Teiko Royal Council Hall



The Teiko Royal Council Hall which is locally called as TRCH or The Hall, is the place where the highest legislative body of Teiko, Teiko Royal Council (colloquially called as Central-46) meet. It is located at 1-chome, Karakura, Tetsuya. Created to be the geographic center of Tetsuya, TRCH is now quite leaning to the north eastern part of the city due to massive urban growth brought about by the city population's continued growth due to internal immigration.

The Teiko Royal Council Hall was completed in 1990 and was one of the earliest structures laid in the newly built capital along with the Red House (Akaie), official residence of the Premier of the Federal Kingdom of Teiko which a few miles away from it. TRCH is constructed purely out of Teikonian building materials, with the exception of the stained glass, door locks, and pneumatic tube system. TNCH has also gone a major security revision after the alleged takeover of the pro-socialists on 2001. Among the new installations is the construction of a bunker underneath the building that serves as safe haven for the representatives in case of an attack. A new security post is also located along Saito Avenue covering the four corners of the building.

The original Teiko Royal Council Hall which is now referred to as Old Teiko Council Hall is located in Kaijo and is currently preserved as a national relic. The old building has also been registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has been opened to the public for viewing.

History
Prior to the 1984 Teiko Constitutional Crises, plans for construction of a new capital was already being deliberated by the Central-46. Due to the unprecedented political havoc, the plans was deferred until 1987 where the legislation appropriating the funds of the project was finally approved along with the construction of Tetsuya. A few months later, an international contest geared towards searching for the best design was launched. The winning entry which was from Katsushika Nori was chosen in January 1987.

Construction


Construction of the Teiko Royal Council Hall started on May 1987 facilitated by the Central-46 Committee on Capital Construction, a temporary committee created to watch over the total development of Tetsuya. Takenaka Construction, the largest engineering and construction firm in the country was given the contract to finish the project in 4 or less than years.

By April 1990, the final steam beam was placed and interior furnishing was started. The building finally opened and inaugurated on December 1990. Among those attended are Premier Takashi Natsume and other ambassadors from different foreign countries. The first Central-46 session was held in February the following year after the winter break.

Architectural Design


There were several designed submitted for the construction of the new council hall. The winning piece was selected for being able to combine modernistic architecture with a touch of oriental nature. Other entries featured concrete masonic facades and Teikonian shrine structures. TRCH sits on a grassy texture and incorporates the natural habitat surrounding the area. The exterior of the building unveils a bluish glassy facade. The interior design of the buildings incorporates post modernistic style with slight minimalism. The main center hall also features a glass dome that allows light to pass through creating a natural heating process.

In 2010, the building was declared as a LEED Gold Certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. It is now one of the selected green buildings in Teiko as the government plans to convert more offices to become environment friendly.

Facilities
The building features a six story main structure with a long glassy entrance from Saito Avenue serving as the main entrance to the building. A helipad was added on 2002 and a solar panels in 2005 to help conserve energy. The main council session hall is located in the eastern side of the building while ten other function halls are located around the second to fourth floors. The fifth floors to sixth floors were reserved for offices and others of the same function. The office of the Sangdaedeung sits primarily on the third floor facing the Red House. Due to the increase in work, a planned office complex is proposed around the main building. The new office complex would be connected to the hall through underground passages. Construction of the new office complex is expected to commence in 2019.