History Of Stormont - 6 Quick Facts
On 19 May 1928, the Governor of Northern Ireland the Duke of Abercorn laid the Foundation Stone for Parliament Buildings ( Front Pillars), The building was offically opened for business with a grand opening, On 16 November 1932, The Prince of Wales, Edward Windsor, opened Parliament Buildings.
- Architect Sir Arnold Thornely of Liverpool designed Parliament Buildings to be 365ft wide, representing one foot for every day of the year.
- Representing the number of counties in Northern Ireland, Parliament Buildings has six floors and there are six pillars at the entrance to the building.
- To camouflage Parliament Buildings during World War II, the building's Portland stone was painted with a mixture of cow manure and bitumen. Removing the paint after the war was a huge challenge with the mixture having stained the stonework. The paint mixture took seven years to remove and the exterior façade never regained its original white colour.
- It is one mile from the gates at the bottom of Prince of Wales Avenue to the front steps of Parliament Buildings.
- The avenue leading up to Parliament Buildings is lined with 305 red-twigged lime trees which have survived since they were first planted in the 1920s.
- Parliament Buildings is a Grade-B listed building, designed in Greek Classical tradition.
