Palace of Westminster

• The Palace of Westminster is where the Parliament of the United Kingdom meets.
• The Palace of Westminster is in London, England.
• It is commonly called the Houses of Parliament, named after the House of Commons and the House of Lords.
• These are the two legislative chambers which occupy the building.
• "Westminster" is a metonym for the UK Parliament and the British Government.
• The Westminster system of government is named after the palace.
• The Elizabeth Tower, nicknamed Big Ben, is a London and UK landmark.
• The palace has been a Grade I listed building since 1970.
• Since 1987, it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• It was originally built in the eleventh century as a royal palace.
• It served as the primary residence of the kings of England until 1512.
• A fire destroyed the royal apartments that year. Consequently, the monarch moved to the adjacent Palace of Whitehall.
• The remainder of the palace continued to host the Parliament of England, which had convened there since the 13th century.
• In 1834, a second, larger fire destroyed most of the palace.
• The twelfth-century Westminster Hall was saved and integrated into the replacement building.
• Charles Barry won the competition to design the new palace, choosing a Gothic Revival style.
• Construction began in 1840 and lasted 30 years, experiencing delays, cost overruns, and the deaths of Barry and his assistant, Augustus Pugin.
• The palace includes chambers for the House of Commons, House of Lords, and the monarch.
• It has a floor area of 112,476 m2 (1,210,680 sq ft).
• Extensive repairs were necessary after the Second World War, including rebuilding the destroyed Commons chamber.
• Despite subsequent conservation work, the palace urgently requires major repairs.

The Palace of Westminster in London is where the UK Parliament meets. Commonly called the Houses of Parliament, it houses the House of Commons and the House of Lords. It's a Grade I listed building and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.