Admiralty Arch, Historic site in City of Westminster, United Kingdom
Admiralty Arch is a curved neoclassical stone building in Westminster linking Trafalgar Square to The Mall. It has a rusticated base, three tall arched openings (the central one gated), rows of rectangular windows, and a balustraded parapet. The wings are asymmetrical: from The Mall, the right wing has three storeys below the cornice, the left two. A Latin inscription runs along the top.
Designed by Aston Webb in 1910 and built by John Mowlem & Co., Admiralty Arch was completed in 1912. Edward VII commissioned it in memory of Queen Victoria but died before its completion. It adjoins the Old Admiralty Building, which gave it its name, and served as the residence of the First Sea Lord, including Louis Mountbatten.
The central archway is normally closed by an iron gate and reserved for the British royal family during ceremonies, while the two flanking arches are open to vehicles and pedestrians. The Latin inscription along the top records the arch's dedication in the tenth year of King Edward VII, 1910. The sculptural figures of Navigation and Gunnery at the ends of the two wings were designed by Thomas Brock.
The building stands at the southwestern end of Trafalgar Square where The Mall begins. It is currently being converted into a hotel and remains visible as a landmark even during construction works.
A small metal nose protrudes from the inner wall of the northern arch. Artist Rick Buckley installed it in 1997 as a comment on public surveillance.
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