2. Palace of Westminster
• The Palace of Westminster is the meeting place of the House
of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of
the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
The Palace lies on the Middlesex bank of the River Thames in
the City of Westminster, in central London. Its name, which
derives from the neighbouring Westminster Abbey, may refer
to either of two structures: the Old Palace, a medieval
building complex that was destroyed by fire in 1834, and its
replacement New Palace that stands today. For ceremonial
purposes, the palace retains its original style and status as a
royal residence.
3. Exterior
• Sir Charles Barry's collaborative design for the Palace of
Westminster uses the Perpendicular Gothic style,
which was popular during the 15th century and
returned during the Gothic revival of the 19th century.
Barry was a classical architect, but he was aided by the
Gothic architect Augustus Pugin. Westminster Hall,
which was built in the 11th century and survived the
fire of 1834, was incorporated in Barry's design. Pugin
was displeased with the result of the work, especially
with the symmetrical layout designed by Barry; he
famously remarked, "All Grecian, sir; Tudor details on a
classic body".
4. Interior
• The Palace of Westminster contains over 1,100 rooms, 100
staircases and 4.8 kilometres (3 mi) of passageways, which
are spread over four floors. The ground floor is occupied by
offices, dining rooms and bars; the first floor (known as
the principal floor) houses the main rooms of the Palace,
including the debating chambers, the lobbies and the
libraries. The top-two floors are used as committee rooms and
offices.
• Some of the interiors were designed and painted by J.G.
Crace, working in collaboration with Pugin and others. For
example Crace decorated and gilded the ceiling of the Chapel
of St. Mary Undercroft.
5. Rules and traditions
• Eating, drinking and smoking[edit]
• The Palace has accumulated many rules and traditions over
the centuries. Smoking has not been allowed in the chamber
of the House of Commons since the 17th century.
• As a result, Members may take snuff instead and the
doorkeepers still keep a snuff-box for this purpose. Despite
persistent media rumours, it has not been permitted to smoke
anywhere inside the Palace since 2005.
• Members may not eat or drink in the chamber; the exception
to this rule is the Chancellor of the Exchequer, who may have
an alcoholic beverage while delivering the Budget statement.
