Widow defends architect's stance

Benedetta Tagliabue arrives to give evidence to the inquiry

The widow of the Catalonian architect who designed the new Scottish Parliament has defended his reputation and described him as "a genius".

Giving evidence at the Fraser Inquiry into the cost of the building, Benedetta Tagliabue said Enric Miralles had "incredible energy".

She rejected criticism that his approach slowed down the process.

The inquiry has heard designs were late, building work was delayed and relations between architects fraught.

Ms Tagliabue stepped up her involvement following the death of her husband in July 2000, although she has always been a director of the joint design company - EMBT - behind the building.

The inquiry heard that in late 2003 she withheld money from her Edinburgh-based partners RMJM after Presiding Officer George Reid imposed a cap on consultants' fees.

In this project it was impossible to pull back in quality because the quality requirement was a must Benedetta Tagliabue

The crisis was only resolved when Mr Reid intervened and demanded talks with senior RMJM figures.

She said her late husband's work was both complex and simple at the same time, adding: "What I was always very struck by Enric, was that he was also very rational.

Project concerns

"His first move was always very rational. It seems complex, but there was a very, very clear structure underneath."

John Campbell QC, counsel for the inquiry, said it had been suggested that Mr Miralles liked to take a long time over his projects and had a constantly changing vision which meant that his building might never be finished.

Ms Tagliabue said this was not fair, adding: "He was very, very quick. He was one of the quickest persons you can imagine.

"He was one of the quickest drawers that you can ever see. He was able to do a very complex drawing in very, very little time.

'Very serious'

"But then he was very serious, he really wanted to obtain the best. But this never stopped him doing a lot of things."

Ms Tagliabue also revealed that cost statistics were kept from the designers for a year.

She said the Holyrood project made it impossible to cut back on some aspects of design in an attempt to reduce costs.

"In this project it was impossible to pull back in quality because the quality requirement was a must," she said.

Jack McConnell has not been called to give evidence

"It was to have a durability of 100 years which is absolutely incredible. It was a clear instruction in the user brief and clearly something that the client never lost."

Ms Tagliabue said EMBT and RMJM enjoyed "a ping pong" relationship in which drawings and technical solutions were debated between them.

She said it was "fundamental" that EMBT remained in charge of the project to prevent "technicians" from trying to take over.

Mr Reid will also be questioned for the first time during the last week of evidence to the inquiry, while his predecessor, Sir David Steel, will return.

There has been controversy over the fact that the first minister has not been called to give evidence.

Jack McConnell was the finance minister during the parliament's first term.

And it was Mr McConnell as first minister who ordered the inquiry under Lord Fraser.

Opposition politicians claim he played a major role in the 1999 debate in which MSPs narrowly voted to continue building work.