Palace of Westminster

The Palace of Westminster is the central meeting place for the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Located in London, England, it is often called the Houses of Parliament. This name refers to the two legislative chambers inside: the House of Commons and the House of Lords.

The site is so significant that "Westminster" is used as a metonym for the British Government. The building is a Grade I listed building and has been part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987.

The history of the site began as early as the eleventh century. It was originally constructed as a royal palace for the kings of England. These monarchs lived there until a fire destroyed the royal apartments in 1512.

After this event, King Henry VIII moved his residence to the Palace of Whitehall. However, the palace remained the home of the Parliament of England. The Parliament had been meeting there since the 13th century. The oldest surviving part of the entire complex is Westminster Hall, which dates back to the reign of William II.

A major turning point occurred on October 16, 1834. A fire broke out after an overheated stove was used to burn a stockpile of tally sticks. This fire destroyed the majority of the palace, including both legislative chambers.

Fortunately, Westminster Hall was saved by firefighting efforts and a change in wind direction. The Jewel Tower and some parts of St Stephen's Chapel also survived. Following the disaster, a competition was held to design a new permanent home for Parliament. The winner was the architect Charles Barry, who chose a Perpendicular Gothic Revival style.

Construction of the new palace began in 1840 and lasted for 30 years.

Charles Barry relied heavily on the architect Augustus Pugin to design the ornate Gothic details. The project faced many challenges, including high costs and delays. Both Barry and Pugin passed away before the work was finished. The new building became famous worldwide for its intricate decoration. This helped the Gothic Revival style spread to many other countries. The Lords Chamber was completed in 1847, and the Commons Chamber followed in 1852.

The palace also survived the violence of the Second World War. During the conflict, the building was hit by bombs on fourteen separate occasions.

The most severe raid happened on the night of May 10–11, 1941. During this attack, the palace took at least twelve hits. The House of Commons chamber was destroyed by fire, and three people were killed.

Firefighters prioritized saving Westminster Hall over the Commons chamber. The House of Commons was eventually rebuilt in a simplified style and completed in 1950.

The exterior of the palace is defined by its massive towers and stonework.

The Elizabeth Tower is a famous landmark that houses the bell known as Big Ben. The Victoria Tower is the largest and tallest tower at the south-western corner.

It was designed to act as a legislative "castle" and was the tallest secular building in the world when completed in 1858. Inside the Victoria Tower, twelve floors of steel shelves hold the Parliamentary Archives. These archives contain master copies of all Acts of Parliament since 1497.

Maintaining the palace is a constant and difficult task. The original sandy-colored Anston limestone began to decay due to pollution.

This led to major replacement projects using Clipsham stone from Rutland during the 20th century. Today, the building is in urgent need of major repairs. In 2018, the House of Commons voted to eventually vacate the palace for a complete refurbishment. This massive restoration project is expected to take at least six years. A special committee was formed in 2022 to oversee these necessary works.