The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) has published a picture book entitled The House of Parliaments/La Maison des Parlements, depicting the transformation of architect Marc Camoletti's stately Villa Gardiol residence into the IPU Headquarters buildibuilding between 2001 and 2003, as seen through the lens of photographer Jean Mohr.

Born in Geneva in 1925, Jean Mohr has travelled all over the world. His photo essays have appeared in the Swiss and international press, and he has numerous books to his credit, including some published in collaboration with the writers John Berger and Edward Saïd. For two years, he trained his camera on the tradesmen that worked on transforming the old Villa Gardiol into the House of Parliaments. His photographs, adeptly laid out by Swiss graphic designer Sandra Binder, pay tribute to their artistry.

Federal Councillor Micheline Calmy-Rey, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Switzerland, said at the building's inauguration on 3 October 2003 that "the House of Parliaments illustrates remarkably well the importance of the role of national parliaments in the work of international organisations. The contribution of parliaments to multilateral negotiations is more important than ever. I hope that parliaments will express their views more forcefully and lend greater resonance to the concerns of civil society on the international scene".

Located in Geneva's international section and built in 1908, Villa Gardiol was a masterpiece of the Swiss architect Marc Camoletti, who also designed the Victoria Hall in the city centre. The IPU held an architects' competition in 2001, which was won by the Lausanne-based architecture firm of Ueli Brauen and Doris Wälchli and Tekhne Management, S.A. Ms. Wälchli explains that the challenge consisted in "juxtaposing the architectural styles of the early twentieth and early twenty-first centuries".

The book is on sale (SF. 30.-) at the following bookstores : FNAC, Payot and Librairie Arabe L’Olivier.

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Established in 1889 and with its Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the IPU, the oldest multilateral political organisation, currently brings together 140 affiliated parliaments and five regional assemblies as associate members. The world organisation of parliaments has an Office in New York, which acts as its Permanent Observer at the United Nations.
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Contact for further information or to request a copy of the book or an interview with Jean Mohr, Brauen and Wälchli architects or the IPU Secretary General:

Mrs. Luisa Ballin, IPU Information Officer 5, ch. du Pommier, CH - 1218 Le Grand-Saconnex / Geneva Tel. +4122 919 41 16/27 Fax: +4122 919 41 60 E-mail: lb@mail.ipu.org or cbl@mail.ipu.org