Video of the Week: Why £7bn is needed restore the Houses of Parliament

14 Dec 2015

As 9 bidders progressed to the next stage of procurement for programme management and design roles on the restoration of the Palaces of Westminster, we look at the video series that explain why £7bn is needed to preserve this most iconic of UK heritage buildings.

Since the Palace was built in the mid-1800s, many parts have never undergone major renovation, and the heating, ventilation, water, drainage and electrical systems are now extremely antiquated – some of the pipes are more than 100 years old.

View the Palace of Westminster video series that gives a rare, behind the scenes look at the state of the Palace and the challenges facing those tasked with maintaining it.

Find out more about the condition of the building including:

Making the building watertight: Repairing and replacing the 160-year-old cast iron roof and drainage systems
Preventing catastrophic system failure: The Palace’s failing heating, ventilation, water and electrical systems and the challenges of asbestos removal
Saving the stonework from irreversible decay: How the effects of pollution and lack of maintenance are damaging some of the Palace’s centuries-old stonework and carvings
Preserving the historic windows: The Palace’s bronze windows contain some of the most impressive and intricate hand painted and stained glass work of its time. But now, all 3000 are in need of repair
Protecting the Palace from fire: The challenges of updating the Palace’s antiquated fire safety systems to meet modern day standards

The video below sets the scene and explains why the £7bn restoration of the Palaces of Westminster is needed to preserve this most iconic of UK heritage buildings, beginning with the challenges of updating the Palace’s antiquated fire safety systems to modern day standards’