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The new debating chamber, located next to the Pierhead building overlooking Cardiff Bay, will re-house the Welsh Assembly, which is currently meeting in Crickhowell House.

The building has been designed to be as eco-friendly as possible, with a heating being provided by earth heat-exchangers in 100 metre-deep boreholes and a bio-mass heating boiler which can use drift-wood from the bay.  All water used in the building, with the exception of drinking water, will be provided by rain water collected from the roof, and natural lighting will be controlled by a conical mirror which can be raised and lowered to control light levels.  In the debating chamber, a massive central cowl will revolve in the wind to circulate air.

It is hoped that the modern design will make the building more accessible for the public.  Finance Minister, Sue Essex said, “Most public buildings are quite austere, but this is not forbidding or austere.  I hope people will feel this is their building.”

Jonathan Adams of the Royal Society of Architects in Wales commented, “It’s not a po-faced chamber, it’s a place of drama and debate…I’m sure it will improve everything about the assembly.”

There has been criticism from opposition parties however, as the final bill for the project has risen to five times the £12 million cost of the original design.  In August a dispute also broke after it emerged that £300,000 was being spent on four pieces of modern art to decorate the building.  The assembly government however has defended the spending, saying the building will provide good value for money as it is expected to have a life-span of 100 years.