left.

There is a distinctly international flavour in the Senate Chamber. The benches are made from Australian walnut, the central table is English walnut, the Speaker's chair is made from South African walnut, and the ebonised mahogany columns on either side of the Chamber are from Nigeria. The window surrounds are of painted mahogany, and the glazing on the ceiling, which is intended to simulate natural light, is from Canada.

The famous red dispatch boxes in the Chamber were a gift from the House of Lords. The Press Gallery is above and behind the Speaker's chair, and the Public Gallery is in front. Above the Public Gallery there are three arabesques, representing agriculture, shipbuilding and linen.

These were the three most important industries in Northern Ireland when Parliament Buildings was opened in 1932. Locally made Irish linen damask is set into the Botticino marble around the walls of the Senate Chamber. During the Second World War, Belfast faced devastating bombing raids in April and May of 1941.

To address this, the No. 82 Group Fighter Command was formed specifically to protect Northern Ireland. The then Senators offered the use of the Senate Chamber, which was modified for the purpose, with a large plotting map where the central table is today.

An inscription of thanks from the Royal Air Force was later added to the Botticino marble on the Press Gallery balcony. The old Speaker's chair dominates the room. The upholstery bears two coats of arms, the Royal Coat of Arms and the Coat of Arms of Northern Ireland.

The latter coat of arms still exists as a heraldic emblem, but is no longer in use. The two supporters featured on the chair are a lion and a now extinct beast, the famous Irish elk. The Senate Chamber is home to two famous paintings.

The first is an oil-on-canvas by the distinguished artist William Connor, who was appointed to paint the opening of the first Northern Ireland Parliament by King George V on 22 June 1921. Of course, in 1921 Parliament Buildings had yet to be built, so this painting shows the opening, which was held in the Council Chamber at Belfast City Hall. The second painting is 'The House Will Divide' by local artist Noel Murphy.

It was unveiled in 2002 and depicts the MLAs who sat in the Northern Ireland Assembly from 1998 onwards. The portrait shows the Assembly during a division, as MLAs gather to enter or leave the voting lobbies. The artist used photographs, video footage and personal sittings to paint the individual portraits.

The painting was unveiled in 2003 by the then Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly, Lord Alderdyce. You will no doubt recognise some very famous political faces from the past and the present. The Assembly Chamber is the hub of Parliament Buildings.

It's where Members of the Legislative Assembly, known as MLAs, meet, generally on Mondays and Tuesdays, to debate issues and pass laws on behalf of the people of Northern Ireland. There are currently 90 MLAs, five from each of the 18 constituencies across Northern Ireland. Assembly sittings are presided over by the Speaker.

Like Speakers in other legislatures, he is responsible for determining the business to be discussed, to keep order and to ensure that Assembly debates run smoothly. The Speaker is politically impartial and does not participate in any of the debates that take place in the Chamber. As well as his procedural role, the Speaker also chairs the Assembly Commission, which is the body responsible for ensuring that the Assembly has the services and resources it needs to carry out its work.

The Speaker also performs an important representational role, meeting visitors to the Assembly and hosting events at Parliament Buildings, which are often attended by the public. Unlike the Senate Chamber and other parts of the building, which have remained relatively unchanged since the building opened in 1932, the Assembly Chamber has been extensively remodelled and restored following a devastating fire in 1995. The fire started due to an electrical fault, and while the rest of the building suffered extensive smoke damage, the Assembly Chamber bore the brunt and was severely damaged.

However, it was carefully restored and refitted, using the same materials and decoration as originally used. The walnut panelling on the walls was replaced, and the six Corinthian columns on either side, representing the six counties of Northern Ireland, were reinstated. The intricate gilding on the column capitals and elsewhere in the Assembly Chamber were restored.

The restoration of the Chamber after the fire did allow for adaptations to be made. The seating is laid out differently to the previous Commons Chamber of the old Northern Ireland Parliament. There is no longer a central table, and MLAs are now seated in a large arc, reflecting the idea of collaboration.

The public gallery was also extended, with additional spaces for wheelchair users, and further seating galleries placed over the voting lobbies. The cameras around the Chamber mean that Assembly sittings can be streamed, and the public can opt to watch live or recorded debates on niassembly.tv. We hope you have enjoyed this virtual tour of Parliament Buildings, and learned a little more about the history and architecture of this remarkable place. Parliament Buildings is a public space, and is open to you from 9am to 4pm on weekdays.

We also run daily tours of the building, and full details can be found on the Assembly website. You are also welcome to come to the building to watch sittings of the Assembly and committee meetings from the public gallery. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

For those of you who can't visit the building, we broadcast live sittings of the Assembly every Monday and Tuesday, as well as committee meetings every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday when the Assembly is in session. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, where we'll keep you up to date with all the latest news and events here in the Assembly and at Parliament Buildings. Thank you for watching.