Echegaray Palace

Echegaray Palace
Illustration of the east-facing side of Echegaray Palace.
General information
Type	Parliament
Architectural style	Neo-classical
Location	Madrigal, Carloso
Current tenants	National Assembly of Carloso
Construction started	15 June 1868
Completed	9 November 1907
Client	Government of Carloso
Height	109.4 m
Design and construction
Architect	Elías Marugán

Echegaray Palace is a colossal administrative building in Madrigal, Carloso. It has served as the seat of the National Assembly of Carloso (and its predecessor, the Imperial Assembly) since 1907. Built in the neo-classical style, the huge structure had a prolonged period of construction, beginning on 15 June 1868 and not reaching completion until 9 November 1937. Prior to this, the much smaller Arcia Palace had served as the seat of the Imperial Assembly, however the significant increase of the number of representatives in the legislature, as well as the rapidly expanding bureaucracy of the newly formed Carlosian Empire necessitated the construction of a much larger complex. Since its completion, it has been regarded as a powerful symbol of Carloso's parliamentary democracy and of the power of the Carlosian state itself. Constructed mainly of cut limestone over a wrought iron frame, it survived repeated hits by Bourgougian bombs during the Emergency War with only superficial damage. On either end of the building are two prominent towers. Morón Tower, a four-sided clock tower, is itself a prominent landmark in Madrigal, its four smaller bells ringing every quarter hour, while its large bell rings every hour. On the opposite side of the building is Verdaguer Tower, topped with a flagstaff which bears a large Carlosian tricolour. It is by far the largest legislative building in all of Musgorocia, and one of the largest in the world.

Sitting in the Echegaray district of Madrigal (from which it takes its name), and on the banks of the Jefté, it is a major tourist attraction alongside nearby buildings such as the Assembly Libraries, the Madrigal Archives, Victoria Square, and Madrigal Cathedral. It is accessible via Echegaray metro station, located opposite the south side of the building. Throughout the year it is open to the public, and entry is free of charge. The National Assembly chamber is also open to the public when the legislature is not in session, with the exception of the visitors' gallery, which is accessible year-round.

History

Background

The 1st Imperial Assembly sat in 1861, following the 1860 general election. Lacking a purpose-built premise from which to conduct its business, the 301-seat legislature initially sat in a lecture theatre at the University of Madrigal, before moving to the Arcia Palace, the former viceregal residence during British rule. Space proved severely limited however, and plans to further expand the number of constituencies from which Imperial Assemblymen were to be elected created impetus to build a larger venue. To this end, in 1863 President Jair Lubrín approached Cárlos II seeking approval. Following meetings with officials from the Department of Finance and Directory of State Properties (DSP), Cárlos II gave his tentative approval. A little-known architect in the employ of the DSP, Elías Marugán, presented his plans for the new legislative building, a colossal neo-classical palace with two large, asymmetrical towers on either end. Not only would there be enough room for a massively expanded Imperial Assembly, with capacity for 859 representatives, sitting in a U-shaped configuration, there would also be a second chamber mirroring that of the Imperial Assembly should an upper house be formed in the future. Immediately impressed with the grandeur of the concept, Cárlos II quickly gave his blessing. Marugán estimated it would cost approximately D£455,050, or about D£37.1 million in FY2024. He visited several quarries in Viruna and Cartalusia to source stone for the building, eventually settling on limestone from Estara, establishing it as the material of choice for nearly all subsequent neo-classical architecture in Carloso. This was to be built over a wrought iron frame, produced by Tolesa-based Arburua Industria, which would provide the main support for the structure.

An immediate issue facing Marugán was finding a suitable location for the building, with space being at a premium in the city's administrative centre, the surrounding districts increasingly occupied by large residential buildings and factories. Fortalesa da Aubanel, a large star fortress, had been located on a site along the Jefté since 1577, occupying a key strategic point in the defence of Madrigal. By 1868, however, it had fallen into complete disrepair, having been badly damaged by a magazine explosion during the Battle of Madrigal in 1826, resulting in the complete destruction of its north side. Material from the fortress had also been repurposed for other buildings, including the Imperial Palace and Echegaray Bridge. Considered an ideal site by Marugán, the Executive Council and Cárlos II gave their approval for its demolition, however popular discontent with the decision, and the protestations of the Imperial Preservation League, which sought to protect monuments associated with Carloso's two independence struggles, forced a compromise to be reached. Rather than demolishing the fortress, it was decided to dismantle and move it to a different location, with each block being meticulously inventoried. It was ultimately rebuilt at a site 2,750 m (9,022 ft) west, with the 87-acre (35-hectare) Aubanel Park being created around it. Damaged portions of the fortress were later repaired, becoming a major landmark of Madrigal in its own right.

Construction

Work commenced on 15 June 1868 with the laying of the building's foundation stone. Construction began in earnest on the clock tower, which would become the first segment of Echegaray Palace to reach completion in 1878. The chamber of the Imperial Assembly was finished by 1880, however construction slowed after this following the sudden death of Marugán from a heart attack. As a result, while the entire south-side of the building was finished, the north-side had received comparatively little attention, with the exception of Verdaguer Tower, which was half-complete. The Imperial Assembly debated over the next few years over whether to cut down the size of the Palace and reuse the material used on the northern section for other projects, however at the insistence of Empress Marianne, a renewed effort to finally complete the building began in earnest in 1888. Nearly 40 years after its commencement, Echegaray Palace was finally finished on 9 November 1907 with the topping-out of Verdaguer Tower and the hoisting of the Carlosian tricolour up its flag staff. Emperor Sébastien I formally opened the building the same day.