Don’t miss the full story, whose reporting from The Associated Press is the basis of this AI-assisted article.
London’s 166-year-old Big Ben clock tower has been nominated for Britain’s leading architecture award following a five-year refurbishment that restored the iconic structure and was completed in 2022.
Some key facts:
• The tower is formally known as the Elizabeth Tower and houses the giant bell Big Ben, which has sounded the hours since 1859.
• The structure stands 316 feet tall (96 meters) and fell silent in 2017 when scaffolding was erected for major repairs.
• The refurbishment cost more than doubled from the original estimate of $39 million (or 29 million pounds) but has been widely praised upon completion.
• Craftspeople restored the clock to its original blue and gold color scheme after decades of being painted black.
• Traditional restoration methods were used, including stonemasonry, gilding, glass cutting and clockmaking, while incorporating modern upgrades such as LED bulbs and an elevator
• The project has been nominated for the RIBA Stirling Prize, with the winner to be announced Oct. 16, competing against new buildings and housing developments
READ MORE: London’s restored Big Ben clock tower is up for a top architecture prize
This article was constructed with the assistance of artificial intelligence and published by a member of The Washington Times' AI News Desk team. The contents of this report are based solely on The Washington Times' original reporting, wire services, and/or other sources cited within the report. For more information, please read our AI policy or contact Steve Fink, Director of Artificial Intelligence, at sfink@washingtontimes.com
The Washington Times AI Ethics Newsroom Committee can be reached at aispotlight@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.