Victoria Tower
Encyclopedia
The Victoria Tower is the square tower at the south-west end of the Palace of Westminster
in London, facing south and west onto Black Rod's Garden and Old Palace Yard
. At 98.5 metres (323.2 ft), it is slightly taller than the more famous Clock Tower
at the north end of the Palace (96.3 metres (315.9 ft)). It houses the Parliamentary Archives
in archive conditions meeting the BS 5454
standard, on 12 floors. All 14 floors of the building were originally linked via a single wrought-iron
Victorian staircase of 553 steps, of which five floors survive.
The main entrance at the base of the tower is the Sovereign's Entrance, through which the Monarch passes at the State Opening of Parliament
. On top of the Victoria Tower is an iron flagstaff from which flies the Union Flag
or, when the Sovereign is present in the Palace, the Royal Standard. The flag used to be flown only on days when either House of Parliament sat, but since January 2010 it has been flown every day.
survived the conflagration because they were, at the time, stored in the Jewel Tower
, which was at a distance from the main building and still stands across the road from the Victoria Tower.
Charles Barry
's design for the new Palace of Westminster featured a tower over the Sovereign's Entrance, 12 floors of which incorporated record storage. Augustus Pugin
produced most of the architectural designs and elevations for the project and also the interior design. The first stone of the Tower was laid by Queen Victoria
on 22 December 1843, and construction was completed in 1860.
The tower was originally named "The King's Tower" because the fire of 1834 which destroyed the old Palace of Westminster occurred during the reign of King William IV
.
The Victoria Tower incorporates a cast-iron framework which, rather than the visible stonework, provides the main strength supporting the structure. When the wrought-iron flagstaff was erected in 1855, the tower became the tallest square tower in the world, at 98.5 metres (323.2 ft) to the base of the flagstaff, and a further 22.3 metres (73.2 ft) to the top of the crown finial at its summit.
The Parliamentary Archives
underwent a complete reconstruction between 1948 and 1963 to provide 12 floors of air-conditioned document storage, and again between 2000 and 2004 to bring it up to contemporary archive storage standards.
Palace of Westminster
The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons...
in London, facing south and west onto Black Rod's Garden and Old Palace Yard
Old Palace Yard
Old Palace Yard is immediately to the west of the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, London, England, near the eastern end of Westminster Abbey. It provides pedestrian access to the Houses of Parliament via St Stephen's Entrance. A square of grass opposite is often used by television journalists...
. At 98.5 metres (323.2 ft), it is slightly taller than the more famous Clock Tower
Clock Tower, Palace of Westminster
Big Ben is the nickname for the great bell of the clock at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, and is generally extended to refer to the clock or the clock tower as well. It is the largest four-faced chiming clock and the third-tallest free-standing clock tower in the world...
at the north end of the Palace (96.3 metres (315.9 ft)). It houses the Parliamentary Archives
Parliamentary Archives
The Parliamentary Archives of the United Kingdom preserves and makes available to public the records of the House of Lords and House of Commons back to 1497, as well as some 200 other collections of Parliamentary interest...
in archive conditions meeting the BS 5454
BS 5454
BS 5454, "Recommendations for the storage and exhibition of archival documents" is a British Standard for the preservation of archival material. Among other things, it specifies temperature and humidity ranges for document storage, shelving schemes, and materials for document containers.- External...
standard, on 12 floors. All 14 floors of the building were originally linked via a single wrought-iron
Wrought iron
thumb|The [[Eiffel tower]] is constructed from [[puddle iron]], a form of wrought ironWrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon...
Victorian staircase of 553 steps, of which five floors survive.
The main entrance at the base of the tower is the Sovereign's Entrance, through which the Monarch passes at the State Opening of Parliament
State Opening of Parliament
In the United Kingdom, the State Opening of Parliament is an annual event that marks the commencement of a session of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It is held in the House of Lords Chamber, usually in November or December or, in a general election year, when the new Parliament first assembles...
. On top of the Victoria Tower is an iron flagstaff from which flies the Union Flag
Union Flag
The Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the flag of the United Kingdom. It retains an official or semi-official status in some Commonwealth Realms; for example, it is known as the Royal Union Flag in Canada. It is also used as an official flag in some of the smaller British overseas...
or, when the Sovereign is present in the Palace, the Royal Standard. The flag used to be flown only on days when either House of Parliament sat, but since January 2010 it has been flown every day.
History
The Victoria Tower was purpose-built as a "fireproof repository for books and documents", as required by the competition to rebuild the Palace of Westminster after the fire of 16 October 1834, which had destroyed the building and almost all of the records of the House of Commons. The records of the House of LordsHouse of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
survived the conflagration because they were, at the time, stored in the Jewel Tower
Jewel Tower
The Jewel Tower in London is one of only two surviving sections of the medieval royal Palace of Westminster, the other being Westminster Hall. It was built in 1365-1366 to house the private treasures of Edward III and its alternative name was the "King's Privy Wardrobe". In the early 17th-century...
, which was at a distance from the main building and still stands across the road from the Victoria Tower.
Charles Barry
Charles Barry
Sir Charles Barry FRS was an English architect, best known for his role in the rebuilding of the Palace of Westminster in London during the mid-19th century, but also responsible for numerous other buildings and gardens.- Background and training :Born on 23 May 1795 in Bridge Street, Westminster...
's design for the new Palace of Westminster featured a tower over the Sovereign's Entrance, 12 floors of which incorporated record storage. Augustus Pugin
Augustus Pugin
Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin was an English architect, designer, and theorist of design, now best remembered for his work in the Gothic Revival style, particularly churches and the Palace of Westminster. Pugin was the father of E. W...
produced most of the architectural designs and elevations for the project and also the interior design. The first stone of the Tower was laid by Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
on 22 December 1843, and construction was completed in 1860.
The tower was originally named "The King's Tower" because the fire of 1834 which destroyed the old Palace of Westminster occurred during the reign of King William IV
William IV of the United Kingdom
William IV was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death...
.
The Victoria Tower incorporates a cast-iron framework which, rather than the visible stonework, provides the main strength supporting the structure. When the wrought-iron flagstaff was erected in 1855, the tower became the tallest square tower in the world, at 98.5 metres (323.2 ft) to the base of the flagstaff, and a further 22.3 metres (73.2 ft) to the top of the crown finial at its summit.
The Parliamentary Archives
Parliamentary Archives
The Parliamentary Archives of the United Kingdom preserves and makes available to public the records of the House of Lords and House of Commons back to 1497, as well as some 200 other collections of Parliamentary interest...
underwent a complete reconstruction between 1948 and 1963 to provide 12 floors of air-conditioned document storage, and again between 2000 and 2004 to bring it up to contemporary archive storage standards.