Bill's Comment Page

Holyrood: claustrophobic cells for Scottish MSPs - at huge cost

This Scotsman article shows the first interior shot of an MSP's office in the new Scottish Parliament building that I have seen. I suspected from the exterior pictures I have already seen and from seeing the building itself last summer, that the interiors mights be somewhat 'poky', but this interior photograph seems to indicate rather a claustrophic space. I am sure a much simple rectangular window design in the same space would have let in a LOT more light - and, very importantly, been much less expensive. The other thing that strikes me about this crazy window design is that it will probably be more complicated for the exterior cleaning teams who will have to try, every so often, to keep the Edinburgh grime off as the 'pods' stick out from the facade of the building - no doubt this will add to the long-term costs of maintaining this building.

As for the individual refrigerators, I don't find this in and of itself too strange, but wonder why each MSP needs one - couldn't there have been communal water-coolers and drinks (hot and cold) dispensers on every floor. Surely MSPs aren't going to lock themselves away in these grim little boxes for hours on end? And in any case, isn't it better in organisational terms to encourage them to congregate around the watercooler or in the restaurants or cafeterias which, one assumes, form part of this massively expensive complex?