Westminster, Palace of, is a group of government buildings in London, the capital of the United Kingdom. The palace consists of the Houses of Parliament, St. Stephen’s Hall, and Westminster Hall. It has two large towers, the Victoria Tower and the Elizabeth Tower. The Elizabeth Tower houses the famous bell known as Big Ben. Most of the palace was built between 1836 and 1865.
In 1834, the original Gothic Palace of Westminster, except for St. Stephen’s Hall and Westminster Hall, was destroyed by fire. The government decided that the new palace should be Gothic in design, to match the surviving buildings and nearby Westminster Abbey. Sir Charles Barry carried out the large-scale planning. Augustus Pugin was responsible for most of the details of the decoration. The style includes features of Tudor as well as Gothic design.
The palace building is constructed of limestone and has an iron roof. It has 1,100 rooms, 100 staircases, and 2 miles (3 kilometers) of corridors. The building also has closed courtyards and courtyards that open out onto the streets. A promenade runs alongside the River Thames.
The House of Commons was first used in 1852. The chamber of the House of Commons was destroyed a second time by bombs in 1941, during World War II. After the war, Sir Giles Gilbert Scott supervised reconstruction of the chamber. Reconstruction was completed in 1950. The chamber of the House of Lords, built according to Barry’s plans, has lavishly carved and paneled walls.
