Kensington Palace has been a royal residence since the 17th century, most recently being called home by newly weds the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge when staying in London. Their crash-pad in the capital has recently undergone a major £12 million renovation, overseen by the Historic Royal Palaces Trust and co-ordinated by architects John Simpsons and Partners. This lavish refurbishment is not for the sole benefit of the nation’s favourite couple however – since the Palace reopened in 2012, 50% of the building is accessible to the visiting public, allowing a privileged insight into the daily life of the royal family past and present.
Base Structures created and installed a striped, four sided pyramidal canopy complete with pelmets on all four sides and large decorative tassels, suspended ten metres above the floor. The canopy is intended to provide a regal flourish to the visitor entrance and it certainly delivers, the royal appearance being enhanced by using a material called Diaposon, a man made fabric extremely similar to silk.
Visitors can now enter the palace and purchase tickets in the White Court Courtyard, once an open area but now enclosed with a glazed, steel framed roof.
in Bristol
