Architect: Sir Arnold Thornley
Builder: Stewart Partners Ltd.
Original Use: Seat of the Parliament of Northern Ireland
Current Use: Home of the Northern Ireland Assembly
Width: 365 feet, representing each day in a year
About the Parliament Building on Stormont Estate:
In 1920 home rule was established in Northern Ireland and plans were launched to construct separate parliament buildings on Stormont Estate near Belfast. The new government of Northern Ireland wanted to build a massive domed structure similar to the US Capital building in Washington, DC. However, the Stock Market Crash of 1929 brought economic hardships and the idea of a dome was abandoned.
Architect Sir Arnold Thornley designed a Classical building with six round columns and a central triangular pediment. Fronted in Portland stone and ornamented with statues and bas relief carvings, Stormont shares many similarities with Neoclassical government buildings found in many parts of the world.
More on the Web
Photo tour of Stormont
