Admiralty Arch
لندن
Admiralty Arch is the great curved arch that separates Trafalgar Square from the avenue of royal parades. Edward VII had it built in memory of Queen Victoria, and it was finished in 1912.
An arch for a queen
When Queen Victoria died in 1901, her son Edward VII wanted to remember her with a great monument. The arch is part of it. Aston Webb designed it and it was finished in 1912.
But the king died in 1910 and never saw it complete. The Latin inscription at the top shows exactly that year.
What to look at from the street
The facade is curved on both sides. In the middle there are three large arches for carriages. On either side there are two smaller passages for people on foot.
At the ends of the wings there are two large seated figures, carved by Thomas Brock. They are the statues of Navigation and Gunnery, two skills of the navy.
Offices, sailors and a hotel
The name comes from the Admiralty, which ran the king's fleet. The building held offices and the home of the First Sea Lord, the head of the navy.
For many years government offices worked here. In 2012 the building was leased for 125 years to become a hotel.
