Britain's Queen Elizabeth II may be forced to move out of Buckingham Palace to allow millions of dollars of renovations to be carried out. The 775-room building - which has not been renovated since she became monarch in 1952 - needs around US$ 237 million of reconstruction work. The repair cost has soared from the previous estimate made by royal officials two years ago, when nearly US$ 78 million was predicted to cover the cost of repairing all the royal palaces. The Queen may also have to find somewhere else. The palace, which has not been redecorated for more than 60 years, has fallen into such a state of disrepair that the wiring and plumbing will have to be entirely replaced and the works could take ten years. Most of the state rooms have not been decorated since the Queen came to the throne, while large parts of the building are in such a state of disrepair that Princess Anne was almost hit by falling masonry a few years ago. And the palace's ancient electrics and plumbing systems both need a top-to-toe overhaul. As well as having to hold garden parties in a different location, any major closure of the palace could force its closure to the public for at least one summer season, meaning a huge loss of income for the Royal Collection, which looks after its priceless artefacts on behalf of the nation. Officials are now seriously exploring the possibility that the Queen and her staff will be forced to move out, either all at once, or in stages with the work being done around them. If Queen leaves, it will be the first time a monarch has been forced out since Queen Victoria designated it as an official residence in 1837. At first the palace was a large townhouse built for the Duke of Buckingham in 1703 on a site which had been in private ownership. Buckingham Palace has served as the official London residence of Britain's sovereigns since 1837 and today is the administrative headquarters of the Monarch.

London's Victorian era Crystal Palace will soon be resurrected, thanks to Chinese developer ZhongRong Group and architectural firm Arup. The light-filled glass structure will be rebuilt as a gift to the city of London, bringing back an important landmark that was destroyed by fire in 1936. Arup's design echoes the original Joseph Paxton-designed building and includes a large, lush park for South East Londoners to enjoy. The original Crystal Palace was designed for the 1851 Great Exhibition in Hyde Park, London, and moved to the south eastern neighborhood of Bromley shortly after. There it was used as a glittering public building until the fateful fire in 1936 that completely destroyed the landmark. Always regarded as an architectural masterpiece in China, the ZhongRong Group proposed the US$ 800 million project to Bromley officials as a gift to the city. Arup's design will restore not only the building, but the 73 hectares Crystal Palace landscaped park surrounding it, including a tree-lined boulevard, lushly planted grounds, and beautiful Italian style terraces. The complex will also include a cafe, visitor center and a restored concert bowl. According to the renders, the glassy light-filled structure emulates its original Victorian splendor, attracting locals and tourists alike as a contemporary cultural destination deeply rooted in history. The exciting Crystal Palace restoration project will be headed up by an advisory board led by the Mayor of London, to create a project that reflects the design's deep history while employing modern design practices.

St Paul's Cathedral, one of Britain's most spectacular buildings, has been fully restored to its glory as a 15-year renovation finally came to an end, reported news.yahoo.com. For the first time for years, Londoners were able to see the historic building without the hindrance of scaffolding. St Paul's, which sits atop Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London financial district, is the capital's architectural centrepiece and dominated the skyline before the era of tower blocks. The US$ 58 million restoration project, one of the largest ever undertaken in Britain, has been completed in time to mark the giant cathedral's 300th anniversary. What has been the first comprehensive restoration of the cathedral began in summer 1996. Work has included landscaping the South Churchyard gardens, restoring the Grand Organ and adding wheelchair access to the crypt and Whispering and South Triforium Galleries. Throughout, the bells peeled and services were uninterrupted. The smoke and filth of three centuries of London pollution had left the exterior blackened and damaged, but this has now been completely cleaned. More than 150,000 blocks of Portland stone were restored. Designed by Christopher Wren and built in grey Portland limestone, like many of London's most significant buildings, the Renaissance-style cathedral took 36 years to complete. It replaced the previous St Paul's, built by the Normans, which was gutted in the 1666 Great Fire of London. Construction of this great building was completed in 1711. The funerals of wartime heroes the Duke of Wellington, Horatio Nelson and Winston Churchill took place there, as did the 1981 wedding of Prince Charles and Diana Spencer.