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lettering, heraldic panels and over 300 statues of kings, queens and saints installed within a picturesque but
regular gothic framework.
His design had a pioneering emphasis on the use of space, locating the two chambers and all the main
rooms on the principal floor. Its circulation areas and public rooms work as successfully today as when they
were designed, particularly as a result of the symmetrical layout planned around the Central Lobby and along
the river front. At either end Barry placed imposing towers which he set back from the river. In the south the
Victoria Tower rises above Millbank, and to the north the Clock Tower with its famous hour bell Big Ben
dominates New Palace Yard. The Victoria Tower rises 323 feet (98 m) to the base of flagstaff, from which the
Union Jack is flown on the days when Parliament is sitting and on some special occasions. The flag can be as
large as 36 feet (11 m) by 18 feet (5,5 m) – one of three sizes are flown according to the strength of the wind –
and is replaced by the Royal Standard when the Queen comes to open Parliament at the beginning of each ses-
sion. The tower contains the records of Parliament, including the master copies of Acts of Parliament since
1497.
The Clock Tower is famous for its mighty clocks, which began its service in 1859 and overcame some
early problems to become
a reliable timekeeper and a much-loved landmark. Big Ben clock’s hour bell,
was probably named after a champion boxer of the period rather than the First Commissioner of Works,
Sir Benjamin Hall. Each of the Clock Tower’s four vast faces is 23 feet (7 m) in diameter and the figures
are 2 feet (0.6 m) long. A light shines from the tower when either House is sitting at night. Westminster
Hall, which survived the fire, was incorporated into the scheme.
The interiors of the New Palace were developed in
collaboration
with A.W.N. Pugin, whose inven-
tive genius for adapting gothic forms created the
elaborate
furniture,
carvings
and fittings. The partner-
ship of these two men produced the first great Gothic Revival public building. Barry created the overall
design of the palace and dealt with its planning and construction – a great technical feat in itself. Pugin
supplied a flood of drawings for every part of the building, which Barry did not hesitate
to
alter with an
eye to the scale and overall effect. After Pugin's death in 1852 his designs continued to be used. Barry died in
I860 and work on the palace was continued by his son Edward Middleton Barry.
The building covers an area of eight acres (3.2 hectares), and was not finished until the 1870s at a total cost
of over two million pounds. It has undergone changes ever since. Offices needed to be created out of the spa-
cious residences originally included for the senior officers of Parliament. In the process many fittings and deco-
rations were removed or obscured, particularly during the 1920s and 1930s when Pugin's style went out of fash-
ion. Luckily, painted ceilings were often only covered over, and records of the original wallpapers and other de-
signs can be traced. A steady programme of work in the last twenty years has recreated the richly decorated inte-
riors which comprise many of the 1,100 rooms in daily working use throughout the palace.
Answer the following questions.
1. Where was the New Palace of Westminster raised?
2. What was the New Palace of Westminster supposed to become?
3. Who became the winner of the competition? What style did he chose for the new Palace?
4. In what way was the New Palace constructed?
5. Why has the circulation area and public rooms been working successfully till present days?
6. Was Westminster Hall rebuilt?
7. What are the interiors of the New Palace?
8. Why has the New Palace undergone changes since 1870s?
It’s interesting to know.
Some Statistics
Length of river front 872 ft (265 m)
Area of site 8 acres (3.2 hectares)
Staircases 100
Length of passageways 3 miles (4.8 km)
Rooms 1100
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