The Top 10: Parliament buildings – The Independent

Thanks to Allan Faulds, who compiled a heroic Twitter thread of the buildings housing the lower house of parliament of all 193 countries of the world, which is well worth reading in full and very funny. Here, in no particular order, are my 10 favourites.

1. Hungary(above).As Allan says, This is it. This is the parliament. A legislative building without compare. Gothic. Tick. Dome. Tick. Red. Tick. He also says it is unutterably gorgeous inside too, and Ill take his word for it.

2. Romania(see slideshow below). This also featured in my Top 10 great buildings in 2014. Its vast, and vastly impressive. Started in 1984 and unfinished by the time of Ceausescus death in 1989. Its finished now, but 70 per cent empty.

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3. Trinidad and Tobago.Allan comments: One day, some guy who loves the colour red is going to review parliament buildings, and when he does, we will be ready with the Red House.

4. Armenia. Now that he has mentioned it, Allan is right about the mild university campus vibe, but it is a beautiful building, grand, symmetrical and the grounds look lovely.

Completed in 1904, the neo-Gothic Hungarian Parliament Building is currently the largest building in the country

Getty/iStockphoto

The Palace of the Parliament in Romania is the heaviest building in the world. Started under communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu in 1984, it was completed in 1997 after his execution

Getty Images/iStockphoto

The Red House, the Beaux-Arts style parliament of Trinidad and Tobago was the site of the 1990 Jamaat al Muslimeen coup attempt

Random 00021/Wikimedia

The National Assembly Building was designed by Soviet architect Mark Grigorian and completed in 1950

Getty Images

The new National Assembly building was inaugurated in 2015

David Stanley

The Capitol was completed in 1800 and remains one of the most famous government buildings in the world

Getty Images

The Sansad Bhavan, or Parliament House, was designed by the British architects Sir Edwin Lutyens and Sir Herbert Baker. Completed in 1927, the building is inspired by the Ashoka Chakra, the wheel of the dharma

AFP/Getty Images

The Gothic revival Parliament Hill is currently undergoing a $1bn renovation

Getty Images/iStockphoto

Solar panels were recently added to the Seychelles' National Assembly rooftop

National Assembly of Seychelles

Bhutan's parliament hall features frescoes depicting the country's traditions and Buddhist values

Getty Images/iStockphoto

Completed in 1904, the neo-Gothic Hungarian Parliament Building is currently the largest building in the country

Getty/iStockphoto

The Palace of the Parliament in Romania is the heaviest building in the world. Started under communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu in 1984, it was completed in 1997 after his execution

Getty Images/iStockphoto

The Red House, the Beaux-Arts style parliament of Trinidad and Tobago was the site of the 1990 Jamaat al Muslimeen coup attempt

Random 00021/Wikimedia

The National Assembly Building was designed by Soviet architect Mark Grigorian and completed in 1950

Getty Images

The new National Assembly building was inaugurated in 2015

David Stanley

The Capitol was completed in 1800 and remains one of the most famous government buildings in the world

Getty Images

The Sansad Bhavan, or Parliament House, was designed by the British architects Sir Edwin Lutyens and Sir Herbert Baker. Completed in 1927, the building is inspired by the Ashoka Chakra, the wheel of the dharma

AFP/Getty Images

The Gothic revival Parliament Hill is currently undergoing a $1bn renovation

Getty Images/iStockphoto

Solar panels were recently added to the Seychelles' National Assembly rooftop

National Assembly of Seychelles

Bhutan's parliament hall features frescoes depicting the country's traditions and Buddhist values

Getty Images/iStockphoto

5. Angola. Again, if you like domes, symmetry, red buildings and gardens, and Allan and I do, this is another perfect parliament.

6. United States of America. I didnt include the Palace of Westminster on grounds of familiarity and I work in it, but the Capitol is so good that overexposure cannot bleach out its greatness.

7. India. Huge circular building the circumference is a third of a mile designed by Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker, built in the 1920s, with three semicircular chambers and a dome inside.

8. Canada. Ridiculous Disney castle design. I love it.

9. Seychelles. Allan calls it a beach resort parliament building, which is a compliment: I like the open veranda and balcony, and it does have solar panels.

10. Bhutan. As Allan says, the shallow gabled roofs may be standard in Bhutan, but they are pretty and also red with small gold pagodas on top.

Next week: Unlikely things named after battles, starting with balaclava.

Coming soon: You Havent Thought That Throughs, after Flick Drummond the Tory former MP said Boris Johnson was incredibly popular like the Pied Piper.

Your suggestions please, and ideas for future Top 10s, to me on Twitter, or by email to top10@independent.co.uk

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The Top 10: Parliament buildings - The Independent