Welsh National Assembly- The Senedd

a prime example of how to waste tax payers money. set against the pier head building, the place looks like ridiculous

I wanted to advertise this amazing and beautiful building as an interesting tourist attraction as some people, as I didn’t until yesterday, may not realise that the public are able to go inside and that there is an excellent café and shop within. We have a lovely cup of tea and a welsh cake in these modern, quiet and tranquil surroundings with the most fantastic view over Cardiff bay complete with autumn sun.
The shop sells unusual gifts inclusing a beer called ‘Devolution Brew’. We found informative leaflets about the building and it’s inner workings and a guide to voting in 2011.
At the moment the entrance is filled with billboards showcasing the best of Welsh design, excellent.

In recent years, Cardiff, but the Bay area in particular, have been blessed with an influx of wonderful buildings and developments. As a result of the Government’s devolution, the Senedd sits proudly overlooking Cardiff Bay and its wonderful surroundings. The structure itself is incredibly impressive, representing a truly unique piece of architecture.
Home to a number of Committee rooms and the Welsh Siambr debating chamber, it serves as an integral part of Welsh legislation and policy making. Open to the public, the buildings interior is just as impressive as its stunning exterior. With a clean, fresh and stylish feel, the Senedd is definitely one of the finest buildings of its kind in existence. With guided tours available, those who appreciate fine architecture as well as politics will thoroughly enjoy a visit it.

This is a beautiful place for any tourist to visit have take photos.
By no means is a visit here going to take up your entire day nor is it going to leave you yearning to return.
However…
The building itself is magnificent. The size and beauty of this Assembly really does wow you! It is more than worth a ten minute stop and stare … just to soak up the atmosphere.
I walked past it a while ago and saw a silent protest going on outside. I had never seen a protest before but imagined a protest to be noisy. It amazed me that a bunch of OAP’s had bothered making signs and were spending their entire day sitting on the floor outside this building.
It did make me smile! I wanted to get in amongst the crowd and start singing «Weeeeee… will not we… will not be moved, Weeeee… will not we will not be moved» Ha ha ha ha!
I restrained myself though and carried on walking!

The contemporary Senedd building is a striking structure located in a prime spot on the waterfront in Cardiff Bay, housing the National Assembly for Wales’s Siambr (Debating Chamber) and Committee Rooms.
It’s open to the public, with guided tours available, and the building itself is well worth a closer look just to take in its interesting architectural features. The circular Siambr at the heart of the building has a distinctive funnel-​like shape over it. At public level, the building is completely transparent and sits on a slate plinth which steps upwards from the waterfront and houses the private spaces of the building. When you step inside, there’s an information area and public reception made of slate and glass, with an amazing undulating ceiling, called the ‘Neuadd’. Steps lead off from this area to the Oriel — an open, public space offering views of the Siambr, the Committee Rooms, and views over Cardiff Bay.
The building was designed to be environmentally friendly, extracting heat from the ground and using rainwater collected on the roof to flush the toilets and even clean the windows! There are some interesting facts about the building’s environmental features here:

As a politics student, I have my own views about the cost, functions and purpose of The National Assembly for Wales. Regardless of what I think, the Welsh Assembly is here to stay and for any political junkie it gives an insight of how devolution is now becoming a prominent feature of British democracy.
It is definitely worth going to see, if not for the educational part at least for the photo opportunity outside of the Senedd as Justin pointed out.
I think the building construction is strange (although being environmentally friendly) it doesn’t seem out of place in the stylish Cardiff Bay.
You can book group tours and even get tickets to sit in the public gallery and visit a Plenary or a full sitting of the 60 members of the Senedd which can be booked on the website. I have been trying for so long to get these tickets but unfortunately there is a very limited number. However taking a visiting you can be given a tour and shown the debating chamber and the rooms in which committee meetings take place and there is also a shop if you’re after something a little bit Welsh.

Officially the National Assembly for Wales is described as a devolved assembly with power to make legislation in Wales.
In actual fact I have no idea what they do in that building buts its pleasant on the eye. It uses traditional Welsh materials such as slate and Welsh Oak in its construction, and the design is based around the concepts of openness and transparency — how ironic then that it houses politicians who are anything but or maybe that’s the point.
As Anna said the design is environmentally friendly and in addition to rain water cleaning the windows and flushing the toilets (let’s hope those pipes don’t get crossed somewhere as the window wouldn’t ended up very clean) the roof features a wind cowl which funnels natural light and air into the debating chamber below.
Is it worth going inside? not particularly — just get a photo op outside and its ticked off your list. As i said its a nice looking structure and just another reason why the bay can be so picturesque and worth visiting.

The home of the Welsh Assembly was typically a very controversial new build cost millions. Still I think its money well spent. Its an environmentally friendly design which takes heat from the ground and uses rainwater collected from the roof to clean the windows and flush the toilets!
Anyway it the spirit of openness visitors are allowed in the building after a bit of a security search. You can look down on the debating chamber or just sit around and admire the wood. Non much else to do there really The step outside are good for a sit down with an ice-​crem.