Designs for an entirely new Chamber for the Commons had been submitted by Christopher Wren (1632-1723) in 1698 and by William Kent (1685-1748) in the 1730s.* A reorganisation of H. M. Office of Works in 1814-15, meant that Soane as one of three 'Attached Architects' was responsible for the Palace of Westminster with Edward Crocker as Clerk of Works and Adam Lee** as Labourer in Trust. As with Wren and Kent, Soane's designs (catalogued here) remained unexecuted. The Commons stayed in St Stephen's Chapel until the great fire of 1834 destroyed almost of all of the Palace of Westminster. The new House of Commons by Charles Barry (1795-1860) and A. W. N. Pugin (1812-1852) was opened in 1852.

* There are, in the Soane Museum, designs by Kent, c.1730s together with copies of Kent's designs by the Soane office for the Palace of Westminster including a new House of Commons (SM 36/1/1-13 and 36/2/1-35).

** Drawings by Adam Lee (c.1772-1843) for a new House of Commons also in the Soane Museum Collection (SM 51/4/2-8).


Jill Lever, February 2014