The Royal Pavilion in Brighton, England, serves as a remarkable example of exoticism. It was built for George, Prince of Wales (later King George IV), who used it as a private retreat from the royal court. The construction took place in three stages beginning in 1787, and the palace bears a striking resemblance to the Taj Mahal in India.
The initial planning took place in 1787 when the young Prince, seeking a discreet location for private affairs, commissioned architect Henry Holland to enlarge the existing building. It became one wing of the Marine Pavilion, featuring a French-influenced neoclassical style. The Prince also purchased land surrounding the property, on which a grand riding school and stables were built in an Indian style in 1803-08. In 1801-02, the pavilion was enlarged with a new dining room and conservatory to designs of Peter Frederick Robinson.
Between 1815 and 1822, the designer John Nash redesigned and greatly extended the pavilion. This work is still visible today and includes the Music and Banqueting Rooms' distinctive tented roofs. These employed laminated timber construction techniques developed by Nash and his assistant William Nixon, using specialised iron connectors that allowed the roofs to span large ceremonial spaces without central supporting columns.
Today, around 200,000 people visit the Royal Pavilion annually, showcasing its impressive architecture and rich history.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nicolo Ciampini
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