Opened by the Queen in 2001, Portcullis House provides offices for MPs and their staff, supplementing the limited accommodation in the Palace of Westminster and surrounding buildings. The seven-storey building was designed by Michael Hopkins and Partners on a simple, rectangular courtyard plan and includes a number of energy saving features, a requirement of the brief being that it should set an example in ecological building design. The courtyard is covered by a glass roof at the second floor level and surrounded by a two-storey cloister. At ground level, an open arcade extends along the frontage of Bridge Street and Victoria Embankment. Portcullis House usually takes part in the annual Open House London weekend, held in September.
For Open House London 2014, Portcullis House will be open on Saturday September 20, 10am-5pm, with last entry at 4.30pm. A maximum of 300 visitors will be let in at a time.