Buckingham Palace is best known as a residence of the British monarchs located in the City of Westminster. Today, the palace is the administrative headquarters of the Monarchs. It was originally built for the Duke of Buckingham in the early 18th century and has been in a private ownership for at least 150 years. However, during the 19th century, the Palace was enlarged by two British architects, John Nash and Edward Blore. Only few additions to the Palace were made in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including the East front, which contains the balcony on which the royal family traditionally greets the crowd.
Buckingham Palace was mainly built in Neo-classical architectural style, which was basically inspired by Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome architecture. The exterior was made of Bath stone in Neo-classical French design. The East front of the palace was refaced in Portland stone in 1913. The palace has a total of 775 rooms. Many of the original 19th interior designs have survived and are still to be seen, including the widespread of coloured scagliola and blue and pink lapis. Smaller reception rooms were furnished in Chinese style.
Interesting facts:
• Buckingham Palace has the largest private garden in London.
• The palace has its own chapel, swimming pool, post office, doctor’s surgery and cinema.
The Buckingham Palace
2.6 The Houses of Parliament
Palace of Westminster, also commonly known as the Houses of Parliament, lies on the bank of the river Thames in the City of Westminster, London. Palace of Westminster, as it is now, is a replacement to a medieval building complex that was completely demolished by fire in 1834. Primarily, it was built as a residence of the Kings of the England until the fire destroyed t...
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Welcome to St Paul’s Cathedral, London (2014) Explore the Cathedral. [Online] Available from: http://www.stpauls.co.uk/Cathedral-History/Explore-the-Cathedral [Accessed: 25th January 2014]
Buckingham Palace – The British Monarchy (2009) History. [Online] Available from: http://www.royal.gov.uk/TheRoyalResidences/BuckinghamPalace/History.aspx [Accessed: 2nd February 2014]
Palace of Westminster (2013) Architecture of the Palace. [Online] Available from: http://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/building/palace/architecture/ [Accessed: 24th February 2014]
Ronca, D. (2012) How the London Eye Works. HowStuffWorks. [Online] Available from: http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/london-eye.htm [Accessed 9th March 2014]
The Tallest Tower: Building The Shard. See Online video. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxUyxrQvybw
Knossos was centered on a palace, which was a very complex building. According to Greek mythology the palace was designed by architect Daedalus’, were anyone placed in it could never find its exit. King Minos then held the architect prisoner so that no one would ever get ahold of the palaces building plan. The palace occupies and area greater than 20,000 sq. meters and has its own sewage system. The center of the palace was its throne room, which was adorned with frescoes depicting the mythical creatures called “gr...
Camelot International “Tower Of London” Knight International Bulgarian Property Specialist 2001-2004. Copyright 2001 Hermien Jerian du’fort
When the term “monarch” is used, the first thing that comes to mind is a bombastic king and queen with unlimited power. The reality is, this is not always true. The definition of a monarch is “someone who is the head of a state government, either in reality or symbolically” (Nederman 2). Such a government is known as a monarchy. A monarch usually either inherits sovereignty by birth or is elected. Either way, a monarch typically rules for life or until abdication. Depending on the type of government in place, the “monarch’s true power varies from one monarchy to another” (Nederman 2). They may be complete tyrants, known as an absolute monarchy. On the other hand, they may be ceremonial heads of state who exercise little or no power and are only a figure head which is known as a constitutional monarchy (Nederman 2). These different types of governments have all been around for about the same amount of time. However, some are more renowned than others.
...nce of this particular castle differs from other Edwardian castles by the wall shape and use of colored stone scattered throughout the walls. Also, differing from most Edwardian castle designs, the outer towers are not round, but polygonal. Two gates allowed entrance into the castle (The King and Queen’s Gates). Each gateway was very secure and contained murder holes and arrow loops at each.
quarters in a wing of the royal palace near the Temple of Solomon. It is
Olsen, Kirstin. "English Court: 16th Century." Daily Life through History. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 11 Feb. 2014.
The carvings and sculptures on the front of Westminster Palace consist of many beautiful aspects of life, such as birds, flowers, and trees. These beauty-related carvings are contrasted by the gargoyles adorning the top of the walls (Foley 185-186). Gargoyles are ugly, vicious looking creatures viewed as a representation of evil among the church and society. The stone carvings on the facade of Westminster Palace are indicative of the contradictions present between values, morals and actions of the Victorian upper class citizens.
