Kingston, Jamaica
In 2018, the Government of Jamaica and the country’s Urban Development Corp. launched a design competition for a new Houses of Parliament building in Kingston’s National Heroes Park, which garnered submissions from 24 international teams.
After a two-stage, 18-month-long deliberation, the jury and the people’s choice vote selected “Out of Many, One People”; the winning team presented the final design development this past January.
Led by architect Evan Williams, founder of Kingston-based Design Collaborative, the team includes design architect Daimian Hines, founder of Hines Architecture + Design; project manager Christopher Bent; and technical consultant Gregory Lake. Hines, Bent, and Lake are all based in Houston.
Situated on an 11.4-acre parcel within Heroes Park, the design centers around a roughly 160,000-square-foot circular structure—embodying equity within Jamaica’s Commonwealth government.
A ring of X-shaped columns wraps the building’s 300-foot perimeter—a dynamic spatial representation of both the Jamaican flag and the bond between the nation’s voters and their elected officials.
The design proposes that singular elements can formulate a unified architectural vision and figuratively is referential to the formation democratically elected system of governance.
“For visitors, developers, and citizens, this building should have no front, no side, no back,” Hines says.
In addition to chambers for the Senate and the House of Representatives, the structure includes atria and galleries. The landscape design for the surrounding park features local, drought-resistant plants.
The design presents an opportunity to transform downtown Kingston by implementing urban design strategies focused on enhancing walkability, revitalizing urban parks and streetscapes, introducing site sustainable innovations, and designing a public realm that focuses on community and civic functions.
The design stands as an enduring reminder of the connectivity between the government and the citizens it serves.
This project design endeavors to challenge traditional building design typologies. It establishes an iconic form that is progressive. The building form presents a thoughtful approach towards monumental architecture while remaining respectful of the existing National Heroes Park, the largest public park in Kingston, Jamaica.
Architects: Hines Architecture + Design
Architect of Record: Design Collaborative Ltd.
Design Team: Evan Williams, Christopher Bent, Gregory Lake and Daimian Hines
Client: Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Government of Jamaica
