The winner of the competition for the Iraqi parliament building has nothing certain

Baghdad - The competition for the construction of the new Iraqi parliament building was won by the London architectural firm Assemblage. However, the Iraqi political elite has other concerns, and so far, no competent Iraqis have approached the studio's management, AFP reported. Studio head Peter Besley is even worried that the Iraqis may not adhere to the results of the competition and that they might ultimately prefer a firm led by Iraqi-born architect Zaha Hadid.
     Currently, the parliament is located in a gray concrete block in the most heavily guarded zone of Baghdad. The winding corridors inside are still covered with carpets from the era of former President Saddam Hussein's rule.
     To avoid accusations of corruption, Baghdad assigned the selection of the builder for the next parliament to the British Chamber of Architects. It issued the competition and published the results last week. They chose the design by Assemblage, but so far, no one from Iraq has approached them.
     "I know they have a lot of work right now. They are trying to prevent the dissolution of parliament and chaos. I fear there may not even be any representatives to sit in the new parliament," Besley said.
     Protests against the Shiite-dominated government and its alleged attempts to sideline the minority Sunnis have been ongoing in Iraq for several weeks. The parliament is often paralyzed by a Sunni boycott, making it unable to debate or vote on proposed laws concerning significant issues.
     The contract for the competition to build the new parliament does not obligate the Iraqis to accept the Britons' conclusion. The Assemblage studio has so far received $250,000 (4.8 million crowns) for winning the competition and is waiting. Construction, estimated to cost $411 million (7.9 billion crowns), could begin in 2015. It is planned to be a circular structure clad in panels designed to protect the people inside from the harsh sun. In addition to the lower house, it will also house the upper house of parliament and a federal council that currently exists only within the constitution.
     The design by Zaha Hadid's studio ZHA finished third in the competition. According to the competition's conditions, placement in the selection for the final vote is not binding. Hadid was born in Iraq and works in Britain. Her father was involved in politics in the 1950s. Unlike the design by Assemblage, the appearance of the ZHA proposal is not known, although representatives of the firm are already negotiating with Iraqis.