Parliament in the Making: St Stephen’s Chapel Exhibition
25 June 2015 (updated on 25 June 2015)
An exhibition about St Stephen’s Chapel will be displayed in Westminster Hall between July and November 2015.
St Stephen’s has been an exceptional building in the political life of the nation, standing at the centre of government for over 700 years. During the middle ages, St Stephen’s Chapel was the most splendid place of worship in the Palace of Westminster. Put to new use in 1548, it became the first permanent meeting place for the House of Commons. After a fire in 1834, which destroyed the old House of Commons, St Stephen’s Hall was constructed in its place, as the public entrance to Parliament in Charles Barry’s new palace.
Research
The exhibition features work on the virtual reconstruction of this great lost building. It draws upon research undertaken as part of the project ‘St Stephen’s Chapel, Westminster: Visual and Political Culture, 1292-1941’, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, and led by the University of York, in partnership with the Parliamentary Estates Directorate at the Houses of Parliament and the History of Parliament Trust.
About the exhibition
Alison Baker in the Principal Architect’s Team, Parliamentary Estates Directorate, is the project lead on the installation of the exhibition in Westminster Hall.
- Runs from 30 June 2015 – 5 November 2015
- Open Monday – Saturday, 10:00 – 17:00, during normal public access times
Further information
- St Stephen's Chapel exhibition booklet
- 2015: Parliament in the Making
- Visit Parliament
- Living Heritage
- Art in Parliament
- Parliamentary Archives
© Palace of Westminster Collection, WOA 845, www.parliament.uk/art