Mob-ile Parliament by Andrew Maynard Architects This conceptual idea of a publicly manipulable parliament house (complete with integrated opinion polls) gives us the ability to literally ‘shape’ the space in which our elected officials practice their craft. Mob-ile Parliament Puts pressure on politicians to interact with the general populous and me-dia through what AMA calls ‘The Gauntlet’, a long walkway from the structure to the escape of an awaiting car that gives a reporter plenty of time to question the politician about their day’s activities and the public’s reaction to these also. What lies at the core of AMA’s interpretation of a more open democracy that encourages public participation is the public’s ability to increase or decrease the inside views and the actual size of the building itself. A favourable decision in parliament would lead to a possible increase in floor space and sunlight for those inside whilst an unfavourable decision would lead to a decrease. This carrot and stick encouragement system certainly let’s those in power know what the coun-try thinks of them (or at least those who occupy the outside space anyway) . Would this building lead to better governance? I don’t know. Would it lead to some increase in populist politics in order for parliamentarians to gain a better view? Possibly. Whether or not this system would lead to better governance isn’t the main motive behind AMA’s design. It is meant to add to the architectural discourse. Specifically how the public views buildings of power and the disconnect between the public and their elected officials inside.

Architectural Discourse