MEDIA PREVIEW :

HOLYROOD VISITOR CENTER OPENS ON MONDAY

Video preview shows late architect's wife talk passionately about 'fantastic project'

The wife of the late Holyrood Building architect Enric Miralles has described the construction of the new Parliament as "one of the most extraordinary things that Enric ever designed … a fantastic project."

Benedetta Tagliabue, one of the three remaining partners in the EMBT/RMJM Design Team, makes her exclusive comments in a video presentation, part of an innovative new Visitor Centre which will open to the public on Monday.

The official opening of the Centre takes place on Monday evening but media are invited to a special preview on Monday morning (1030 hours). The convener of the Holyrood Progress Group, Lewis Macdonald MSP, will be on hand to introduce the new facility.

Media will be given an exclusive screening of the 10 minute video which contains further comments from Ms Tagliabue along with contributions from many others involved in the Project. It also contains a number of new, computer generated images of how various aspects of the new building will look.

Beta copies of the video will be available for broadcasters and a selection of stills from the video will be available for print media in hard-copy form and electronically from our website.

The New Parliament Visitor Centre - located in a popular tourist spot between Our Dynamic Earth and Holyrood Palace - will be open, free of charge, to the public from 10am until 4pm Monday to Saturday.

It charts the history of the Holyrood Project from the selection of the site through the design competition, and the development of the design from concept stage through to final scheme design. A 'Time Line' summarises the project using key dates and events, with some of the small finds from the on-site archaeological investigations also on display.

Using a variety of media, including architectural models, plans and touch-screen information kiosks, visitors will be able to view and interact with the latest computer generated images produced by the Design Team. The specially-commissioned video about the Project will be shown, and when Parliament is in session, visitors will be able to watch proceedings from the Chamber live on screen.