THE House of Commons is a building contained within the Palace of Westminster. It is not visible from the outside, either on the land or river side, since other buildings of the Palace intervene. The original Palace was much damaged by fire in 1512, but was completely burnt down in 1834, and re-built in its present form in the years immediately following, in the perpendicular Gothic style, the Architect being Sir Charles Barry. Much of the decorative work was done by Sir Charles Barry's assistant, Pugin, who subsequently rose to great eminence in his profession.
Oscar Faber