Westminster Abbey
Construction of the first new tower to Westminster Abbey in over 300 years. Creation of new galleries and public viewings with relics and artefacts from Monarchs and VIPs.
Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Galleries
- Westminster Abbey was formed by the Benedictine monks during the middle of the tenth century, establishing a tradition of daily worship which continues to the present day. Specifically, the first Westminster Abbey was established in 960.
The current Westminster Abbey was started by Henry III in 1245 and is stated as one of the most important Gothic buildings in the world, with the medieval shrine of an Anglo-Saxon saint still standing as its centrepiece.
The official name for Westminster Abbey is the Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster. However, the Abbey doesn’t operate like a regular church reporting to the hierarchy within the Church of England. Around 1560, the abbey was designated with a special “Royal Peculiar” – which is a church exempt from the jurisdiction of the diocese and the province in which it lies, and subject to the direct jurisdiction of the monarch, or in Cornwall by the duke. - Construction of the first new tower to Westminster Abbey in over 300 years. The project was funded through many private donors including the Garfield Weston Foundation.
Creation of new galleries and public viewings display relics and artefacts from Monarchs and VIPs. High above the Abbey floor, the Galleries in the beautiful 13th century triforium display the Abbey’s greatest treasures and tell the story of its thousand-year history. - The project timescale from commencement to completion took a little over 2 years. At times during the project the trades and managerial workforce on-site reached above 100, ensuring the works could be conducted at pace, whilst adhering to strict health & safety guidelines. Works were conducted in such a way to reduce impact on the Abbey’s daily functions and allowed for large scale ceremonies to continue without disruption.
The project cost exceeded £26 million, and unlike the vast majority of construction projects, the value of the Abbey was not changed. After all, it is impossible to increase the value of a property that is already classified as ‘Priceless’.
Development Partners
The Alliance Fund controls the full vertical of development delivery to ensure quality and increase capitalisation for all participating shareholders. Appointed development partners hold a rather enviable track record of delivery value, being quite literally ‘Priceless’.
