Blee & Tate

LIFT New Parliament
A Mass Assembly

The Mass Assembly for the LIFT New Parliament provides a framework aimed at fulfilling the potential for the building to become a vessel to connect people, a moving fragment of public space and a physical identity for LIFT.

With the schemes inherent adaptability, there is a vast array of configurations that can be achieved. This will allow the New Parliament to adapt not only to the specifics of a site, but to the people that will use its spaces. The large, curved screen components provide a neutral backdrop to activities - the building will take on almost chameleon-like qualities, as film and other media can be projected onto each fragment of the internal shells.

This fundamental flexibility of the plan will allow theparticipation process to have a important effect. Our ambition for this would be to appeal to as wide a cross section of age groups and backgrounds as possible - primarily focused on youth projects, typically the hardest to involve in consultation. For these to be successful, they must be ambitious. The prominent use of multimedia technology in our approach is key; as with the internal projection screens in the building itself, the participation process will aim to engage the community using various digital media. We would aim to explore the active recording of opinions and needs using a variety of tools such as the creation of website, film and audio recordings and interactive 3D modelling
'sessions'

In order to appeal to the widest possible audience, Each 'group' will have the power to affect the physical arrangement and appearance of the New Parliament building. This should prove to be a powerful incentive to enter into participation. The analysis of the participation process will allow the structure to have various 'blueprints' for its physical manifestation in various situations. Two different scenarios, for example, it may be that to house a debate and lunch for the Elderly will result in a compact building, whereas a performance primarily for teenagers will result in a more open spatial configuration. The appearance of the screens will be capable of reflecting this too -
sometimes as a pure black backdrop, or possibly a glowing mass of colour. The participation process would aim to formulate various defined design formats for the buildings future.