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Floating voters - London gets its first look at ‘glass bubble’ parliament to house MPs

The proposed floating parliament (Gensler)

Britain has got its first look at the ‘floating parliament’ set to house MPs during refurbishment of the House of Commons.

The spectacular 92,000 sq ft glass bubble - perched on a barge - was unveiled by Gensler architects on Friday.

The building could house the Commons and the Lords from 2020 on, as a £4 billion repair of the Houses of Parliament gets underway.

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The bubble - symbolically transparent - will house the traditional green and red leather benches of both houses.

The new building could be in use after 2020 (Gensler)

A final design has yet to be chosen but Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn says this design has ‘merit’.

MPs might end up moving to exiting government offices instead.

The parliamentary bubble will be built on steel platforms and have a wooden frame.

The parliament will incorporate the green benches of the Commons (Gensler)

‘London is famous for its juxtaposition with ancient buildings next to shiny new ones, and this would encapsulate that idea perfectly,’ Gensler boss Ian Mulcahey told the Standard.

‘This is the only occasion when we could do this. It really is a unique moment in time.’