The new Palace of Westminster opens as the home of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
- When
- 1852
- Where
- Palace of Westminster
- Episodes
- 1
The new Palace of Westminster in London saw significant milestones in 1852, including the completion of the House of Commons and Charles Barry's knighthood. While often cited as an opening, no passage confirms a specific opening ceremony or date. The building remained incomplete, with construction continuing for decades.
Episodes
Background and detail
Background. Following the 1834 fire, Charles Barry won the competition to design the new Palace of Westminster in January 1836. Augustus Pugin supplied interior designs for the entry. Construction started in 1840. The House of Commons was finished in 1852, marking a significant milestone in the building's development.
Construction. Work began with the laying of a foundation stone on 27 April 1840. The project suffered delays and cost overruns. By 1852, the House of Commons was completed. Barry was knighted in 1852 for the completion of main interiors. Pugin, who died in September 1852, had supplied designs for the clock tower earlier that year.
Completion. The building was not fully complete in 1852. Barry's son Edward Middleton Barry later completed the Parliament buildings. The construction lasted 30 years, suffering delays and cost overruns. The 1852 milestones included the completion of the House of Commons and main interiors, but not the entire structure.
People involved
- Charles Barry · Architect
- Augustus Pugin · Designer
Sources
- Charles Barry Wikipedia, revision of 2026-10-02
- Palace of Westminster Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-21
- Augustus Pugin Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-27
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.