FIGUERAS TRANSFORMS THE LEGISLATIVE HEART OF NIGERIA WITH A COMPREHENSIVE 360º PROJECT

The Nigerian Parliament Successfully Completes Its Renovation

The National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria occupies a building in Abuja, completed in 1999, coinciding with Nigeria’s transition to a democratic government. This building, notable for its large green dome, is one of the country’s architectural landmarks and represents the center of its legislative power.

The complex houses the two chambers of Nigeria’s bicameral parliament: the Senate, popularly known as the Red Chamber, and the House of Representatives, the Green Chamber. The Senate and the House of Representatives share legislative responsibilities. The Senate can approve laws, review and amend proposed legislation, and confirm certain presidential appointments. The House of Representatives, on the other hand, can initiate bills, especially those related to revenue and public expenditure, and works jointly with the Senate to pass laws and oversee the executive branch.

COMPREHENSIVE 360º SOLUTIONS

Recently, the National Assembly building has undergone a thorough renovation. The project, led by architect Adebowale Ademo, director of the Architecture Department of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), aimed to transform the complex into a first-class parliamentary building, ensuring comfort, convenience, and functionality for legislators and representatives. Figueras Seating was responsible for equipping both chambers. The project was not limited to supplying and installing seats but also included the comprehensive fitting of the room, including seats, tables, tiers, acoustic panels, and carpeting, making it the most exhaustive turnkey project carried out to date.

RT SYSTEM

To equip the two chambers, the Figueras Megaseat 9113 model with the RT system was chosen. A total of 956 seats were installed, 312 of which are in the Senate’s Red Chamber and 644 in the Representatives’ Green Chamber. Generously sized, special attention was paid to comfort and functionality, designing a solution tailored to the usual activities of its users.

Thanks to Figueras’ RT system, the seat, fixed to the floor with a central aluminum foot, allows a 360-degree rotation and a linear movement of 170 mm, facilitating interaction among the members of the room. Both movements can be performed simultaneously. This unique mechanism allows the seat to return to its initial position when unoccupied, ensuring the room always looks orderly. This system is ideal for parliaments, corporate rooms, auditoriums, universities, and conference rooms, prioritizing user safety by facilitating quick evacuation in case of emergency. Designed with ergonomic principles for long legislative sessions and manufactured to ensure the durability characteristic of Figueras products, the seats were upholstered with velvety fabric in the characteristic red and green tones of the chambers, contributing to their visual identity and durability.

CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS

The project carried out in the National Assembly of Nigeria has been carefully designed to improve the comfort and efficiency of the legislators’ environment. The integration of tables, tiers, and acoustic systems, along with the installation of high-quality carpets, has transformed the chambers into a modern and functional environment that meets the current needs of politicians.

Maximizing the capacity of the chambers

To improve spatial dynamics and visibility, acting on the tiered seating area was necessary. To achieve this, the two rooms were scanned in three dimensions, and the best way to form two hemispheres that met the current demands of the Nigerian assembly was studied. Thus, the entire tier was redesigned, and the existing concrete tier was removed, replaced by a new tier made with a metal structure clad in plywood.

This redesign allowed the incorporation of ventilation holes adapted to the existing system, as well as ducts for electrical cables in the tier. The new tier was designed to maximize seat capacity and optimize sightlines, facilitating the work of senators and representatives. Figueras’ team worked throughout the process, from creation and engineering to manufacturing and installation of the tiers, ensuring an optimal result.

Incorporation of technology in the tables

With the task of adapting the curves of the hemispherical space and accommodating various audiovisual equipment in the tables, an innovative option was chosen. Figueras worked on designing curved tables made of oak wood, allowing the housing of audiovisual equipment.

In a perfectly coordinated effort with technology specialist company Arthur Holm, the tables were integrated with microphones, screens, and headphones, along with the necessary wiring, facilitating operability and communication among the representatives. Additionally, designing and installing the new tier simultaneously with the tables helped ensure these two elements fit perfectly in the hemisphere, maintaining the original design’s aesthetic coherence.

Improving communication among attendees

Regarding sound, Figueras also played a crucial role. In the format before the renovation, there was a severe problem of reverberation in the space, hindering communication among attendees. To find the ideal solution, Figueras participated in dismantling and dimensionally studying the walls to propose a design that met the chambers’ needs. Furthermore, an acoustic absorption study was conducted, and the most suitable materials were chosen to enhance auditory clarity and achieve clear sound during parliamentary sessions.

To achieve this acoustic improvement, acoustic panels were implemented. Designed with eco-design criteria and made from sustainable materials, including high-quality wood panels and textile fiber made from recycled plastic bottles, these panels were specifically conceived for the National Assembly chambers. A combination of wood-finished panels and printed panels with designs provided by the chamber was chosen.

Once again, coordination with the audiovisual team facilitated integrating screens and speakers into the walls. This way, two major objectives are achieved: offering a modern and welcoming aesthetic while improving the sound quality and daily operations of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Installation of three thousand meters of carpet

The finishing touch to the installation was the carpeting of the floor. Figueras installed nearly a thousand square meters of red carpet in the Red Chamber and two thousand square meters of green carpet in the other chamber, adding aesthetic harmony to the plenary rooms. The shape of the floor, along with the complexity of the elements composing the two spaces, made carpet installation a challenge that Figueras successfully completed.

With a matte finish similar to wool, the selected carpets are made from high-quality materials and meet U3SP3 criteria for dirt resistance. Additionally, this fabric incorporates a filtering system that prevents dust dispersion and has sustainability and fire resistance certifications, a relevant feature to ensure safety in the Nigerian facility.

The holistic management of this project demonstrates Figueras’ ability to provide solutions that meet our clients’ needs. In this case, we have significantly improved the comfort and functionality of this emblematic symbol of democracy, designed to facilitate the legislative process and the work of the representatives of the Nigerian people’s will.