LEGO Big Ben User manual

BigBen
LondonGreatBritain
Booklet available in English on
Heft in deutscher Sprache erhältlich auf
Livret disponible en français sur
Folleto disponible en español en
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A füzet magyarul ezen a honlapon olvasható: Architecture.LEGO.com
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Big Ben
Big Ben, officially known as the Clock Tower, has stood at the
north-eastern corner of the Palace of Westminster for over 150
years. It’s one of the most recognized landmarks in the world
today, and has become an iconic symbol of both London and
England. The story of its design and construction provides a
fascinating glimpse into one of the most interesting periods
of architectural history.
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History
When the old Palace of Westminster was destroyed by fire
on the 16th October 1834, a competition was announced
for the design of a new palace building. Over 97 entries
were received and in January 1836, it was announced that
the competition had been won by the 40 year-old English
architect Charles Barry. His initial design, in the modern
Neo-Gothic style, was only two-thirds the size of the
completed building and was without the 96.3 meter (316 ft)
Clock Tower that would become known as Big Ben.
As Barry’s own architectural style was more Classical than
Gothic, he asked for assistance from one of leading lights of
the neo-gothic movement, Augustus Pugin. While it is difficult
to say exactly what work can be accredited to Pugin, it’s
commonly thought that he created much of the gothic-styled
interiors of the palace and the design of the clock tower itself.
Neither man would live to see the completion of their work.
The intricate designs gave many construction difficulties:
adding a whole decade to the estimated six-year building
time and tripling the initial budget.
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The design of the clock mechanism would also set
new standards in the field of clock making and add
further complications to the construction process. After a
competition, the task was given to Edward John
Dent (1790-1853) in February 1852 and he set about
designing a mechanism that would live up to the then unheard
demands that the first stroke of each hour should be accurate
to within one second. It took seven years before the clock
began keeping time on 31st May 1859; the construction
of the tower itself was delayed, Dent passed away, and
modifications had to be made when it was discovered that
the clock mechanism was larger than the actual space allowed.
Big Ben was the unofficial name given to the tower’s
Great Bell. It was the largest bell in the Britain at the time
and named after either Sir Benjamin Hall, the first Works
Commissioner, or Ben Caunt, a champion heavyweight boxer. The
first Great Bell was cast in Stockton-on-Tees and transported to
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London by rail and see. Huge crowds gathered to watch it
being pulled across Westminster Bridge by 16 white horses.
During tests, however, a crack appeared and a new Great
Bell had to be cast. Though this one would eventually also
develop a crack, successful repairs and a lighter hammer
have ensured that it still rings out the time today.
The Neo-Gothic heritage of the Clock Tower is particularly
emphasized by the ornate decorations of its upper floors and
the clock dials. Each dial is seven meters (23 ft) in diameter
and made from cast iron and 312 separate pieces of pot opal
glass. Once every five years, specialist technicians abseil
down the dials to carry out cleaning and essential repairs.
The clock mechanism is wound by hand three times a week
and is still as accurate today as when it was constructed
over 150 years ago. Although Big Ben is one of the most
famous tourist attractions, it’s not open to overseas visitors.
Residents of the United Kingdom are able to visit the tower
after arrangement with their local Member of Parliament.
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Construction
The foundation stone for the Clock Tower was laid on
28th September 1843 and it wouldn’t be completed until 1859;
five years behind schedule. The Clock Tower was built from
the inside outwards, meaning that no scaffolding was ever
visible to the outside world.
The bottom 61 meters (200 ft) of the 96.3 meters (316 ft) high
Clock Tower consists of brickwork with sand colored Anston
limestone cladding. The remainder of the tower’s height is
made up of a framed spire of cast iron. The tower was
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founded on a 15-metre (49 ft) square raft of 3-metre (9.8 ft)
thick concrete, at a depth of 4 meters (13 ft) below ground
level. On its completion, the interior volume of the tower was
4,650 cubic meters (164,200 cubic feet).
When it was time to raise the Great Bell, it was discovered
that its dimensions meant it was too large to fit up the Clock
Tower’s shaft vertically, so Big Ben was turned on its side
and winched that way. It took 30 hours to lift the bell to the
belfry in October 1858.
Over 150 years later the tower stands as a testament to solid
architectural design and ingenious engineering. Changes
in ground conditions, especially tunneling for the London
Underground, means that today the tower leans slightly to
the north-west by approximately 22 cm (8.66 inches) at the
clock dials.
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Facts about Big Ben
Location.................................... LondonGreatBritain
Architect ................................... CharlesBarry/AugustusPugin
Style ............................................ Neo-Gothic
Constructiontype.............. Clocktower
Constructionmaterials... Brickworkstonecladdingcastiron
Date............................................. -
Height ........................................ mft
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