Added: 05/08/2006 |
The Royal Pavilion, Brighton, Welcomes You!Brighton is situated on the south coast of England and considered to be one of Britain's sunniest and liveliest cities. This is one of the most vibrant seaside resorts in England. Having great number of fabulous arts scenes, excellent shopping and countless pubs, cafes and restaurants, it attracts million visitors and guests every year. One of the most widely famous sights to visit is Brighton Palace Pier. Brighton Pier was one of the last piers to be constructed in England.
Built solely as an amusement and pleasure emporium, a 1,760ft (533.3m) length and wider than usual deck, the Brighton Palace Pier has everything the discerning tripper could wish for. And it's not the single thing to stare at. Brighton can surprise, amaze and impress anyone with its Brighton Royal Palace, the Royal Pavilion, built with an Indian style exterior and Chinese style interior.
The history of this stunning palace is rather interesting. The Royal Pavilion is a palace built in the 19th century as a seaside resort for the Prince Regent. It is often called as the Brighton Pavilion. The Prince Regent, who later became King George IV, first visited Brighton in the year of 1783. This visit was primarily connected with the Prince Regent's pedigree - seawater was beneficial to his illness. In 1786 he rented a farmhouse in the Old Steine area of Brighton. Soon this old building was enlarges by Henry Holland. The Prince also bought the surrounding land, on which was built in 1803 a grand riding school and stables in an Indian style designed by William Porden.
The building was redesigned between 1815 and 1822 by John Nash. It is the work of Nash which can be seen today. Admit it's rather staggering to see the palace having a very Indian appearance in the middle of Brighton. But even the most striking thing is not the front of the building but it's interior. Inside the building you can see the work of two famous designers - Frederick Crace and Robert Jones.
These two were heavily influenced by both Chinese and Indian fashion (with Moghul and Islamic architectural elements). And it's their work that can be seen nowadays inside the Palace.
The Royal Pavilion is luxuriously decorated with great amount of gardens. Initially architect John Nash had an intention to create a unique building with the system of gardens as a whole. These gardens reflect the great revolution in landscape gardening that began in the 1730s. Designed by him curving paths, natural groups of trees and shrubs and picturesque views replaced the Formal layouts of straight lines and symmetrical shapes.
After the death of George IV, the Royal Pavilion was sold to the town council. Having been rebuilt in 1787 by Henry Holland and from 1815 to 1823 by Jon Nash the usual farmhouse was transformed into a spectacular palace. There was only one thing that was less successful: within 10 years the roof had started to leak and concealed drainpipes were overflowing and causing dry rot. After many years of neglect, a programme of restoration began in 1982.
The restoration of the Royal Pavilion lasted for about ten years and cost over 0 million dollars. The program of the interior decorative schemes reinstatement still continues today. This restoration program is also applied to Nash's gardens scheme that was destroyed by a tarmac road and later planting in the 19th century. Gardens structure has been returned as closely as possible to Nash's 1820s plans. Plant species and varieties have been selected using the original lists of plants supplied to George IV.
Having once visited this wonderful and extraordinary Palace, you won't forget it!
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