HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT

The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament

or Westminster Palace, in London, is where the two Houses of the
Parliament of the United Kingdom (the House of Lords and the House
of Commons) meet. The palace lies on the north bank of the River
Thames in the London borough of the City of Westminster, close to
the government buildings of Whitehall.

The palace contains around 1,100 rooms, 100 staircases and 5 km of

corridors. Although the building mainly dates from the 19th century,
remaining elements of the original historic buildings include
Westminster Hall, used today for major public ceremonial events
such as lyings in state, and the Jewel Tower.

Control of the Palace of Westminster and its precincts was for

centuries exercised by the Queen's representative, the Lord Great
Chamberlain. By agreement with the Crown, control passed to the
two Houses in 1965. Certain ceremonial rooms continue to be
controlled by the Lord Great Chamberlain.

After a fire in 1834, the present Houses of Parliament were built

over the next 30 years. They were the work of the architect Sir
Charles Barry :The design incorporated Westminster Hall and the
remains of St Stephen's Chapel.

Towers

Sir Charles Barry's Palace of Westminster includes several towers.

The tallest is the 98.5-metre Victoria Tower, a square tower at the
south-western end of the Palace. It was named after the reigning
monarch at the time of the reconstruction of the Palace, Queen
Victoria; today, it is home to the Parliamentary Archives. Atop the
Victoria Tower is an iron flagstaff, from which either the Royal
Standard or the Union Flag is flown.
Over the middle of the Palace, immediately above the Central Lobby,
stands the Central Tower. It is 91.4 metres tall, making it the
shortest of the three principal towers of the Palace.

At the north-eastern end of the Palace is the most famous of the

towers, the Clock Tower, commonly known as Big Ben after its main
bell. The Clock Tower is 96.3 metres tall. The Clock Tower houses a
large, four-faced clock—the Great Clock of Westminster. The tower
also houses five bells, which strike the Westminster Chimes every
quarter hour. The largest and most famous of the bells is Big Ben
(officially The Great Bell of Westminster), which strikes the hour.
This is the third-heaviest bell in England, weighing 13.8 tonnes
Although Big Ben properly refers only to the bell, it is colloquially
applied to the whole tower.

Westminster Hall

Westminster Hall, the oldest existing part of the Palace of

Westminster, was erected in 1097, at this point it was the largest
hall in Europe.The roof was probably originally supported by pillars,
giving three aisles, but during the reign of King Richard II, this was
replaced by a hammerbeam roof ,which allowed the original three
aisles to be replaced with a single huge open space.
Westminster Hall has served numerous functions. It was primarily
used for judicial purposes, housing three of the most important
courts in the land. Westminster Hall has also served ceremonial
functions. From the twelfth century to the nineteenth, coronation
banquets honouring new monarchs were held here.

Other Rooms: Commons Chamber, Lords Chamber, Members´Lobby,

House of Commons Library,....

By Adrian Kubat & Christian Celec