h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Does the work have to be done all at once, or staggered over a number of years or decades?

If I recall correctly, the most expensive option (which is also the least disruptive option for MPs) would take something like 40 years.

Mol

I have not got a problem with either option [ stay while they do it over a long period or move out ] Building a new building? that's an option that has massive cost and time overuns written all over it.

The Palace of Westminster is a listed building, and a World Heritage site, so demolition is not an option. And due to the architectural, structural and internal decoration being of International importance, it probably couldn't be used/converted into anything else.

Any purpose-built building would be expensive and also unlikely to be fit for the purpose it had been designed for. The reason? Because usually architectural merit takes precedence over function. Also internal design is by consultants, not those who will use the building. This includes employees, maintenance staff, and contractors.

Finally, today's modern build is all bolt-on panels and is scheduled for a 50 year life span. This is so it can be erected fast, and demolished faster, with 90% recycling at the end of it's life.

I bet City Hall and Holyrood will not exist by the end of this Century.

And I've not seen 10's of hundreds of tourists flocking to City Hall by Potter's Fields Gardens.

MMF

World Heritage site, so demolition is not an option, architectural, structural and internal decoration being of International importance.

Good points so presumably the world community Unesco (as they went and scheduled it and raising it the white elephant category) could be asked to chip in a few billion

"I bet City Hall and Holyrood will not exist by the end of this Century." [MMF]

Why would you bother to make the bet? The youngest you can be and still be a researcher here is 16, which would mean you were born in 1999. At the end of this century, you will be at least 101 [not impossible, but pretty unlikely]. You won't be around to win or lose the bet, so the most benefit that might accrue would be your heirs receiving the prize money.

But, of course, you were probably being hypothetical, right?

I've met MMF - he's actually immortal.

Really? He may become very wealthy if his bet works out .

Icy
You mean he has a very old looking portrait in his attic.

Is it painted in many shades of Gray?

I keep my old looking portrait in the bathroom.

Portrait, mirror, whatever.

Mirrors tend to tell the truth when you are young, but the older you get the more they lie.

Kinda hard to stomach £5.7bn being spent doing up a politician's palace when the same politicians are cutting services all over the country.

And you can guaran-bloody-tee that £5.7bn will end up closer to £60bn

I wonder what proportion of the people who rebuild it will be migrants

"Kinda hard to stomach £5.7bn being spent doing up a politician's palace when the same politicians are cutting services all over the country." [Smartarse]

Will the same politicians still be in office, and still be cutting services 40 years from now, when the new buildings will be finished?

This is also the building where the welfare and the NHS were planned and passed into law..No need to get rid of it because of bad politicians..there have been some great people pass through it's doors that have shaped our history and our democracy..no need to demolish it because of a few inept and trough swilling s who will be gone in due course.

Close it for the summer, in the tourist season, open it to the public at a £10 a head, allowing the work to progress that way it could be self funding to a point it could take £15,000 a week high season.

Mind you in hind sight Gudio Fawkes was on to something

"no need to demolish it because of a few inept and trough swilling s who will be gone in due course." [Still Incognitas]