To mark the Platinum Jubilee in 2022, the gift from Members is a pair of unique bronze sculptures designed by Tim Crawley. The design features the four heraldic beasts of the United Kingdom – the Lion of England, the Unicorn of Scotland, the Dragon of Wales, and the Irish Elk of Northern Ireland. They are cast in bronze by Morris Singer Art Foundry. Atop the animals sit illuminated crowns crafted by William Sugg Lighting.
Installed in New Palace Yard, the lampposts align the Diamond Jubilee Window and Silver Jubilee Fountain.
Their lamps symbolise the guiding light that Queen Elizabeth II was to Parliament throughout her reign.
[UK Parliament]
In New Palace Yard
Taken on a guided tour of the Palace of Westminster
The surviving parts of the Palace of Westminster, and the Houses of Parliament are formed of two main phases, starting with Westminster Hall 1097-99, which was remodelled 1394-1401 by Henry Yevele with Hugh Herland (carpenter). The interior of the hall has a vast hammerbeam roof of an exceptionally early date and scale, and has an outstanding late C14 figure sculpture flanking the dais arch. This earlier phase also includes St Stephen's Chapel "crypt", probably built around 1292-97 and 1320, which retains perhaps the earliest surviving lierne vault, and St Stephen's Cloister and Chantry Chapel 1526-29, which were considerably restored after World War II bomb damage.
The second phase consists of the Houses of Parliament (the New Palace of Westminster) which was built from 1835-60, by Sir Charles Barry with detailing, interior decoration and furnishings by Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin. The offices against the side of Westminster Hall, of 1888 are by J L Pearson, where the House of Commons and Lobby were rebuilt after World War II bombing.
The building has slate roofs and galvanised cast iron plate roofs to Barry's work which also has an internal fireproof construction of iron joists and brick jack-arches. It has a cruciform and axial spine plan, with principal elevations facing the river. The massing by Barry combines symmetry on the river front terrace with the asymmetry of the major vertical accents which include the Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben) and the central fleche and turrets above the roof line.
Pugin's contribution included the perpendicular Gothic detailing of the rhythmic buttresses and bay windows, the close panelling with open and blind tracery and the wealth of sculpture, carved crockets, pinnacles and finials. Pugin's interiors in the Houses of Parliament are the best preserved and most complete example of the quality and ideals of his secular decoration including all details and furnishings, and are combined with a complete programme of mid C19 and early C20 wall paintings. The loose items of furniture are not covered by listing. . The Houses of Parliament include the Great vaulted Royal Entrance at the foot of the Victoria Tower, the Lords entrance with buttressed pinnacled porch in centre of the Old Palace Yard range, St Stephen's Porch gatehouse across the south end of Westminster Hall (giving access to cross-axis of plan), St Stephen’s Hall, the north entrance to Westminster Hall with its great window above, and the crocketed finialed gable flanked by square battlemented towers (restored 1820). Three gateways in EM Barry's cloister-arcade to the east range of the New Palace Yard terminate in the virtually free-standing clock tower of Big Ben. The riverside terrace has cast iron ornamental lamps on the buttress-piers of the Embankment wall.
[Historic England]
To mark the Platinum Jubilee in 2022, the gift from Members is a pair of unique bronze sculptures designed by Tim Crawley. The design features the four heraldic beasts of the United Kingdom – the Lion of England, the Unicorn of Scotland, the Dragon of Wales, and the Irish Elk of Northern Ireland. They are cast in bronze by Morris Singer Art Foundry. Atop the animals sit illuminated crowns crafted by William Sugg Lighting.
Installed in New Palace Yard, the lampposts align the Diamond Jubilee Window and Silver Jubilee Fountain.
Their lamps symbolise the guiding light that Queen Elizabeth II was to Parliament throughout her reign.
[UK Parliament]
In New Palace Yard
Taken on a guided tour of the Palace of Westminster
The surviving parts of the Palace of Westminster, and the Houses of Parliament are formed of two main phases, starting with Westminster Hall 1097-99, which was remodelled 1394-1401 by Henry Yevele with Hugh Herland (carpenter). The interior of the hall has a vast hammerbeam roof of an exceptionally early date and scale, and has an outstanding late C14 figure sculpture flanking the dais arch. This earlier phase also includes St Stephen's Chapel "crypt", probably built around 1292-97 and 1320, which retains perhaps the earliest surviving lierne vault, and St Stephen's Cloister and Chantry Chapel 1526-29, which were considerably restored after World War II bomb damage.
The second phase consists of the Houses of Parliament (the New Palace of Westminster) which was built from 1835-60, by Sir Charles Barry with detailing, interior decoration and furnishings by Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin. The offices against the side of Westminster Hall, of 1888 are by J L Pearson, where the House of Commons and Lobby were rebuilt after World War II bombing.
The building has slate roofs and galvanised cast iron plate roofs to Barry's work which also has an internal fireproof construction of iron joists and brick jack-arches. It has a cruciform and axial spine plan, with principal elevations facing the river. The massing by Barry combines symmetry on the river front terrace with the asymmetry of the major vertical accents which include the Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben) and the central fleche and turrets above the roof line.
Pugin's contribution included the perpendicular Gothic detailing of the rhythmic buttresses and bay windows, the close panelling with open and blind tracery and the wealth of sculpture, carved crockets, pinnacles and finials. Pugin's interiors in the Houses of Parliament are the best preserved and most complete example of the quality and ideals of his secular decoration including all details and furnishings, and are combined with a complete programme of mid C19 and early C20 wall paintings. The loose items of furniture are not covered by listing. . The Houses of Parliament include the Great vaulted Royal Entrance at the foot of the Victoria Tower, the Lords entrance with buttressed pinnacled porch in centre of the Old Palace Yard range, St Stephen's Porch gatehouse across the south end of Westminster Hall (giving access to cross-axis of plan), St Stephen’s Hall, the north entrance to Westminster Hall with its great window above, and the crocketed finialed gable flanked by square battlemented towers (restored 1820). Three gateways in EM Barry's cloister-arcade to the east range of the New Palace Yard terminate in the virtually free-standing clock tower of Big Ben. The riverside terrace has cast iron ornamental lamps on the buttress-piers of the Embankment wall.
[Historic England]