Miralles was no ordinary Spaniard. He hailed from Catalonia - a once proud kingdom whose history, I concede, I know little about, but whose fame I do have an inkling of.
Like Pugin, Miralles passed away at a considerably young age. When most would have just been coming into their own in their 40s, he had already amassed an impressive body of work and the parliament building is a testimony of his precocious ability.
The Scottish Parliament stands out and yet sits well in its context. The old tour guide who brought us around thought otherwise. He was a Scotsman. Nevertheless, for someone who'd only scaled the streets of Edinburgh (and I do mean scaled) for two days, I can't help but sense a certain connection between the old castle and the new parliament building; a raw and fierce and potent spirit resides in the two.
It's a powerful experience walking through its halls. Interestingly, the elaborate technical array that hangs from the ceiling in the debating chamber actually behaves, in principle, like a truss. More pictures at my flickr account.
