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Norman Shaw Buildings

Buildings and structures in the City of WestminsterBuildings and structures on the River ThamesFormer Metropolitan Police stationsGrade II* listed buildings in the City of WestminsterGrade II* listed government buildings
Grade I listed buildings in the City of WestminsterGrade I listed government buildingsNational government buildings in LondonOffice buildings completed in 1906Parliamentary EstateRichard Norman Shaw buildings
New Scotland Yard, Victoria Embankment (geograph 5650866)
New Scotland Yard, Victoria Embankment (geograph 5650866)

The Norman Shaw Buildings (formerly known as New Scotland Yard) are a pair of buildings in Westminster, London, overlooking the River Thames. The buildings were designed by the architects Richard Norman Shaw and John Dixon Butler, between 1887 and 1906, they were originally the location of New Scotland Yard (the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police) between 1890 and 1967, but from 1979, have been used as parliamentary offices and have been named Norman Shaw North and South Buildings, augmenting limited space in the Palace of Westminster.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Norman Shaw Buildings (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Norman Shaw Buildings
Commissioner's Yard, City of Westminster Lambeth

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N 51.502 ° E -0.1246 °
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Westminster

Commissioner's Yard
SW1A 2HZ City of Westminster, Lambeth
England, United Kingdom
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New Scotland Yard, Victoria Embankment (geograph 5650866)
New Scotland Yard, Victoria Embankment (geograph 5650866)
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New Scotland Yard (building)
New Scotland Yard (building)

New Scotland Yard, formerly known as the Curtis Green Building and before that as Whitehall Police Station, is a building in Westminster, London. Since November 2016, it has been the Scotland Yard headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), the fourth such premises since the force's foundation in 1829. It is located on the Victoria Embankment and is situated within the Whitehall Conservation Area. It neighbours the Norman Shaw (which were the predecessor New Scotland Yard buildings) and Ministry of Defence buildings, together with Richmond House and Portcullis House. The New Scotland Yard building was designed in 1935 by the English architect William Curtis Green, who was commissioned to build an annexe to the existing Norman Shaw North building, which had been the Metropolitan Police's headquarters since 1890. Together with the Norman Shaw South building, the three sites were split off in 1967, with the Norman Shaw buildings being taken over by the British Government and the Curtis Green annexe being retained by the police. The earlier annexe, built at the rear of the Norman Shaw South building in 1898 by the Met's surveyor and principal architect John Dixon Butler, was retained as a police station and used operationally until 1992. In 2013, as a result of an estate reorganisation, the former "New Scotland Yard" in the neighbouring Broadway was sold and the force headquarters was relocated to the Curtis Green Building after extensive renovations. It was renamed New Scotland Yard in 2016.

Big Ben
Big Ben

Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell of the striking clock at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, England, and the name is frequently extended to refer also to the clock and the clock tower. The official name of the tower in which Big Ben is located was originally the Clock Tower, but it was renamed Elizabeth Tower in 2012 to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II. The tower was designed by Augustus Pugin in a neo-Gothic style. When completed in 1859, its clock was the largest and most accurate four-faced striking and chiming clock in the world. The tower stands 316 feet (96 m) tall, and the climb from ground level to the belfry is 334 steps. Its base is square, measuring 40 feet (12 m) on each side. Dials of the clock are 22.5 feet (6.9 m) in diameter. All four nations of the UK are represented on the tower on shields featuring a rose for England, thistle for Scotland, shamrock for Northern Ireland, and leek for Wales. On 31 May 2009, celebrations were held to mark the tower's 150th anniversary.Big Ben is the largest of the tower's five bells and weighs 13.5 long tons (13.7 tonnes; 15.1 short tons). It was the largest bell in the United Kingdom for 23 years. The origin of the bell's nickname is open to question; it may be named after Sir Benjamin Hall, who oversaw its installation, or heavyweight boxing champion Benjamin Caunt. Four quarter bells chime at 15, 30 and 45 minutes past the hour and just before Big Ben tolls on the hour. The clock uses its original Victorian mechanism, but an electric motor can be used as a backup. The tower is a British cultural icon recognised all over the world. It is one of the most prominent symbols of the United Kingdom and parliamentary democracy, and it is often used in the establishing shot of films set in London. The clock tower has been part of a Grade I listed building since 1970 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. On 21 August 2017, a four-year schedule of renovation works began on the tower. Modifications have included adding a lift, re-glazing and repainting the clock dials, and upgrading lighting and repairing roof tiles among other improvements. With a few exceptions, such as New Year's Eve and Remembrance Sunday, the bells are to be silent until the work is completed in 2022.