Revisiting the 19th-century principles of fire protection at the Palace of Westminster, 1835-1942.

Following a devastating fire in October 1834, fire safety became a central concern during the reconstruction of the Palace of Westminster. Although it was not considered at the stage of the architectural competition, between 1836 and 1860 the architect Charles Barry oversaw the development of a scheme for fire protection. This paper presents a detailed examination of the evolution of this scheme. The first part shows that Barry’s office pursued a passive approach that combined the use of fire-resistant materials with structural compartmentation. This approach had implications for the cost and design of the structural fabric and also affected David Boswell Reid’s design for the ventilation system. A study of the final scheme, which is the subject of the second part, illustrates that Barry, aware of the limitations of the structural measures, including the risk of ducts breaching compartmentation, also considered operational aspects. These became an integral part of facilities management procedures that had been implemented under Barry’s supervision. The third part explores the history of the building in use from 1852 to 1942. Over this period the original principles underwent appraisals, involving the Metropolitan Police, Ministry of Works and London Fire Brigade. They remained largely unchallenged until 1941, when the destruction of the House of Commons by incendiary bombs, led to a fundamental loss of trust in these historic principles and the adoption of first modern interventions.