Architects of the Elizabethan era designed many amazingly beautiful buildings and structures. Elizabethan architecture went further than just what the architects told the builders to do and the builders are given far less credit than they deserve. They carved out amazingly intricate designs into the wood and stone of these buildings, they poured their souls into their work and were still forgotten because what are they but some random members of the lower class. Elizabethan architecture has more to it than just looks, the structures were built to last luxuriously and each has a history going back before the day they laid the foundation. The architecture descends from the Tudor Style while also admiring Greek and Roman architecture and contained many influences from when England invaded India.
The Tower of London is one of the most famous historical buildings in the world. Constructed by William the Conqueror in 1078, this grim, grey, and awe-inspiring tower, is the most haunted building in England. Perhaps the most well known ghostly residents of the Tower of London are the spirits of Anne Boleyn, Sir Walter Raleigh, The Princes in the Tower and among others.
In 1834, when a fire nearly completely demolished the old Palace of Westminster, Britain had a chance to redefine what British architecture was (Richardson p. 111-112). Although throughout Europe Classicism and the Greek and Roman Revival had had a stronghold on secular buildings, by the early 1800 Neo-Gothic was starting to be seen as a nationalistic style of architecture, something that should, together with language, be national (Barry, p.114). While in France the Gothic Revival was mainly used for secular buildings, in Britain it was mainly used for ecclesiastical buildings (Barry, p. 110). It was into this world that August Welby Nothmore Pugin (1812-52) was born.
One major point that has been looked at closely but has not been completely decided upon is the original number of stories the palace contained. There are no indications of a second story beyond the two narrow staircases back in the upper north service area of the wing.
The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament, serves as the meeting place for the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The Old Palace was a medieval building that was destroyed by fire in 1834. After the fire, a competition was held for architects to submit plans for the new building that should be in a Gothic or Elizabethan style hoping to embody the conservative values of England. A Royal commission chose Charles Barry’s designs for a Perpendicular Gothic palace. Barry’s own style was more classical than Gothic which is why Augustus Pugin’s involvement was so crucial in Barry winning the competition. Barry’s plans reflected more of his knowledge of the neo-classical style through its symmetry. Pugin was the leading authority on Gothic architecture at the time. Almost all of the remains of the Old Palace were incorporated into the new design. Their work on the Palace began in 1840 and, while most of the work was finished by 1860, the New Palace of Westminster was not complete until a decade later. One of the most identifiable features of the Palace is the Elizabeth Tower, commonly identified by its main bell, “Big Ben”. The building is also known for two main spaces; the Lord’s Chamber and the Common’s Chamber. It is well identified by its main façade which runs parallel to the River Thames. The Palace, as it stands today, has been conserved very well to best display the designs as Charles Barry and Pugin intended them to be displayed. The Palace was, and remains, the center for political life in the United Kingdom, just as it remains a major iconic landmark of London. Many articles and books have been written discussing and disputing the history and design of the New Palace of Westminster, as well as the...
...er is still an economic boost to the city of London as a must see. Because the structure was so impressive, it brought quite a bit of tourism to the city. The designs were extremely important to the people because it showed the greatness of their country and still held the conservative belief that was once lost in the past. It just goes to show just how important it was to the church, the people, and to the commonwealth of the cities and towns that had such amazing structures erected.
Founded nearly a millennium ago, The Tower of London has traveled through tough British history starting with the ruler, William the Conqueror, “at the beginning of the 11th century,” (Tower of London). Being expanded by different kings and queens, the tower’s structure has been added to many times, from its start as just a temporary wooden building. Why was the Tower of London so important? It enforced the power of kings and queens, from the time after William the Conqueror’s victory at Hastings in 1066 till today, as a museum of the past. The tower had many different uses and housed many different people from royals, to prisoners. As an important monument in central London, the Tower of London, constructed over a large time period, has touched several aspects of British history throughout many years, as historical events occurred involving prisoners, monarchs, and ghosts.
The original residence, built from 1631 to 1634, was mainly a hunting lodge, by Louis XII and private withdraw for Louis XIII and his family. The palace was transmuted into an excessive complex, which has English and French gardens and each feature of its