Palace of Westminster: History and Architecture

Study Notes

The Palace of Westminster is where the Parliament of the United Kingdom meets, situated in London, England.
It is often referred to as the Houses of Parliament, named after the House of Commons and the House of Lords.
"Westminster" is a term used to represent the UK Parliament and the British Government.
The Westminster system of government is named after the palace.
The Elizabeth Tower, known as Big Ben, is a famous London landmark.
Since 1970, the palace has been a Grade I listed building.
It became part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.
Originally constructed in the eleventh century, it served as a royal palace.
It was the main residence of English kings until 1512.
A fire in 1512 led the monarch to relocate to the Palace of Whitehall.
Parliament had been meeting there since the 13th century.
In 1834, a major fire destroyed most of the palace, but Westminster Hall survived.
Charles Barry won the competition to design the new palace.
Barry chose a Gothic Revival style.
Construction began in 1840 and lasted 30 years.
Delays, cost overruns, and the deaths of Barry and his assistant, Augustus Pugin, occurred during construction.
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).
Significant repairs were needed after World War II, including rebuilding the Commons chamber.
The palace is in urgent need of major repairs despite ongoing conservation efforts.